2015 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript

2015 Bahrain Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

Mercedes had a scare in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix when race leader Lewis Hamilton reported a problem with his brakes.

Hamilton experienced the same brake-by-wire problem which had already cost Mercedes a one-two finish as Nico Rosberg ran wide and was passed by Kimi Raikkonen.

The other Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel had a difficult race, slipping back to fifth place after going off on more than one occasion. The team found part of the front wing flap on his car had broken following a pit stop for a new wing.

It was also a race of contrasting fortunes for the Force India drivers. Sergio Perez discovered earlier in the race he could make his tyres last longer than expected, allowing the team to switch him to ‘plan B’ – i.e. making two pit stops. This moved him up into the points, a result which thrilled his race engineer who told Perez: “You blew them away”.

Nico Hulkenberg, however, was frustrated both by his car’s lack of grip and the driving of one of his rivals, whom he branded an “idiot”.

Here are the team radio messages which were broadcast on television during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Go ad-free for just £1 per month

>> Find out more and sign up

2015 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*FromToMessage
PRDave RobsonFelipe MassaFelipe there’s no real change in conditions. As you’d expect track temperature contiues to drop one degree every now and again. So we’re about 30 degrees, same as yesterday in qualifying. Wind direction still the same and the strength is the same as the laps to the grid.
PRLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonDo I need to do fuel saving in the first part of the first stint?
PRPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonYeah there will be a level of lift-and-coast required
PRGianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatDany, car ahead Maldonado starting on [medium].
FLRob SmedleyFelipe MassaYeah mate just stay in the car and what we’ll try and do is restart you in the pit lane. If we can get you into the pit lane quickly and get you restarted, it sounds like an electrical problem and you haven’t got fuel pressure. OK?
FLDave RobsonFelipe MassaFelipe driver default A28 OK, please
FLMark SladePastor MaldonadoAll other cars are on [softs], Pastor.
FLPastor MaldonadoMark SladeOK, I see.
FLGianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatSainz was penalised for driving too slowly on his reconnaissance lap.
OK Danny for info Sainz has been given a five-second time penalty.
2Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK Felipe nice job. So we can still get some points from here and we also have a bit of fun so let’s crack on through and get through this field as quickly as we can.
2Max VerstappenXevi PujolarI have damage on the front wing
2Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenYou say damage on the front wing?
2Max VerstappenXevi PujolarNo I’m not sure, I touched Maldonado.
3Mark SladePastor MaldonadoOK Pastor don’t lose time with Massa.
3Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeOK I’ll try.
3Tony RossNico RosbergSo you have DRS. Bottas behind 1.3 seconds.
5Tony RossNico RosbergRosberg overtook Raikkonen for third place.
So just need a little bit of brake management before you attack Vettel.
5Felipe MassaDave RobsonFor information the car is understeer.
6Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoHow are the tyres Daniel?
6Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieJust struggling for overall grip at the moment. Both axles.
6Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieI’m not experiencing massive deg yet, just lack of grip.
6Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonVettel 40.2, gap at 1.9, probably afford to go two-tenths faster.
6Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatLet’s have a balance update when you can, Danny.
6Daniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseSo far holding on well but not able to pass the cars in front at the moment. We’d need a couple of laps more.
7Sergio PerezTim WrightSainz is moving too much under braking.
7Tim WrightSergio PerezUnderstood: Sainz is moving too much on the braking. Checo, Sainz is hurting our race, how are the tyres?
7Sergio PerezTim WrightI can lap much quicker than this. Tyres are OK.
7Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThis is my pace, it’s as fast as I can go. It is on the limit.
7Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonCopy.
8Dave RobsonFelipe MassaDoing a great job, let’s keep pushing hard on this set. Next target is Nasr.
9Mark TempleFernando AlonsoHow are the tyres?
9Fernando AlonsoMark TempleI have a rear problem.
9Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThat gap’s opening up nicely now.
9Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoYou can save a bit less fuel.
9Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieUnderstood.
9Tony RossNico RosbergRosberg overtook Vettel for second place.
So Nico when you’re clear a little bit more tyre management, we’ll be going longer than target.
9Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonThat gap’s now 4.5, Nico’s just overtaken so he’s P2.
10Craig GardinerFelipe NasrEntry nine. Lap times are in line with others at the moment. Keep pushing.
10Kimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodRaikkonen caught up to team mate Vettel.
I think I can go a bit faster but I will try to overtake him.
10David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenUnderstood.
10Tim WrightSergio PerezForce India began the race with the intention of making three pit stops but Perez got good enough life out of his first set of tyres to make a two-stop strategy possible.
Checo if you can keep this pace for five or six laps then strategy B is looking good.
11Marcus EricssonErik SchuivensI am losing too much time.
