Red Bull pit crew fastest so far this year with top five times to their credit

Red Bull is not only leading the Formula 1 drivers' and constructors' championships in 2013, its pit crew is also the fastest operating currently in Formula 1.

That is the finding of

Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that the average pitstop for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber so far this year took just 2.83 seconds.

"In the second half of last year we were on average three tenths faster than Red Bull," McLaren sporting director Sam Michael is quoted as saying. "Now it's the other way around."

Indeed, Ferrari is in second place with an average time of 2.9 seconds, followed by Mercedes at 3.06 seconds.

AM&S said that Red Bull has also recorded every one of the top five fastest pitstops of the season so far, headed by Webber's 2.13 second stop in Malaysia. Mercedes, however, thinks it they can go even faster than that.

Practice makes perfect: Red Bull crew during preseason testing in Barcelona

"We did a practice stop at the Nurburgring in 1.6 seconds," said sporting director Ron Meadows. "But, of course, practice lacks the tension of an actual stop during the race."

In fact, the speed of pitstops looks set to dip in the second half of the season.

After Webber's flying wheel struck a cameraman in the Nurburgring pitlane, the FIA is preparing to introduce a system where a backup row of pins on the wheel nuts will ensure a loose wheel cannot fly off a car.

Subbed by AJN.

Top five pitstops so far this year: