Lando Norris’ Prolonged Pit Stop Raises Questions on F1…

Lando Norris’ longer-than-average pit stop during the Italian Grand Prix final, where he finished second to Max Verstappen, has sparked a lot of conversations. It resulted in Norris losing his second-place to Oscar Piastri temporarily, after his pit stop lasted 5.9 seconds. This occasion led to numerous questions from fans regarding the efficiency of the pit crew. Amidst all the social media chaos, a former F1 engineer disclosed the typical salary of a pit crew in response to a fan’s claim they earn about £350,000.

Ex-F1 Mechanic Unveils F1 Technical Staff’s Real Earnings

Lando Norris’ fans were particularly disappointed with his prolonged 5.9-second pit stop during the intense race. Consequently, his team mate Oscar Piastri passed him briefly, although he later had to give back the position under team instructions.

Following this, a tweet claiming that pit crew members earn £350,000 annually for “three-second work shifts” generated significant attention. This assertion did not sit well with a former Red Bull mechanic, Calum Nicholas. To clarify the real earnings of off-track workers, Nicholas tweeted, “The average salary for an F1 tech is around £60k. The average working week is about 70 hours. Most fly economy, and nobody gets paid more for being part of the pit crew.”

When a fan comment suggested that some crew members also build and repair cars over the weekend, Nicholas replied, “All of them do. They’re not there just to do pit stops. Only 60 operational personnel are allowed at the circuit; there’s simply no space for more personnel.”

Asked if the crew members were underpaid considering their work load, Nicholas disclosed his starting salary when he first traveled with F1 at 22, which was £42k.

The Debate Over the F1 Pit Crew’s Salary Goes On

A social media user named Alexandre Takacs sarcastically commented, “Please let me know where I can apply for that 350k job. Utter nonsense.” Another user noted that the significant earnings came through bonuses if they won the Constructors’, which is why there were stories about the RB team missing out on the bonuses last season.

Lando Norris Discusses Long Pit Stop in Monza

Norris spoke about his pit stop dilemma post-Monza race, stating, “I did everything I could today… Every now and then, we as a team make mistakes, and today was one such day. I tried to compete with Max, but he deservedly emerged as the winner.”

The next race will take place in Azerbaijan from September 19 – 21. The incident in Monza will most likely make the McLaren garage pay extra attention this time.