Math boffins, pit time question:

Not just SPEED, David Coulthard must have used the word 5 times during the BBC's Sepang coverage.

>8^)
ER

 

Indeed. But the question is coming down to is there ever an advantage being in box #1 versus box #12?

Assuming they all hit the pit lane limiter at the same time, go the same speed down the pitlane, stop for the same amount of time and get going again, it shouldn't make any difference. But, it seems it does..... Florians comment that the early stoppers have a slight advantage by being able to block those further down makes sense, but I do believe there's a few circuits where the WCC chooses the last box instead - Dunno why, and I'd like to!

Cheers,
Ian

 

Better view of the pit babes?

 

I thought a bit more about it and came to the conclusion that the team closer to the pit entry doesn't even need to work faster. It depends on how close two cars have to be to each other for the FIA to decide that it's an unsafe release.

Let's say FIA thinks that if a car is released by the team while a car coming from behind in the pit lane is closer than 3 car lengths, it's an unsafe release.

Now two drivers A and B (teams etc. equally fast) enter the pit lane. They're five car lengths apart from each other, B is ahead, A's team is closer to pit entry.
When driver A stops, the distance grows. He accelerates again while B (with the longer way to his team) is still stationary. The distance decreases. The moment driver B returns from his stop into the pit lane again, their distance is again at its minimum of 5 car lengths, which stays like that. They return to the track in their previous order and distance.

Now if they enter the pit lane only 2 car lengths apart, their distance will be 2 car lengths again when driver B merges into pit lane again. Yet this is under our limit of 3 lengths for an unsafe release... penalty!

So: If the distance in which the cars enter the pit lane is smaller than FIA's minimum 'safe release' distance, the driver behind with the team closer to the pit entry can block the other one and overtake, even if the mechanics are equally fast.


Edit: Here's the rule - not very specific:

 

There is an advantage to be first if you have a straight shot out of the pit box. Even without a straight shot, there's less chance of folks in front blocking your exit, or jumping you.

At Sears (IndyCar, not F1) and some other track I can't recall it's a disadvantage to be in the first box because it's an extremely tight exit onto the track. I imagine there are cases like that for the F1 tracks as well, but I haven't studied the box locations. I can't imagine why last would be better than say 2nd or 3rd though.