11Erik SchuivensMarcus EricssonBox this lap, Marcus. Front wing minus one, correct?
11Marcus EricssonErik SchuivensYeah copy.
12Tim WrightSergio PerezCheco can you keep this pace for four or five laps? We need to know.
12Sergio PerezTim WrightYes I can.
12Tim WrightSergio PerezUnderstood.
12Tony RossNico RosbergAnd let us know if you need a flap adjust at the stop…
12Nico RosbergTony RossNo change.
12Tony RossNico RosbergAnd Nice let us know…
12Nico RosbergTony RossMade a mistake.
12Tony RossNico RosbergCopy, copy.
13Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieLeft-rear is starting to go.
13Mark TempleFernando AlonsoOK Fernando we’re looking at target plus two. Let’s start pushing the tyres.
14Tony RossNico RosbergSo push hard now, go strat five, box box.
14Mark TempleFernando AlonsoThis is the [medium]. We’ll be racing Sainz at the exit.
14Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrOK Carlos in front of you there is Maldonado, eight seconds, on [soft]. We need quite a decent stint on this. Now we need to fix our pace, focus on our pace.
14Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsThe tyres are dying so I cannot do more.
15Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelRosberg in the pits now, push.
15Tony RossNico RosbergVettel jumped ahead of Raikkonen in the first round of pit stop.
OK so attack him now on fresh tyres.
15Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis box, box. We’re going to new [soft], no flap adjust.
15Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonTake half a hole out, please.
16Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo you have Nico, Vettel behind, they are racing.
18Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico stint is stint plus ten OK on this stint. Brakes are a concern.
18Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonHamilton came close to being jumped by Rosberg and Vettel, who pitted before him.
That’s a little bit close for comfort, right?
18Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonAffirm, Lewis, feels that way.
18Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonWhat happened to my gap?
18Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonIt looks like a bit of a slow stop, Lewis, let’s just manage it now.
18Tony RossNico RosbergImportant to look after the tyres for stint plus ten.
18Erik SchuivensMarcus EricssonOK Marcus stint is good, keep it up, you’re in line with Grosjean ahead. Target is seven.
19Sergio PerezTim WrightHow hard can I heat this tyre?
19Tim WrightSergio PerezWe will need to manage this set. We’re probably looking at 20 laps. You’ve done a really good job.
19Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaI have a lot of understeer medium and low speed, oversteer in high speed.
20Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasSo Raikkonen in front is on [medium] tyres so I think we can get him.
20Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThis is hard to achieve with these tyres,
20Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico we’ll still need some fuel saving for brakes as you’re getting closer to Lewis.
21Dave RobsonFelipe MassaHow are the tyres?
21Felipe MassaDave RobsonYeah it’s on the rear so I don’t know. I know that Pastor hit me on the back so I don’t know if something happened or broke on my car. [Unclear]
21Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK, understood Felipe. We did see some slightl damage on the pit stop but nothing too worrying.
21Felipe MassaDave RobsonOK.
21Mark TempleFernando AlonsoLet’s target zero on the fuel dash. We’ll be racing cars at the end of this race.
22Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceBalance is just, yeah, low-speed understeer. I’m just sliding so much. We’re eating the tyres.
23Tony RossNico RosbergLet us know if you can do this pace in strat six.
23Nico RosbergTony RossOK I’ll give it a go.
24Sergio PerezTim WrightHow is the pace of the people in front?
24Tim WrightSergio PerezThey are on older tyres. You are half a second quicker. Nico is holding them up.
24Mark SladePastor MaldonadoPastor we have some front wing damage. Aero balance is forwards. How is the balance for you?
24Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeYeah it is feeling a bit forward [unclear].
24Felipe MassaDave RobsonI think I would prefer to go on the [medium] next one.
24Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK Felipe we are looking at it.
25Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsI think hitting the target laps with this set of tyres will be quite difficult.
26Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoBottas ahead is struggling. You are catching him. Doing a good job, mate.
27Mark TempleFernando AlonsoA group of three-stopping cars have pitted. They’re currently plus 12 behind you. We’re going to be racing them at the end.
28Tony RossNico RosbergInformation: Wind strength is dropping.
28Mark TempleFernando AlonsoThe three stoppers have caught Sainz. Maldonado is the first of them. We want to make life difficult for them, we’ll be racing them at the end. This strategy is working for us I think, let’s stick to plan A target lap.
30David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenKimi pace is very good. Suggest [state of charge] six just to give us some power at the end.
30Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrBox this lap Carlos. New [soft]. Flap adjust, please.
30Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaPlus one.
31Craig GardinerFelipe NasrSo obviously important to get past Alonso as soon as possible to stay with Massa.
31Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonYou were four-tenths faster last lap. Nico struggling with front-left so just manage your tyres.
32Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaSainz retired shortly after a pit stop.
Feeling something strange in the car
32Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrCan you describe it?
32Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaI think wheel off.
32Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrUnderstood.
32Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaAh no, it’s something different. I don’t know what it is but it feels like something from the rear.
32Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrUnderstood, Carlos. We will investigate afterwards.
32Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaI cannot continue.
32Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrUnderstood. Engine off. Quite a difficult race, sorry for that, mate.
32Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaNo, I’m sorry.
32Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrDon’t worry.
33Kimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodWhy do you think that the [soft] is better if I can go faster with the [medium] than the [soft]?
33David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenWe believe the stint length will be the same but the initial laps will be quicker.
33Kimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodHow many laps?
33David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenEight more.
33Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieHow does the [medium] look?
33Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoThe [medium] looks as expected.
33Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonBox box, we’re going to go for the [medium] tyre, we’re going one turn down.
34Tony RossNico RosbergPush hard now. One more lap.
35Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieThe left-rear’s gone pretty bad now.
37Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK I think I have some damage on the front wing. Don’t know why but I got understeer. Keep an eye on the sensors, please.
37Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelOK, copy.
37Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiCar is also pulling to the left on the straight line and I have a lot of understeer. OK I think nose change, box, box.
37Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelCopy, copy.
37Dave RobsonFelipe MassaHow are the tyres? Can we still make plan A work?
37Felipe MassaDave RobsonWell the tyres is rear degradation. But is better than the [soft]. You need to speak louder as well.
37Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK understood. We are staying on plan A.
38Max VerstappenXevi PujolarOK I’m losing power.
38Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenOK Max box this lap.
38Max VerstappenXevi PujolarWow.
38Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenOK we abort the race, box now.
38Max VerstappenXevi PujolarOK.
38Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenMax our car is not safe, you need to jump out.
38Max VerstappenXevi PujolarOK.
38Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelWe had damage to one endplate, one endplate was broken.
38Tony RossNico RosbergInformation: Kimi when he swaps to [soft] will obviously be quicker. We’re expecting him maybe to catch you at the end of the race so just think about that for tyres.
38David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenEverything is on for P3 Kimi but we try to do our best for better.
39Kimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodI got no message because the radio stopped working all the time. So repeat me what is the plan for the tyre?
39David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenWe go [soft]. Sebastian has stopped for a nose change. We are on for P3.
39Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasSo Vettel behind seven seconds. We’ve got everything in the engine so we’ve got a fight on our hands with him.
39Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsWhich tyre?
39Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasHe’s on the [medium], same as us.
40Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonBlue flags.
40Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergBlue flag for Hamilton.
40Sergio PerezTim WrightHow is the race looking? What do we think?
40Tim WrightSergio PerezIt’s looking good. We are trying to keep Maldonado and Grosjean in our window. We are looking good compared to three-stoppers.
41Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergRacing Ericsson.
41Erik SchuivensMarcus EricssonSo Hulkenberg ahead left the pits on [medium] again, he’s our main target.
42Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceThat idiot Ericsson almost running into the back of me every time.
42Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonIn all this traffic my rears’ been damaged quite a bit.
43Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeI got the anti-stall, the anti-stall is in.
43Mark SladePastor MaldonadoYeah, understood. You need to pull the clutch paddles, clear the anti-stall Pastor.
43Pastor MaldonadoMark Slade[Unclear] but it’s still in. Engine caught, engine’s done.
44Nico RosbergTony RossAre they going to stop in front of me or not?
44Tony RossNico RosbergThey’re lapped cars going to the end Nico, so call for blue flags.
44Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico you will need to get past them.
44Nico RosbergTony RossBlue flags, blue flags.
44Tony RossNico RosbergCopy, blue flags. Just be aware they’re all racing together, Nico. Three cars a lap down.
44David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenOK Kimi we’re going to have quite a few blues coming up but we’ll be on it, don’t worry.
45Tony RossNico RosbergSo just try and get through traffic as quickly and efficiently as you can, Nico. So Nico do be aware we think Kimi is a threat, he is on [soft] tyre, forecast to catch you before the end of the race.
45David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenAnd fuel position ten. The leaders are in blues, let’s make hay.
46Tim WrightSergio PerezMassa ahead on 20 lap used mediums, he is deg’ing but we need the fuel saving. Fuel saving level three every corner. We think Massa will struggle to get to the end anyway.
