JUNE 18, 2015

Mercedes also fastest pit crew in 2015

Mercedes may have the best car, but the German team's pit crew is also formula one's fastest.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport has analysed the pitstops over the course of the seven races so far in 2015 and found that Mercedes' average time is the shortest.

It is a laudable achievement by the Brackley based outfit, as its position of dominance could justify a more leisurely approach to changing Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's tyres in a few rapid blinks of an eye.

Indeed, Auto Motor und Sport said team manager Ron Meadows took that approach last year, when a half-second safety margin was built into Mercedes' stops.

But in 2015, the time spent from pit entry to pit exit by Hamilton and Rosberg so far has been just 23.6 seconds -- three tenths clear of Ferrari's respective average time.

Third was Williams, ahead of Force India, Red Bull, Lotus and McLaren, with Toro Rosso, Sauber and Manor bringing up the rear.

(GMM)