How do you get a 'free pit stop' under the Safety Car in F1?

When the SC or VSC is called, drivers can get a pit stop "for free". What does this mean and how does this work? Let's explore!
How do strategists work out which combination of tyres, pitstops and engine modes make for the fastest strategy? Let's look at the basics of putting a race strategy together.
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Twitter: / chainbearf1
Writing / Illustration / Animation / Editing / Narration:
Stuart Taylor
www.chainbear.me
chainbearsharef1

[@snehalraj6898]

If you zoom in enough, you can see verstappen in the yellow dot and hamilton in the pink dot.

[@noinfo1018]

lol

[@greatobgothithhothibth1227]

Oh yeah

[@NeelkanthEarthmovers]

If you see the race director of this race, it was Michael Masi.

[@thetruthisoutthere5173]

Isn' t Hamilton the black dot?

[@LockDots84]

Well, this didn't age well

[@islamomt]

4:15 prophetic!! 4 years ago who would've thought this explanation would be the basis of deciding probably the most competitive season in F1 history?!

[@raffaelschmid3044]

I was literally searching a comment like this

[@g1patil]

which sseason was it ?

[@SonSantana]

@@g1patil last race, last year (2021)

[@siddpai]

Thank you for existing.

[@saums9631]

Siddarth Pai took the words right out of my mouth

[@FarmYardGaming]

Oh yeah.

[@user-kq7xz5bv9w]

You are the best

[@siddhanthpai3409]

Bro wtf we have almost similar names

[@FormulaJuan75]

Thank his parents then.

[@deskelly9313]

I think I've watched enough of these videos now to drive F1. Where do I sign up?

[@retro34]

Is your dad a mil/billionaire/ex F1 driver? If yes, you're already there. If no then be 13 and go to Zak Brown, tell him you'll be back in 6 years then be 19 and drive for mclaren

[@khanad17]

@@retro34 I am 26.. Can I stil get in

[@gustavosalvini1827]

@@khanad17 yeah, just get yourself a game console and buy f1 game. Now you can drive an f1

[@shloksinha2075]

@@khanad17 become elons son

[@TheNostradamus13]

And now your animations are already featuring the HALO... I guess it is getting serious. But I actually dont mind the HALO that much. So... Good job on keeping your animations up to date.

[@chainbear]

TND13 just got to take the shark fin off!

[@digit975]

^exactly. I think they’ll look a lot better when the shark fins come off and when the halos are integrated into the shape of the car and livery design. That will make them look so natural. Remember in 2014 how we hated the low noses but now the high noses of 2013 just look foreign.

[@yourlastbraincell9948]

@@chainbear lol

[@ayang0069]

@@chainbear purple has only one car so the other crashed or retired , that's a theory tho

[@nickc8656]

Isn’t nascar the one everyone thinks it’s just driving around in circle

[@sandromiguel6061]

No,thats the reality LOL

[@henriqueperini7508]

They just turn left, If they turn rigth they life are destroyed. As simple as that

[@DestructorMe1999]

Henrique Perini its nowhere near as simple as that but whatever you want to think.

[@marcoferreira3832]

"to the left, to the left"

[@kylegoppy6072]

Yer

[@thebloodrose96]

I would really like to see you analysing actual races, I think I would be quite interesting to watch. :)

[@marsy8148]

Great idea

[@jobic4207]

it's worth noting that drivers must follow a "delta time" for the first few laps under a safety car. essentially they're not allowed to go faster than the safety car at first in order to allow all drivers to pit without completely messing up their track positions and ruining the "free" pit stop

[@adityanair5613]

ahhhh okay iv been confused and googling this for a while now, thanks so much for noting. I was wondering how this worked becuase I thought when safety car was called, all the cars came together, so you would loose all track positions when you pit. I dont know why nobody mentions this. Makes so much sense now.

[@DaveoAU]

This was the bit that was confusing me. Couldn’t understand how people weren’t losing more places to cars who didn’t pit. Thanks!

[@jobic4207]

​@@adityanair5613 same, thats why i decided to share the explanation in the comments after i found it.

[@satvikp.s2688]

That's exactly what I was wondering about. I was really confused about how pitting in safety car is beneficial since all the cars are bunched up so a pit stop would put you right at the end. This 'delta time' explanation is quite crucial, I don't understand why no one mentions it anywhere. Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@pedrotortosa1123]

And how do you track cars keep the distance? And how many laps do they keep that distance? That is tricky!