47Julien Simon-ChautempsRomain GrosjeanWe are doing really well, you are much quicker than Massa. Suggest torque nine and we need to look after this tyre.
47David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenStaying at this pace we should hit Rosberg in five laps.
48Tony RossNico RosbergSo gap to Kimi is now 8.5.
48Nico RosbergTony RossPlease don’t tell me the gap any more.
49Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatYou’re doing a solid job, mate. Increasing fuel saving where you can, it does seem to be working to maximise the straight-line speed. And pace similar to Ricciardo at this stage.
49Kimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodCome on, the blue flags. They just don’t want to move, those people.
49David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenCopy, copy. We’re on it.
49Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasThis is great, threat from behind Vettel is minimal so we can fight for this place.
51Tony RossNico RosbergSo brakes under control just continues with some fuel saving for brakes now.
51David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenOK let’s get back into the rhythm now, there’s just track between us and Rosberg.
51Dave RobsonFelipe MassaCar behind now is Kvyat, he is 15-lap-old [medium] tyres. We are happy with our tyres, they’re all good to the end of the race.
53Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoSix laps to go. Bottas is starting to do a lot of defending to Vettel. They are losing time ahead. It’s not over.
53Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieUnderstood, I’m pushing.
54Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasBattery full now.
54Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsYeah.
54Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonNico now under threat from Raikkonen.
54Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatDanny we need to make a move pretty quickly there’s Rosberg and Raikkonen coming through as well behind.
56Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergP13 at the moment. Alonso and Nasr ahead are battling. Massa ahead of them is deg’ing off.
56Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonRaikkonen now the car behind, gap six-and-a-half seconds.
57Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonBBW [brake-by-wire] fault.
57Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo just caution on the brakes, you’ve got one lap remaining, you’ve got plenty of gap. Gap to Raikkonen 6.2. So got plenty of space Lewis, plenty of space.
57Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonMy temperatures’ dropping.
57Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonYeah they’re coming down Lewis so not a problem. Just look after them, not long to go.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonGreat stuff Lewis, get in there mate. Well done, great race. Bit of a scare at the end there.
VLPaddy LoweLewis HamiltonGreat drive Lewis that was a very tough afternoon, good win.
VLLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThanks you Paddy. Great job guys all weekend. Very clean. Let’s keep pushing, we can beat these guys. Thanks man.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonWell done Lewis, great yourself this weekend.
VLDavid GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenFantastic job Kimi, really close in the end, good racing.
VLMaurizio ArrivabeneKimi RaikkonenHey Iceman you were great, I’m proud of you, grande Kimi.
VLKimi RaikkonenDavid GreenwoodYeah thanks everybody, thanks. In the beginning we lost a little bit too much time but then we did the best that we could so thanks everybody.
VLTony RossNico RosbergSorry about the brakes, Nico. Happened at the worst time.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasExcellent job Valtteri. Brilliant race. Finished P4.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddollsThanks guys I think we really maximise the result. Was nice to keep him behind. Hopefully we can keep them behind a bit more this season, thanks guys.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasYep we’ll do our best. With drives like that I’m sure we will.
VLRob SmedleyValtteri BottasWell done Valtteri that was a really good race. Back to your best. Thank you very much. Great race.
VLRiccardo AdamiSebastian VettelOK Seb P5.
VLSebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK sorry guys was not a god race from my side. Made mistakes and tyres were short at the end, I think I shuold have backed off and tried again instead of following all the time.
VLDaniel RicciardoSimon RennieRicciardo’s engine failed as he came out of the last corner, but he crossed the finishing line without losing a place.
Wow.
VLSimon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK mate, understood. You’re right next to our pit wall. You finished P6.
VLJulien Simon-ChautempsRomain GrosjeanThat’s it mate, well done. Save fuel, track two. Well done mate, P7, good race, well done.
VLRomain GrosjeanJulien Simon-ChautempsGood job guys. I wouldn’t have predicted that on Friday. Good job, well deserved.
VLTim WrightSergio PerezBrilliant, brilliant job Checo. You blew them away on tyre deg there, well done.
VLSergio PerezTim WrightReally good job mate. Very, very good job. That was a great management of the tyre, huh? Very good job, nice work. Well done to everybody in the team.
VLGianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatOK Danny that is P9.
VLDaniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseOK I did all I could. Cheers
VLGianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatYep, well done mate.
VLFelipe MassaDave RobsonOK guys, yeah, very bad race.
VLDave RobsonFelipe MassaYeah sorry about that Felipe. So obviously unfortunate at the start. We recovered, we got a point, that was a heck of a long stint at the end of the [medium] tyre. That was a nice job. Shame we lost a couple of places at the end but that was always going to be the risk.
VLMark TempleFernando AlonsoNice job, P11, it’s a good step forward. Can we have G2 and pick up debris.

