Learn › strategy
Beginner path · Step 7F1 pit stops explained: the undercut and overcut
What happens in a stop
Around 20 crew members change all four tyres at once. The car is usually stationary for two to three seconds. The real cost is the pit lane itself. There’s a speed limit (typically 80 km/h), so a stop costs about 20 seconds compared with staying out.
Why teams pit
- Tyres wear out and get slower every lap (tyres explained).
- The rules: in dry races, drivers must use two different dry compounds.
- Opportunity: a Safety Car slows the field, so a stop costs much less time.
The undercut
You pit before your rival. On fresh tyres you lap much faster than they do on old ones. When they pit a lap or two later, you’ve built enough of a gap to come out ahead. This is the most common strategic move in F1.
The overcut
The reverse: you stay out longer. It works when new tyres take time to warm up, or when your old tyres are still fast. Your rival pits first, struggles on cold tyres, and you build a gap.
Free stops
If a Safety Car comes out just as you’re due to pit, you lose far less time. That’s often called a “cheap” or “free” stop. Good teams react in seconds, and that’s where races are won and lost.
Unsafe releases
Teams can be penalised for releasing a car into the path of another in the pit lane.
FAQ
How long does an F1 pit stop take?
The car is usually stationary for two to three seconds. The whole trip through the pit lane costs around 20 seconds, depending on the track.
Do F1 cars refuel during pit stops?
No. Refuelling has been banned since 2010. Cars start with all the fuel they need.
What does 'box, box' mean?
It's the radio call telling a driver to come into the pits this lap.
F1 flags explained: what every colour means →
Yellow, red, blue, black-and-white: a quick guide to every flag in Formula 1 and what drivers must do when they see one.
Keep reading
F1 tyres explained: compounds, colours and strategy
Why F1 uses soft, medium and hard tyres, what the coloured stripes mean, the two-compound rule, and how tyre choices shape race strategy.
Safety Car vs Virtual Safety Car explained
Why F1 uses a Safety Car and a Virtual Safety Car, how each works, and why both can completely change a race's strategy.
F1 penalties explained: time penalties and grid drops
The 5- and 10-second penalties, drive-throughs, grid penalties, penalty points and track limits: how F1 punishes rule breaks.
📬 Race Week in 3 Minutes
One email before every race: when to watch in your time zone, the storylines that matter, and what to look out for. No jargon, no spam.