Mercedes fielded pitstop crew members who hadn't worked a live F1 stop in 15 years at Singapore GP

Mercedes completed the fastest pitstop at the Singapore Grand Prix despite fielding substitute crew members who had not performed a live Formula 1 tyre change in 15 years, deputy team principal Bradley Lord has revealed.

The disclosure came in the aftermath of F1’s first triple-header of the 2026 season — a gruelling Azerbaijan-Malaysia-Singapore sequence — which Lord described as “probably the most demanding three races in terms of conditions in the garage, temperature, humidity and everything else.”

“In Singapore, even with changes in the pitcrew — you know, we had people in the pitcrew who hadn’t done a live pitstop for 15 years, who were subbed in because of injuries and things like that — we were the quickest team through the pitlane, delivered the fastest stop for the second weekend in a row,” Lord told the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show.

The achievement underlines the operational depth Mercedes has built across the 2026 campaign. The Silver Arrows have recorded the quickest tyre change in eight of the season’s 17 grands prix so far, measured by time spent in the pitlane. Ferrari and Audi are joint runners-up with three fastest stops each.

For Lord, the performance carries added weight as the championship enters its most demanding stretch. “That just shows the level that the team operationally is working at, and that’s really encouraging to see as you come into the really tough bit, the real grind at the end of the season — long trips away from home, away from family,” he said.

On the broader championship picture, Mercedes retains a commanding position. Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings and extended his advantage over team-mate George Russell from 81 points to 102 across the triple-header, despite going winless in all three races. In the constructors’ standings, Ferrari has narrowed the gap slightly after outscoring Mercedes across recent events, but still trails by 134 points.

Lord acknowledged the constructors’ fight is far from settled. “There’s a healthy advantage, but absolutely nothing is done and dusted, and we just need to focus on getting both cars to the finish as high up as possible,” he said. “I mean, that sounds so banal, but it’s our job each race weekend.”