DHL, the world’s leading logistics company and Official Logistics Partner of Formula 1, handed over the DHL Fastest Lap Award and DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award for 2016 at Sunday’s Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. Nico Rosberg was recognized for achieving six fastest laps this year, while Williams were honoured for recording 14 fastest pit stops over the season.
This year marks Rosberg’s first entry into the history books as both the DHL Fastest Lap Award winner and winner of the drivers’ championship. It is the third year in a row that the DHL Fastest Lap Award has gone to a Mercedes driver, with Rosberg’s team mate Lewis Hamilton having picked up the prize in each of the previous two seasons.
“It is a nice bonus to receive the DHL Fastest Lap Award 2016 at the end of an incredible year,” said Rosberg as he received the prize. “We have been fighting for the win at every race this season and the fact that I have scored the most fastest laps reflects the awesome job of the team building our incredible car. It has been the fastest car all year - and this award recognises that fact.”
The DHL Fastest Lap Award was introduced in 2007 and has since established itself as a Formula One tradition. Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari holds the highest number of DHL Fastest Lap Awards with three, followed by Hamilton and Vettel’s team mate Kimi Raikkonen, both with two awards.
at Formula One World Championship, Rd21, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Race, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday 27 November 2016.
It is the second year that DHL has handed over the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award to the crew with the fastest pit stops, with the Williams team demonstrating the most consistent performance and supporting the on-track efforts of its drivers in 2016.
With outstanding team performance and 14 fastest pit stops, Williams was the fastest team in the pit lane during the 2016 season, recording the fastest overall pit stop time of the year at the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix Of Europe with a turnaround of just 1.92 seconds.
Nour Suliman, CEO, DHL Express Middle East and North Africa said: “We congratulate Williams Martini Racing on their outstanding performance this season. The mechanics’ efforts in the pit lane are fully deserving of this accolade, as they also make a significant contribution to the team’s overall results. As in logistics, it is attention to detail, precision and passion that defines the success of a team. At DHL, we can see from our own experience the will to win, competence and team spirit that are needed to achieve world class service levels.”
The DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award was introduced last year as a way of recognizing the behind-the-scenes contribution of the support crews in Formula One. Pit stops demand the highest levels of concentration at crucial moments when a hundredth or even thousandth of a second can mean the difference between defeat and victory.
Williams were followed by the Mercedes and Red Bull Racing teams, with three fastest pit stops each.
