Red Bull showcase frightening F1 trick ahead of 2024 season

Pitstop Verstappen in Imola — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Off the Track

Red Bull showcase frightening F1 trick ahead of 2024 season

Just when you think Red Bull can't get any better...

Cal Gaunt

Saturday 16 December 2023 12:57

Red Bull has astounded with a groundbreaking pit stop ahead of the 2024 F1 season, executing a flawless manoeuvre in complete darkness.

Red Bull, already well-known for their pitlane speed, navigated the world's first-ever pit stop without light, relying on intuition and teamwork that made them world champions with six consecutive DHL Fastest Pit Stop Awards.

The daring challenge involved blindfolding the pit crew after only three practices at the Red Bull Technology Campus.

With helmets featuring blacked-out visors, they faced the seemingly insurmountable task in total darkness, captured by 27 specialist cameras.

Red Bull are renowned for their rapid pit stops

The Red Bull pit crew were only a second off their record despite completing the challenge in complete darkness

Serious hurdles overcome

22 pit crew members persevered through 10 attempts, achieving an astonishing 2.84-second stop, just a second off their 2019 Brazil GP record.

Filmed meticulously over four hours, the Red Bull production team collaborated with experts for high-definition documentation using infrared and regular film.

“The Pitch Black Pit Stop was a challenge we could literally never see coming our way as a race team, but in typical Red Bull fashion, we have come to expect the unexpected," said Red Bull sporting director Jonathon Wheatley.

Pit stop pace is a factor in the success of Red Bull and Max Verstappen

"The sense of sight, being able to see the car, your team-mates and what you are doing are intrinsic to a successful pit stop, so having that taken away presented some serious hurdles.

"However, what soon became clear is how fluid the team are in their approach, communication, ability and cohesive spirt; that the task at hand was almost second nature. I was really proud of their performance.

"The time of 2.84 seconds is a strong stop even in broad daylight! I’m certainly not saying that I would like to turn the lights out in a race, but being able to pull this off so succinctly, in the pitch black, shows what a well-oiled machine the crew is and testament to the fact we have won six consecutive DHL’s Fastest Pit Stop Awards. Beautiful work.”