Horrible Ferrari pit stop at Dutch GP triggers meme-fest

Having started the race in the third position behind Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, the Spaniard's race was effectively ruined when he came into the pit lane on lap 15 to switch to a medium set of tyres. What should have been a couple of seconds of stoppage continued for 12 agonising seconds because the rear left tyre had not been brought out of the garage till then.

Vipin Vijayan

First Published Sep 5, 2022, 1:14 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 5, 2022, 1:14 PM IST

Ferrari saw themselves becoming the butt of jokes after their disastrous pit stop during the Dutch Grand Prix that wrecked Carlos Sainz's race. This is not the first time that Ferrari has messed up in the pits. From horrendous pit-wall calls to the iconic three-wheel pit stop at Zandvoort this Sunday, Ferrari drivers are understandably fuming.

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This Sunday, it was Sainz's turn to be livid. Having started the race in the third position behind Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, the Spaniard's race was effectively ruined when he came into the pit lane on lap 15 to switch to a medium set of tyres. What should have been a couple of seconds of stoppage continued for 12 agonising seconds because the rear left tyre had not been brought out of the garage till then.

Even though team principal Mattia Binotto termed the pit stop as a mess, he said that the mechanics were not ready as it was a 'very, very last call'. Sainz's horror did not end there. He received a five-second penalty for unsafe release into Alpine driver Fernando Alonso's path. So even though he did manage to claw his way back to fifth at the end of the race, the 28-year-old saw himself being relegated to the eighth position.

The Dutch Grand Prix outcome saw disappointed Ferrari fans roast the team on social media: