The skill and precision involved in an F1 pitstop are truly remarkable. It is no less than a work of art. In a matter of seconds, a team of mechanics changes four tires and makes any necessary repairs or adjustments to the car. A single mistake or delay could cost the driver valuable time and potentially even the race. So the pressure rests on everyone’s shoulders, including the driver, who is looking out for a perfect entry and exit, but most importantly, placing his car in the right box, in front of the right garage. 

But there have been times when the drivers messed up their parking. You may be an expert in driving, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’d be great at locating an empty parking spot when the stakes are high, such as in a supermarket parking lot. Something like this happened when the newly signed Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, reached out to his former team, McLaren, for a quick change of tires.

During the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, the 28-year-old drove into the pit box of McLaren, the team with which he had won his first championship and raced for six seasons. The pit crew waved him off ahead, and Lewis got his new set of tires in the next garage as chuckles could be heard around the paddock.

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Lewis then apologized on the radio. Thankfully, the fluff didn’t cause any trouble for anyone as things proceeded smoothly, and Lewis finished third behind the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Lewis Hamilton and another pitstop error

Lewis Hamilton might be a seven-time world champion, but behind this success lies his series of botched pit stops, including one at the 2008 Canadian GP.

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A series of events took place: Sutil’s car caught fire, the safety car came in, and Lewis Hamilton’s lead vanished. Hamilton went to the pits, the pitstop exit turned red, and Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica stopped as commanded. Hamilton, seeking a quick exit as the safety train was passing by, crashed into Raikkonen, and who followed him into the crash? His future teammate and rival, Nico Rosberg. Kubica won the race, with Lewis and Kimi failing to finish.

Needless to say, Lewis learned a lot from his pit incidents and has surely avoided them in the past decade or so. However, these incidents demonstrate that F1 drivers, like their professional crew, can make stupid mistakes.