Sauber blames drivers for slow pitstops
10 November, 2011
Nov.10 (GMM) Sauber team boss Beat Zehnder has pointed the finger at its drivers after the Swiss team featured low on the list of average pitstop speed in 2011.
According to the pitstop analysis of the 17 grands prix so far, Sauber was ranked equal eighth of the twelve teams, on average 1.3 seconds per pitstop slower than the pacesetter Red Bull.
“Until now, pitstops were one of Sauber’s strongest weapons,” noted veteran Blick correspondent Roger Benoit.
Zehnder said in Abu Dhabi: “As far as 2011 goes, we have a problem with our drivers. 80 per cent of the time they (Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi) don’t stop at the right place in the box.
“This costs us valuable time. (In India) Perez was about three metres out of place, costing us about three seconds because the whole team has to move position with all the gear.
“Because of that we lost position to (Force India’s) Sutil,” Zehnder charged.
Another problem could be Sauber’s perseverance with a ‘lollipop man’, while faster pit crews including Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Renault use the automated ‘traffic light’ system.
“The automatic system with sensors brings you half a second, but when it goes wrong it’s damn dangerous,” said Zehnder.
Related report: Analysis: Red Bull and Mercedes top in pitstops
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- Mercedes eyes 2.5 second pitstops
- Sutton Image Montage: F1 pitstops
Do Mercedes use the automated traffic lights too? – along with Red Bull they have the fastest pit stops.