The Australian GP, which will kick off the 2026 Formula 1 season next weekend, will undergo a major change to accommodate the arrival of the 11th team on the grid, Cadillac. With the debut of the new team, the event organization in Melbourne had to adjust the pit lane speed limit to ensure greater safety and efficiency in the flow of teams during the race.
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Previously set at 80 km/h, the speed limit has been reduced to 60 km/h. The change, which will be valid throughout the GP weekend, could have major implications for the teams’ strategic decisions, especially regarding pit stops, which will have less time margin due to increased congestion in the pit area.
Tom Mottram, event director of the Australian GP, commented on the measure: “It is certainly a challenge,” he stated in an interview with motorsport.com. “Our pit building and pit lane are probably one of the smallest on the calendar at the moment, so we have done a lot of work with Formula 1 throughout the year, since we knew an 11th team would arrive, to ensure we have additional space for hospitality, freight storage, and pitwall space,” he said.
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Although Mottram highlighted the space limitations, he also pointed out that this change is a temporary solution: “It’s a bit of a stop-gap measure for this year, where it will be a bit tight. And that also forced us to reduce the pit lane speed from 80 km/h to 60 km/h, because it will be a bit tighter for the teams to get in,” he concluded.
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