Massa reveals Williams broke pit stop record

Williams’ pit stop in Baku on Sunday broke the record for fastest-ever stop, that’s according to Felipe Massa.

The Brazilian has revealed that Williams’ data from the track showed that his tyre change had taken Williams 1.89s, not the 1.92s recorded by Formula 1.

That makes it a new record, breaking the 1.92s that was initially set by Red Bull, and officially matched by Williams, in 2013.

Writing in his Motorsport.com column, Massa said: “I have spoken several times in my column about the incredible work that the ‘boys’ have been doing with the pit stops this year.

“In Baku, they outdid themselves with a time according to our own calculations that was 1.89 seconds. The official timekeeper had it down at 1.92 seconds – which is still a great achievement, as it matches the official outright record.

“Last year, we were not one of the quickest teams to change tyres, due to a problem in the phase of the stop involving unscrewing the wheelnut that had overheated out on track.

“Over the winter months, the team invested heavily in both equipment and in preparation of the staff who conduct the pit stops. The result has been some really exceptional performances – but we think there is time to be found. The team is still working to improve!”