Fry, Horner join calls for mandatory two pitstops

Two more team chiefs have joined FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh in agreeing that F1 should react after Sunday's processional 2010 season opener in Bahrain.

The press and drivers slammed the impact of the new refuelling ban after the 49-lap Sakhir event, with the Bahrain race staging scarce variation in race strategies and little overtaking.

Heikki Kovalainen is the latest driver to describe the race as boring: "I agree totally, we need to do something about it."

McLaren boss Whitmarsh said after the race that a second pitstop per driver could be mandated to improve the situation, while Bridgestone might also have a role to play as the supplier of tyre compounds.

"I think it would be bad if we didn't react," Mercedes GP chief executive Nick Fry told reporters.
He said both sporting and technical changes should be on the table, even though "technical changes are obviously very difficult to make and expensive".

Red Bull's Christian Horner told Reuters that he has "always endorsed" the push to mandate a second pitstop in 2010, which was voted down by majority when initially proposed in the pre-season.

Source: Motorsport.com

Ferrari designs wheel nut for fast pitstops

Ferrari has designed a new wheel nut in an effort to win F1's 2010 pitstop race.

With in-race refuelling not allowed this year for the first time since 1993, Williams hinted recently that tyre pitstops in 2010 could be as short as sub-three seconds.

Spain's El Pais newspaper reports that Ferrari has responded to the challenge by designing a cone-shaped nut that integrates better with the wheel gun.

The nut also features the automatic triggering of its fastener, where previously it needed to be pulled manually by a mechanic.

"We have worked over the winter to speed up the process of changing tyres," said designer Nikolas Tombazis.

Source: Motorsport