[@ryful1]

Please do virtual SC vs SC

[@MikeDCWeld]

SC is just some made up and misrepresented crap used to *try* to avoid responsibility for traffic regulations or other legal violations.

[@happigappi3618]

Michael Carnes not true at all

[@pure_at]

Ryan and his Bikes you follow a real car under SC under VSC you maintain your gap ahead and behind at the time of call and theres no car

[@pure_at]

thats where the term delta comes in

[@FarmYardGaming]

He's gone over VSC.

[@triple777seven]

@4:30 Abu Dhabi 2021

[@AdhiNarayananYR]

The last minute of this video- exactly what happened in abu dhabi 2021.

[@DylanBeaupeurt]

A completely free pitstop would be where the time from pit entry to pit exit is the same whether you take a pitstop or follow the safety car along the main straight, though that is unlikely. More often it refers to when the cars around you are also pitting so you don't lose track position. Also when there *aren't* any cars behind you so again, you don't lose places. Anyway, your simplification is fair enough. I remembered your voice from the tyre rules video btw.

[@PunnamarajVinayakTejas]

A free pitstop can also be when you pit, and then form a queue, reducing the gap

[@hoder4857]

Instructions unclear. Spaghetti car got stuck in virtual traffic JK this is so informative actually

[@sallybugs1695]

AWM

[@allenqueen]

So this is what won Sebastián Vettel the Australian GP

[@NYCHeavyHitz212]

Kakashi Hatake More like Ricciardo in China. Him and Max both were able to get a free pit but both Mercedes and Ferrari were already ahead of the pits on medium tires. Both Red Bulls were able to change to supersoft. Having more grip, it was easy for Ricciardo to overtake. Max too, but he messed up.

[@GrenYT]

4:00 hamilton tears

[@blackpearl2307]

Well now Abu Dhabi 2021 makes more sense. Thanks :)

[@kanjeexd5482]

This is a great Christmas gift!

[@lucasvdh1938]

The ending was so unnecessary but great at the same time

[@saketpundlik]

I have a feeling this will have more views now that 2021 Abu Dhabi GP is over.

[@CristiNeagu]

So... How are you going to finish the spaghetti for yourself before you arrive home?

[@keeperse6]

Great animation! And a very clear explanation. Just perfect.

[@95Coaster]

You have actually predicted the last lap of the 2021 season

[@ZAH33D]

Oh he predicted everything brilliantly, except for the lapped cars, which was the main controversy.

[@Midaspl]

I'm not sure if I still get it :P . If you pit under SC you should end up somewhere in the tail, as all gaps are vastly reduced behind SC. That would mean you would have to overtake way more cars than after a pit in normal race and in F1 overtaking is not the easiest thing to do.

[@chainbear]

The key is to do it before the snake catches you!

[@Midaspl]

Yeah, but before then, wouldn't all those people going full speed anyways until catching up with SC?

[@64cgfan]

Midaspl No, there's a minimum sector time you have to adhere to.

[@Midaspl]

Oh, so that's not only for VSC, but normal SC as well? I see now, thanks.

[@OMGclueless]

@@Midaspl Consider the worst-case, where all the cars behind you go at the speed they would anyways and don't pit. In that case, it's the same as a normal pit stop in terms of overtaking, except that you are placed immediately behind the cars you would be overtaking and you have fresh tires. Or put another way, a normal pit stop costs you 30 seconds worth of cars to overtake and 30 seconds worth of track length to make up. A pit stop under a safety car *only* costs you those overtakes plus a few car lengths.

[@szilagyipeter6698]

Absolutely professional animations and analysis of all the things you explain here. Keep em coming :D Happy New Year :D

[@PlaystationNation2k9]

Everything made complete sense right up until the spaghetti analogy; that's then you threw me for a loop. Still, it got a laugh out of me at the end, so future spaghetti references wouldn't be amiss I don't think. ;-)

[@vZCANCHOLA33]

maybe they can play this presentation at the mercedes training camp

[@branchyapple]

Redbull/Max verstappen: Thank you, now we are champions

[@ale-lp]

I'm already familiar with most of the concepts you explain on your videos, but I still watch them because of how well made they are! Super useful to use them as reference when trying to explain this things to other people :D (I'd just show the videos to others, but most people I know can't understand English) Anyway, keep it up man! Great job!