Lap: Refers to lap message was broadcast on. There may be a delay between messages being said and being broadcast. PR = pre-race; FL = formation lap; VL = victory lap.
Message: Repetitive or irrelevant messages omitted. Notes in italics. Highlights in bold.

Follow F1 Fanatic Live on Twitter for team radio highlights during all live F1 sessions.

Bahrain Grand Prix data

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

53 comments on “2015 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript”

  1. I loved what Arrivabene said on the radio to Kimi at the end. People should call him iceman more often on the radio.

    1. I have to say I think Arrivabene is a bit of a breath of fresh air. Very passionate about the result, totally non-corporate too and nothing like the other team heads.

    2. Me too! And with Kimi’s standards he was really chatty in the end :)

      1. Yeah, funny how FOM only played the first line of that radio message out after the race. Almost as if they wanted to reinforce the image that Kimi doesn’t say much…

        1. Keith transcribes what the FOM plays, isn’t?

        2. @cdavman @oletros I believe Kieth gets the radio transcript from the pit lane channel which features more radio broadcast’s compared to the world feed & longer radio transmissions than the world feed.

          http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpnl6r_2012-f1-malaysian-grand-prix-qualifying-pit-channel-team-radio-feature_auto
          http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14exjl_sebastian-vettel-extended-team-radio-2013-italian-grand-prix_auto

    3. I cringed a little when I read that line though. It sounds a bit condescending like he’s proud of his pupil
      and overly familiar like he’s pretending they have been friends since high school.

      1. Me too. “I am proud of you”, he is a world champion just securing the 2nd place… Come on!

        1. Yes, but he had a very tough time last year and knowing a couple of Finns, they might look tough from outside but are soft inside and appreciate moral support, even if they don’t show or ask for it.

          1. I can confirm this. Source: am Finn. :)

  2. Nico Hulkenberg: “That idiot Ericsson almost running into the back of me every time.”

    As far as I know you are not in the same team, Nico. It’s called putting pressure on your opponent.

    1. As far as I know, running into the back of any other car is one of the least useful things a driver can do – both for his and the other driver’s race. What Nico’s implying here is that Ericsson kept missing his braking points (which he had already been doing last season, so not a big surprise here), so that, even though he was in no real shape to attack the Force India, there was a constant risk of a collision happening. Which is why Hülkenberg got angry.

