The importance of pit-stops can never be underestimated in the sport of F1. A good pit-stop can be the difference between winning P1 and P2; a split second that is overspent in the pitlane can cause drivers to lose a race. Some teams specialize at this aspect of the sport, like Red Bull. The Austrian team is admired for their lightning-quick pit-stops but on the other end of the spectrum is a team like Ferrari.

The Maranello-based outfit aren’t really famed for their pit-stops, more known for their blunders. But there appears to be some improvement seen this year.

The first two races can be counted as a success for the Scuderia. They have not only displayed good pace and gotten pretty good results, but they’ve also avoided their typical pit-box errors. This can be down to two primary reasons.

Firstly, it appears as though Ferrari are exercising a slight bit of caution. A typically good pit-stop needs to be very quick. But it feels as though Ferrari don’t mind adding a few milliseconds if it means doing a good job.

They obviously aren’t under pressure to win the championship, so perhaps they feel doing a good pit-stop without errors is better than doing quick and hasty pit-stop that could compromise the race as a whole if it comes out wrong.

Secondly, there is also speculation that Ferrari have finally modified the thread of their wheel nut. This prevents cross-threading and from the wheel nut getting jammed, thus delaying a pit-stop.

If Ferrari can keep their pit-stop game high, they could finish 3rd

After two races, it’s clear to see that the Italian team is a much-improved version of themselves from last year. The results have been a big positive, and so far there hasn’t really been anything to criticize them over.

The only hindrance is that their main competitor for the third-placed finish, McLaren, is doing slightly better than them. However, Carlos Sainz knows how Ferrari can beat his old team.

It’ll be a case of who is the most consistent between the two through the season. Errors in a 23-race season are inevitable, but which team handles itself better and minimizes the errors will be the one to come out on top.

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