[@leonderprofi]

Came for a f1 video Heard about delicious spaghetti Got hungry Now i‘m making spaghetti

[@matthewmendens9750]

What about the problem of yellow pits before the field catches the safety car and retains their position then purple pits but loses heaps of positions because the field is bunched up... pit stops can be cheaper and more expensive at different times during the safety car period Cheapest - when the field is running at a steady pace but has not bunched up yet Cheap - when the field is bunched up Full expense - when you pull into the pits as the safety car does This would have been good in the video

[@Renee_R343]

Yes, I believe what you described, is called a free pit stop not what the video said it was. If a car loses a position while stopping it's not free.

[@agentcmac]

I was also wondering that. What happens if the yellow is called in the middle of the field?

[@Shermerhorn]

Well, while he may lose track position, he will have the advantage of fresh tires while the other drivers who might not have pitted yet either still need to pit or has a a few laps older tires.

[@hamzarashid4306]

I have a query. In a safety car, usually all cars will now be closer together. So in your example, the region of 20 seconds would feature more cars during a safety car than a normal lap. Would this not disadvantage a car coming in for a pit stop under a safety car, especially if no one else does since they’ll end up behind all these cars?

[@tsnaudex]

the cars are closer together but they are going much slower. so, fewer cars would pass by the time you are done your 20 second pit stop. when the cars are going very fast, more cars would pass in your 20 second pit stop. although everyone has the same idea, so if all the teams choose to pit at this time, they all get this advantage and so nobody really gets a special boost.

[@DafWilliams1]

That closing remark was might I say quite remarkable

[@mathewcollins4867]

i was almost expecting a food sponsor in the episode like hello fresh or blue apron with all the spaghetti talk

[@jubito555]

this channel is amazing. i love it. subbed after watching just 2 videos. keep up the good work man.

[@brocode3724]

3:10 Instructions unclear i slept with my stepsister

[@retro34]

Time to make money instead of spaghetti my dude

[@BlueCJ]

Great video! I like your style in explaining these as it helps me to understand them a little bit more easier, and I also like your animations. Subscribed! :)

[@simonhutchinson6433]

This is brilliant. I always understood the concept of pit windows but this explanation was perfect

[@VayuTiwari]

This is the video I was looking for!! Thank you 😊👍

[@davidferrick]

Lewis should have watched this 5 year old video. Honestly, Lewis wanted new tires but his team said no.

[@massapin9293]

I clicked onto this video with full understanding of Pit Stops and "Cheap" Pit Stops, but the numbers and complicated examples made me confused lol

[@miaria]

this was such a good explanation, thank you!

[@PonchoBandit]

Just discovered your channel. I absolutely love these videos - you have a true talent for teaching. -cheers!

[@counterfit5]

0:58 new venue for the Italian GP: Nardo

[@EatBuildRideRepair]

The video is great, but there was not mentioned HOW IMPORTANT is the fact, WHEN the SC comes in. And what happens then, does everybody have to stay below a delta time lik VSC? or they can decide how fast they want to goo until they reach the pit or the SC car? Still not exactly sure about these :( Pls help us.

[@lukeskyes1780]

Great way to explain that visually with these animations, good job! ;)

[@0605194]

amazing video, such complex stuff explained in a super simple way

[@OgulcanKaraca_]

4:11 question and 4:15 the diagram of what happened in Abu Dhabi 2021. I think Red Bull strategiests watched this video before the race.

[@jaddytheteenblogger]

I've always thought it was because you get a fresh set of tyres without using them extensively just to regain your position because all the cars are within a second or less than that, of one another. For example, Merc pitting going from 1st to say 4th isn't a big deal because they have fresher tyres to overtake the other cars, with or without pace a car with better grip can still obtain the fastest lap depending on the tyre health and type.

[@etiennekee5284]

AWESOME VIDEO! I love every single one of your videos do keep it up and produce moreee! Do more! So simple but so educating about the sport we all love

[@alwinpriven2400]

this just showed up in my recommended and I have no idea what any of the words in the title mean but I knew the video was gonna be interesting nonetheless. Gonna go watch the rest of your videos now

[@danielsgrunge]

Mercedes: Write that down!!