      1. To be honest we can’t tell if he was missing his breaking points by bad driving or on purpose. He might have been pressuring Nico to make him agitated and force a mistake. Clearly he succeeded with the former, wether on purpose or not.

  3. Very good race but awful lot of management. Tire management, fuel management, gap management, brake management. However was nice to read when Lewis said that he could not go any faster, after he had been told that he could maybe find a couple of tenths.

    1. Exactly what I thought. Awful to see such good drivers just managing everything all the time.
      And constant inquiring the pits about others drivers’ tires, so they all need to manages their own tires AND control the other drivers’ management. Very annoying.

    2. This is the upshot of having the radios. You get to hear how the sausage is made, so to speak. If we were to hear the radio coms of fighter pilots in combat it would also be filled with a lot of annoying prosaic discussion of managing fuel, control settings, systems failures, the position and behavior of other aircraft, etc. It would not be a battle scene from Top Gun. I really don’t understand it when people are mad because the drivers are not going flat out for 58 laps. What benchmark racing series are you thinking of where this occurs? As long as tires wear and fuel has mass, drivers will “manage” to get to the distance in the least time. Only if the distance is very short do such things not come into play. Imagine if we got transcripts from Saturday night engineering debriefs, where the “management” programs are designed and put into place. Then F1 would really not look like it belonged among boxing and bullfighting.

      1. I understand your point. But I just remember the times when refuelling was allowed and when tires lasted the whole race. It was more racing and less management…for me atleast.

        1. Was the racing any better though? It seems no matter what happens in F1, whatever new rules come in or whatever the requirement of the sport at any given time there is something wrong with it. F1 has never had that sweet spot where everything is great and everybody loves it. I just don’t think thats possible, people will always want something different, for the good or the bad of the sport.

        2. @mattf1f There was just as much management going on when we had refueling, You just didn’t hear it because you didn’t hear team radio on the world feed & even of the f1 digital+ broadcast that did feature team radio teams used to encrypt a lot of it so we didn’t have access to broadcast it as freely as is done today.

          I recall hearing radio messages back in 2000-2002 with drivers been told to back off & drop back from the car in front & to save fuel/tyres so they could extend the fuel stint in order to run longer than the car ahead & try & get by them during the pit stops.

          You still see/hear the same thing in Indycar today with the fuel stops, Scott Dixon has become a master of managing fuel & its won him a lot of races & a few Indycar titles/Indy 500’s.

  4. I’ve probably been watching too much QI, but when Hamilton talked about BBW I thought of something else entirely…

    Apparently the problems were related to setup changes that caused the brakes to overheat.

  5. Why Alonso was told to pick up debris? To reach the minimum weight?

    1. Yup. Basically the same for all teams. Normally, the cars should be heavy enough, but nobody wants to take a risk and get disqualified because the car lost a small part or whatever.

    2. @michiamogino Yep, it’s not uncommon.

  6. I said it in the rate-the-race article and I’ll say it again – Checo’s drive to P8 was awesome. That car is not a P8 car and Hulkenberg proved it. Well done Sergio. That’s the drive of the season so far for me.

    1. How did Hulkenberg prove it exactly? By getting into Q3 and placing his car at P8 he proved exactly the opposite, that Force India has the speed to get to P8.

      However in this era that tyre management is equally important that being fast, he couldn’t hold this place, while Perez managed to go for the 2 stop strategy.

    2. It seems like one of his best circuits. Classic Perez counter-strategy too, good to see he can still do it :).

      1. @george – Unfortunately, it is the only thing Perez can do. Twice or thrice a year, no more.

        1. @slava
          It’s a useful talent for a team like Force India or Sauber, two or three good results can make a big difference for them. You’re being a bit unfair I think though, he keeps Hulk honest at most races.

  7. Interesting, drivers call for blue flags had no idea that was the process….

    Also what does this flaps change refer to?

    1. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think they are just asking for their teams to inform the race officials that the blue flags will be needed in advance so that they lose as little time as possible.

      1. @afonic
        You’re right. Whether or not a blue flag is shown isn’t the teams’ or drivers’ decision. That’s the race control’s job. The teams seem to believe that asking for a blue flag may speed things up. That may or may not be the case.

