Stake F1 delivered dramatic pit stops time and time again in the first three races of 2024, but according to Valtteri Bottas, a solution to the problem may now be imminent. However, this solution is only planned for the next Grand Prix, that of China, although the Finn hopes that things will go a lot better this weekend in Japan.
In the first three races, pit stop problems meant that the drivers of Stake F1 were unable to put any chances of a good result out of their minds. Both Bottas and Zhou Guanyu regularly spent much longer in the pit lane during the races, but the team may have found a solution to the problem, although this solution will only be tested in China. According to Bottas, Stake has taken measures for the Japanese GP.
“A number of measures have been taken, but unfortunately it has not yet been 100 percent fixed,” the Finn answers when asked by Autosport.com whether he expects such problems to arise again in Suzuka. ‘However, the likelihood of it occurring should have decreased. Hopefully a complete solution is planned for China, but we don’t know for sure,” said Bottas’s less than hopeful answer.
Team apologized
The problems with the pit stops have already bothered both Bottas and Zhou in the search for the first points of 2024. And with the big difference between the five top teams (Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin) and the other teams every point is important. For example, competitors Visa Cash App RB and Haas already grabbed important points in the first three races, while Stake’s counter is still at zero. Bottas states that the team has apologised.
‘But we have to do it together. I was disappointed, just like the rest of the team,” says the Finn. ‘These things shouldn’t happen. So we take it very seriously and it is a high priority to solve this,” said Bottas, who reveals that the problems only came to light during the test days. ‘We started to see something there. And then came the race in Bahrain. I think the temperature also has an effect,” Bottas tries to find an explanation.