[@ShreyasYD]

Or you can be Hamilton in a Mercedes car and get free pit just to see if you can get the fastest lap.... I came back here to add just this one thing after Hungary 2020... 😅

[@jussayinmipeece1069]

or Bottas after Spanish 2020 FYI he got the track record.

[@zapid6733]

Or be Hamilton and pit under red flag to get a literal free pit stop

[@timotiusfabian5743]

@@zapid6733 which every single driver is allowed to. not the same is it.

[@danieldevadas6481]

4:15 Racing point: Write that down, write that down!!!

[@AlbeRtRambla]

Let's say this video aged well.

[@marcofragomeni9914]

the perfect example with spaghetti would be: you try to have them ready right during the formation lap, but you start preparing late. If the race will start under SC then you have some additional time. In that case the SC literally helps you :D

[@ChrisHorner_WCC]

Somebody needs to send this to Crofty and Martin after this year's Australian GP.

[@Nico-pb1sr]

You said at the beginning that if you take 100 seconds for a lap and you spend 20 seconds in the pit lane, it would take you 120 seconds. But wouldn't the total time be less than that because going into the pit lane cuts off part of the track and therefore that "100 seconds" would be slightly shorter?

[@MikeDCWeld]

Correct. And putting under the Safety Car wouldn't be quite the full 20 seconds because you would have to slow down and accelerate less transitioning on and off pit lane.

[@matthewmcewen1]

Yes, he was just trynna keep it simple thats all

[@seven9766]

The point is, you don't spend 20 seconds in the pit lane, that time is irrelevant because you'd get the exact problem you described. So, the actual pit lane time is not necessarily 20 seconds, but the total lap time is ~ 20 seconds longer than a lap without a pitstop. That's what they worry about and look at. The point of not having to slow down as much is pretty much irrelevant, sure, you dont have to spend as much time on the brakes, but that's like a corner braking point. Takes much skill to take advantage of this, and is probably less than 1/100 of a second anyway.

[@luthfikun6601]

I was understand and everything. Until your analogy really messed up with me.

[@chainbear]

Haha Sorry!

[@jonase.7344]

By far the best F1 videos, you will probably make a real fanboy of F1 soon😂

[@TomCi00738]

3:54 He explains that if yellow pits, it’ll end up behind pink(at no cost) but from the animation yellow is behind green after the pitstop. It seems yellow lost a position.

[@DEEJAYNH10]

This is needed for today Was Mercedes wrong for not pitting/couldn’t them be able to pit?

[@azkamil]

My understanding: If he pitted and Max didn't, race may have not been restarted and ended with SC and Max would have won. Max had nothing to lose, and would have made the opposite of what Lewis did to get a chance at winning.

[@juansuasnabar3180]

If Hamilton pitted and Max didnt, the safety car would increase speed to end the race without restarting

[@sebi5295]

Excuse me, how did people not get this?

[@user-hi4sm3ig5j]

Sebi. They thought the traffic was the pitstop, rather than the spaghetti.

[@iamutkarshpandey]

Welcome to the future.. yellow car is world champion

[@thisismyCoolFace]

Old adage in NASCAR on deciding whether or not to pit towards the end of a race is "do the opposite of what the leader does".

[@MudhaffarAdhwa]

I'll make sure to do a Nelson Piquet Jr when I make spaghetti

[@RubenvTh7909]

i get this, but isn't it also true that if there is a safety car, everyone is lined up and you will lose track positions? i get that you have fresher tyres but you still have to overtake them

[@brianderuyter3597]

Came in handy for the last 2 races in the f1 2021.

[@LeiteLuke]

I like that Force india is always featured in your videos.

[@number890315435100]

Clearest explanation ever. Thanks!

[@daniel4726]

you could also say that you can go on full speed on the part before the slow pit stop lane

[@nmnnmtoto]

4:10 reference to abu dahbi 2021 😂

[@masterray4474]

Now I'm beginning to understand f1 more thanks

[@ADITHYA388]

Amazing explanation

[@Exocetlovein14]

logic reason cheap pitstop during safety car period ,good analysis .

[@phucnguyen0110]

Love the spagetti making part, so freaking awesome ! :D

[@Smittel]

Arent VSC Pitstops even cheaper, at least for the leading pack? The absolute distance is locked in place but the time gap becomes much larger

[@limbeboy7]

You made a complicated video explaining what nascar has known for decades, the pit strategy mind games.