      2. @Iosif
        That would be the logic behind it, and also I imagine the other teams can hear it over the radio so they can inform their driver that Hamilton (or any other car lapping another car(s)) is coming and to get out of the way.

    2. Flap change refer to changes on front wing during pit-stop. Different tyre needs different angle of it (balance between front and rear), so they changing it a bit.

      1. @andycz Thanks for the explanation

  8. It would appear that Vettel was too hasty in changing the wing. The car was behaving badly but was he going to lose, what, 35s as a result of a lost end-plate in those final laps? Didn’t seem a wise decision between him and the pit wall.

    1. I think they had sufficient data to see where Vettel’s race was heading with the damage. They had to take not only the pure loss of pace into account, but also the increased tyre degradation due to the loss of downforce and stability, which might’ve cost him a lot more time than an additional pit stop. Also, there was probably a risk of the wing coming loose and destroying his race altogether.
      It’s still possible that they misestimated the situation with Bottas and though that Vettel would pass him easily. But I think the damage didn’t leave them too much of a choice, so that they had to pit the car.

      1. Yeah, seeing how Raikkonen was going 1.8s a lap faster than Bottas on average, I imagine Ferrari assumed an overtake on Bottas would have been doable.

    2. How Vettel was describing the way the car was behaving (“Car is also pulling to the left on the straight line and I have a lot of understeer. OK I think nose change, box, box.”) was a good enough reason to come in.

  9. Lol, Williams telling Bottas he can take Raikkonen:

    So Raikkonen in front is on [medium] tyres so I think we can get him.

    1. Haha, I know. Famous last words. Kimi was sensational.

  10. It’s weird how the Merc engineers were caught by surprise by the rear brake temperatures again. They can see them in degrees centigrade. They have like 50 people monitoring the telemetry. They can write alarms into the software. How can the temperatures get to a system cutout without anybody noticing?

    1. I remember Mercedes warning Rosberg about his brake temperatures. Not sure why it isn’t in the transcript though. Or perhaps I’m just not looking right.

      The thing was that it went from “high” to “overheated” quite quickly when they were lapping a lot of cars. Pushing trying to stay ahead of Raikkonen wouldn’t have helped either.

      1. Yeah @patrickl I can appreciate it might all happen quickly. Still, it cost a place quite likely. TBH I don’t understand how they use the display on the steering wheel, with it being an issue all the time. Why aren’t tyre and brake temps on there for the drivers to see?

        1. They really try to run these machines as close to the limit as they can. I guess now and then they get it wrong and they go over the limit. Not just the drivers, but the engineers as well.

  11. On lap 24, how could front wing damage cause the aero balance the shift forward? Wouldn’t a loss of downforce at the front cause the aero balance to shift rearward, where things are still working as intended?

    1. My guess @satchelcharge would be that it increased the angle of attack and spoiled the flow downstream.

    2. @satchelcharge it doesn’t specify what the damage was so it could move aero forwards or back. The front wing has elements which create front downforce, but also a number of areas which manage airflow over the car affecting the level of downforce generated at the rear wing and diffuser. Presumably the damage caused an airflow problem but not a loss of front downforce, hence a reduction in rear downforce (thereby shifting balance forwards) because the air isn’t arriving at the right speed/direction for the back end to work.

      1. Makes sense thank you both.

  12. I very like these articles. :D

  13. One of the things I miss the most is the very distinctive “Box Box Box, Torque Map 1 and Box”…. and “Ok Lewis, it’s Hammer time”

    I can’t help but feel that the trend of reducing the number of messages broadcast is not only making the strategy less visible to viewers, it is reducing the insight into the relationships and characters within the sport.

    1. I’m very pleased that F1Fanatic puts the radio transcript on here after the race, but I agree that it would be fantastic to get more of these heard during the tv broadcast so I wouldn’t need the transcript. It would add so much to the experience, probably more than the chat from the commentators.

  14. Love hearing the radio traffic in-race, love reading it again afterwards, wish they would release more to air in real time. Thanks, Keith for publishing these as you do. And always eye-opening, educational, and passionate commentary from the best racing community I have found online. Wonderful site for a racing junkie like me! Thanks, everyone!!

  15. These transcribe imply that Vettel realised how much he damaged the call and informed the engineering he’s pitting.

Comments are closed.