Red Bull react too late: DHL Fastest Pit Stop scant consolation for Tsunoda

After the rain-affected race at Silverstone, the Belgian Grand Prix again put the teams to the test with unpredictable weather conditions. The race started on intermediates, but after just eleven laps, slicks were the faster choice on the drying track at Spa-Francorchamps.

When Lewis Hamilton switched to dry tires on lap 11 and immediately posted fast sector times, a number of the opposition teams reacted promptly, including Red Bull who planned a double stop for Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda. But something went wrong with the communication: Tsunoda was called into the pits too late and had to complete another lap on the degrading intermediates.

His tire change therefore did not take place until lap 13. The Red Bull crew then performed precision work and changed Tsunoda’s wheels in just 2.17 seconds – the fastest time of the race, earning them the DHL Fastest Pit Stop.

But the top performance in the pit lane was unable to compensate for the time lost earlier. Tsunoda conceded several positions due to the extra lap on intermediates and dropped out of the points. "One lap on this kind of long track is very decisive," said the Japanese driver ruefully. "I lost four, five positions."