[@thunder_blonde]

Me, an italian: nice, nice, very interesting, but please tell me more about those spaghetti

[@HistoricalWonder720]

Incredibly well done.

[@g.dejong7804]

Awesome comparison

[@inocry940]

I have seen the same circle layout on the pitwall on F1.

[@sgomez8194]

Great video! So in the Abu Dabhi GP was it wrong for the FÍA to allow Max to pit and come back to second place?

[@DasJWW]

But if the gaps are closed behind the SC you will loose less times, but many positions right? Isn't that bad?

[@raghumahi8913]

Somebody touched my spughetttt!!

[@egyphon]

Brilliant explanation, thanks.

[@Shiftry87]

I hoped u would explain the even greater gains u can get from a vertical safety car vsc. In a regular safety car there is a bether then average chans that the sc gonna last for atleast 2 laps. So if all cars need to pit 1 more time before the finnish then most will enter and there shouldent really be any big position change and the sc goes so slow that all drivers will form a big line behind it in the end. However the vsc is where u can really gain time if it happens at the right time. vsc can last for anywhere betwinn 30 sec to a few laps depending on where the accident happen. In vsc the top speed/lap time is highly regulated around the track and therefore there shouldent be any diffrence in timegaps betwinn the cars. If this happen before u pass the pitlane and u dive in the pits the other cars on the track are forced to drive very slow as u are making your pitstop and u lose very little time. A regular pitstop time change depending on track but lets say it takes 24sec as u enter the pit untill u back on the track. Becouse every1 else is driving slower u probadly only lose lets say 10sec as they cant go full speed. When the cars in front then pit as the vsc has ended u are going full speed and they will lose 24 sec on u resulting in an instant 14 sec gain from 1 single lap. Ofc this is very situational and u could get the bad end aswell with a vsc just as u pass the pitlane. If the vsc last for more then 1 lap then every car will get the oppertunity to do the same and there isent any time won but not any time lost. If u need to change tyres before the finish and a vsc comes up there is no bether time to do it. Its a win win situation IF u can get back out on the track before the vsc end. If u cant then the result could be a time lose if the lead car dosent need to pit and will risk the tyre wear to last untill finish. There is no greater timegain possable. But its risky.

[@AirCrash1]

Who would have thought it, you leave the track for 20 seconds you will be 20 seconds behind when you rejoin, when you take something inherently simple and try and make it simpler you more often that not make it more complicated.

[@GodFirstnl]

Makes you think of Abu Dabi GP 2021

[@DrMartinko]

suberb video! thank you for great visualisation and cool narration :)

[@FrosteMelon]

Chain Bear F1 You get a thumbs of for the solo pasta. I approve!

[@frafzn6745]

Really like the illustrations helpful if you do the same for undercut overcut

[@somerandomdudeable]

Watching this again after the 2020 Italian Grand Prix

[@drs_tgc5446]

That "If yellow doesn't pit" strategy is very usefull on Monaco if there's an late race safety car

[@KaiserBob99]

Worked in 2015

[@codeb3nder862]

been binge watching

[@nikosv3306]

Well i dont think you covered it but under VSC the distance between cars stay the same but due to the reduced and steady pace of all cars the time to get to the other car gets bigger and thats why the leading car gets a free pit stop as the time to get a free pit stop stays unchanged (you stated it probably maybe.. not that clearly) correct me if i am wrong

[@patfase]

One thing that's always confused me about this... If the cars all bunch up under safety car, even though they're travelling slower, wouldn't you lose MORE track position than if you went under normal conditions? I suppose this only applies if several people choose not to pit, which almost never happens. But it seems to me, that somewhere like Monaco, for example, it might be better to pit under normal conditions than a safety car, particularly if there are large gaps between the cars under normal conditions.

[@Naxvarus]

My sister: Coming to visit for dinner Me: Safety car, Safety car. Keep the delta positive.

[@fernandoangelrodriguezcort6080]

I’m from 2022 and this won a WDC

[@paulchhetri8838]

Great job. Helpful information..

[@TomCi00738]

This is fascinating. But at 2:28 Why would only one car pass the pink car if the speed is reduced and cars are closely packed? I’m new and learning.