F1MATHS: Have Mercedes leapfrogged Ferrari in terms of pit stop performance?

Mercedes delivered a masterclass in the pit lane during the British Grand Prix, recording the two fastest tyre changes of the race as George Russell recovered from misfortune to claim a maiden podium finish at his home event.

Russell arrived at Silverstone full of confidence after his victory in Austria, but unlike championship leader team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, he struggled to find his usual pace throughout the weekend. Sunday's Grand Prix proved far more encouraging, however, as the Briton fought in a thrilling battle for the final podium position.

After initially losing out to Max Verstappen, Russell found himself locked in a wheel-to-wheel contest with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton before his race took an unexpected turn.

A slow puncture on lap 34 forced Mercedes into an unscheduled pit stop that could easily have ended his podium hopes. Instead, the Brackley squad responded with the fastest pit stop of the afternoon.

Mercedes changed Russell's tyres in a remarkable 2.18 seconds, comfortably the quickest stop of the race and enough to earn the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award.

The team's speed in the pit lane was no one-off. Antonelli's first stop was also among the very best, taking just 2.30 seconds, giving Mercedes both of the two fastest pit stops recorded during the British Grand Prix.

Behind Mercedes, the margins were incredibly close. While Mercedes comfortably led the way, Racing Bulls, McLaren and Audi also demonstrated excellent operational performance, with all three teams producing stops between 2.30 and 2.37 seconds.

Ferrari's mechanics delivered solid rather than spectacular service. The Scuderia recorded the sixth and seventh quickest stops of the race, with tyre changes of 2.39 seconds and 2.49 seconds respectively.

Russell's 2.18-second stop ultimately played a significant role in rescuing his race. Although the puncture appeared to have ended his hopes of standing on the podium, events swung back in his favour.

Both Verstappen and Antonelli retired, promoting the Mercedes driver up the order, before Ferrari elected to pit Lewis Hamilton during the late Safety Car period.

The race finished behind the Safety Car, allowing Russell to inherit second place and secure his first Formula 1 podium on home soil.

After the race, Russell reflected on a dramatic afternoon: "I'm really pleased to be standing here, even though it was a very unlucky race. I had the puncture, then got lucky at the end with the safety car. It was a tough weekend, but I'm going to keep pushing. It's game on."

The result also helped Russell reduce his championship deficit to Antonelli to 25 points, keeping the title fight firmly alive heading into the next round.

The Silverstone performance also strengthened Mercedes' position in the season-long DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award standings. Thanks to the fastest stop of the weekend and another outstanding performance for Antonelli, Mercedes now leads the championship with 203 points.

Ferrari remains comfortably second on 153 points, while Racing Bulls occupies third place after consistently producing highly competitive pit stops throughout the opening nine races of the season.