Audi has significantly improved its pitstop performance during the 2026 Formula 1 season, transitioning from a previous operational weakness to a consistent strength. This turnaround is largely attributed to the influence of Lee Stevenson, who joined the team from Red Bull.
Stevenson, who served as Max Verstappen’s chief mechanic at Red Bull for several championship-winning seasons, moved to Sauber as chief mechanic in April 2024. He was subsequently promoted to Team Manager of the Audi F1 Team in January 2026.
His role at Audi encompasses operational delivery, logistics, regulatory compliance, and the coordination of trackside processes. This promotion was a critical step as Audi prepared for its full works entry into Formula 1 this season.
The team, operating under its Sauber guise in 2024, experienced considerable pitstop difficulties. These issues stemmed from material choices for wheel nuts, frequently leading to cross-threading during stops.
While countermeasures introduced at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix stabilized the situation, Sauber remained among the slowest teams in the pitlane that season. By the end of 2024, their average pitstop performance ranked seventh.
In contrast, Audi has emerged as one of the quickest crews in the pitlane this year, regularly featuring in the fastest pitstop tables. The team has demonstrated benchmark operations in recent races.
Audi recorded the fastest pitstop at the Dutch Grand Prix, turning Nico Hulkenberg around in 2.30 seconds. At the Italian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg’s stop of 2.44 seconds was the quickest, two-tenths faster than Red Bull’s best.
During the Madrid Grand Prix, Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto achieved stops of 2.34 and 2.38 seconds respectively, ranking third and fourth fastest in the race. This consistent performance highlights the team’s significant progress.
Allan McNish, Audi’s racing director, acknowledged Stevenson’s leadership as a key factor in these improvements. McNish emphasized the team’s ability to deliver multiple good stops consistently, not just isolated fast ones.
‘This has been an area that’s been worked on really through the end of last year and the beginning of this year,’ McNish stated. ‘Lee, who came to us last year, in the middle of 2024, has a good feel for what we needed to do.’
In the 2026 DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award standings, Audi currently holds fifth position with 179 points. Mercedes leads the award with 285 points, followed by Racing Bulls and Red Bull.
The fastest single pitstop of the 2026 season so far belongs to Racing Bulls, with a 1.99-second stop for Arvid Lindblad in Hungary. Ferrari secured the Fastest Pit Stop title in 2025, ending Red Bull’s dominance.
Audi’s enhanced pitstop performance coincides with its emergence as a genuine midfield contender in 2026, competing with teams like Racing Bulls and Alpine.
The team’s 2026 season has seen a mixed start, including reliability challenges during pre-season testing. Gabriel Bortoleto secured points for Audi with a ninth-place finish in Australia.
Jonathan Wheatley, another former Red Bull figure, serves as Audi’s Team Principal, having joined in 2024. Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 CEO and Team Principal, has indicated that the 2026 power unit may not be the strongest.
Audi aims for championship competitiveness by the 2029 season. The team’s car characteristics show strength in corners, contrasting with Racing Bulls’ straight-line speed.
