2015 Mexican Grand Prix team radio transcript

2015 Mexican Grand Prix

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Sebastian Vettel gave a blunt assessment of his own performance after crashing out of the Mexican Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver’s race was compromised from the very first corner when he tangled with Daniel Ricciardo“he deserved that”, noted his rival. Vettel later spun, almost got in trouble for holding up Lewis Hamilton while being lapped, and finally crashed out.

Vettel’s crash came just two laps after Hamilton had been persuaded by some forceful Mercedes radio messages to come in for his second pit stop. Hamilton suspected, with some justification, that he could make it to the end without taking another set of tyres.

He wasn’t the only driver questioning his team’s decisions. Ricciardo was eager to try a different tyre for the final stint instead of the soft, which other drivers were also not happy with.

His team mate, meanwhile, could not hide his frustration at missing out on what would have been his second career podium finish.

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2015 Mexican Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*FromToMessage
PRTim WrightSergio PerezCheco there are some people crossing the pit lane.
PRRiccardo AdamiSebastian VettelDid see some understeer, balance-wise.
PRTony RossNico RosbergSo Nico, wind has been moving around, it now looks pretty much as forecasted, so tail into four head wind out of six. there is some clouds starting to build up, but track temperature is still high.
PRSergio PerezTim WrightCheco just to remind you, track temperature has gone up from the other sessions, so track is in much better conditions and hotter. But engine cooling is absolutely the priority.
1Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK, check I might have a puncture. Yeah puncture positive, Ricciardo.
1Fernando AlonsoMark TempleSame problem, so loss of power. I guess I come in.
1Mark TempleFernando AlonsoOK Fernando retire the car, come in into the pits slowly.
2Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoNice job.
2Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieYep. Seb deserved that, he gave me no room at all.
2Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoYeah mate understood. He has got a puncture.
3Fernando AlonsoMark TempleVettel is cutting all over the circuit, all the circuit. Very dangerous maneouver, just arrived to the pit lane. Vettel very dangerous maneouver.
4David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenOK brakes are starting to get hot already, if there is anything you can do, I know you are battling, but brakes are getting hot.
4Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiHow far is the next car ahead?
5Riccardo AdamiSebastian Vettel25 seconds.
6Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiWhere the hell was he supposed to go? He just put the front wing to my rear tyre. He had no chance to get me anyways. Just gave us a puncture.
7Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatSo good pace at the moment Danil, just keep it up.
7Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsRear graining isn’t getting any worse, it is stable.
7Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasFab one. And plus one on front wing.
8Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieI am struggling with the rear grip at the moment.
8Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK understood, you are doing a good job.
9Tim WrightSergio PerezPace is good, how is the tyre?
10Sergio PerezTim WrightI am struggling with the rears, mainly the rears, other than that all under control, man.
11Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieJust struggling with the rear, I think I can hang on.
11Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoYeah mate.
12Tim WrightSergio PerezHow many more laps Checo, how many more laps can you keep going?
12Sergio PerezTim WrightHow many do you need?
12Tim WrightSergio PerezHow many can you do? Can you do five?
12Sergio PerezTim WrightYes, at this pace, yes.
13Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoSome people are two-stopping but we’re going to stick to our plan.
15Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatThat’s a solid lap Dani, keep it up, doing a solid job at the moment.
16David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenOK Kimi, we can reduce the brake saving slightly. If I could have two or three tenths of lap time, that would help us on Kvyat. Kvyat is currently P3, if he stops he’ll be very close to us.
17Jenson ButtonTom StallardYeah just very low grip, front and rear.
18Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrOK well done mate and now focus on brakes, Perez 25.2.
20Tom StallardJenson ButtonAnd JB the two Lotuses are behind you. Grosjean is the lead one, they are both on [medium] from lap 10 and lap 11.
20Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK, I spun.
21Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelRacing Ericsson behind. Is the car OK?
22Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiI think I have flat-spotted the tyres. I try to continue, at least one lap and see. OK the flat spot is pretty bad I can continue but it’s not great.
22Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatBox and confirm Dani.
23David GreenwoodKimi RaikkonenI think the rear right’s damaged is it, Kimi? Yep rear right’s broken I believe Kimi.
23Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasAll OK with the car?
23Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsFeels like.
23Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasCopy that. Pressures look good. He just cut you up, gave you no space.
23Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsCopy that, there was no space inside.
24Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasYeah you had the line, copy that.
25Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico it’s not going to be long so start pushing hard now just a small amount of brake management.
26Tony RossNico RosbergBox box, push hard now. Brakes are in reasonable condition.
28Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, so box box. Nico faster on the [medium].
28Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK, tyres are really not in great shape now.
28Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelCopy tyre phase.
29Erik SchuivensMarcus EricssonSo Button ahead is still on a start set.
29Tony RossNico RosbergSo just information Lewis at the end of that stint where he did two extra laps, he dropped off quite a lot, so his tyres were very worn like yours.
30Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergSo we are thinking about converting to strategy X, strategy X. It’s 44 laps.
30Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceIt’s difficult to say at this point, it’s a long way that is for sure.
30Tony RossNico RosbergNico just information on tyres they were worn down to ten percent so managing the tyres you’ve got good position.
31Tom StallardJenson ButtonOK Jenson let’s push let’s push, keep Ericsson behind, we are going to push.
31Daniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseSo I think a bit of front missing at this stage and traction, status eight-and-a-half.
32Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasRace update you’re P4 looks like all cars around have stopped and will go to the end.
33Sergio PerezTim WrightCarlos cut the track.
33Tim WrightSergio PerezUnderstood we saw it we saw him cut the track.
34Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, so box box, box box, Nico faster on the [medium].
35Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaTry don’t gain any advantage. Try to put yourself where you were before more or less. At sector one Perez was 0.3 behind. Let him by now, Charlie said to let him by. OK well done son, well done.
36Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK Daniel, based on the previous set of tyres, tyre wear will be tight till the end, but it will be possible, rears will be the limit.
37Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelConfirm the box, start to switch done and [medium] minus half a degree.
37Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiAre you sure with [medium]?
37Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelYes we are sure.
37Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiWhy do you not wait for [softs]?
37Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelBecause we think the [mediums] are stronger, box now.
38Sergio PerezTim WrightSo how are we doing man? How it look in the race?
38Tim WrightSergio PerezCheco, it is looking good you are racing the car ahead Verstappen your tyres are looking good.
38Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonAnd Vettel ahead, he is a lapped car.
39Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrOK Carlos, this was a good lap.
39Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasGive us some tyre comments when you can.
39Valtteri BottasJonathan EddollsStill all consistent.
40Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiDebris, entrance of turn ten, I don’t know what it is but looks quite solid.
40Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoMay be debris turn ten.
40Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieJust a bit of a sitting duck in the pack at the moment.
40Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelBlue flag to Hamilton behind you, let him by.
41Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiI am quicker than him.
41Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelLet him by now please. Let him by now or we get a penalty, let him by now and then stay behind him.
42Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiBut I am opening the gap to him.
43Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelNo you are not, from race direction, so let him by.
43Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiOK, OK copy.
43Jenson ButtonTom StallardI don’t understand how we still have oversteer. Engine braking as I try and turn in.
45Tony RossNico RosbergSo gap to lewis is..
46Tom StallardJenson ButtonOK Jenson the best we have got is A switch, use the A switch. Jenson how is this tyre and which tyre do you prefer?
46Jenson ButtonTom StallardThat is a good quesiton, I don’t know at the moment.
47Tom StallardJenson ButtonJenson recommend one step forwards on HBB one step forwards on HBB.
48Jenson ButtonTom StallardProblem is we have massive understeer apexes. Because we’re trying to solve this issue the whole time with entry oversteer we have massive understeer and we have no aero on the car.
47Nico RosbergTony RossDon’t tell me any more.
48Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonWe are going to convert to Plan B, converting to Plan B, let us know if you need a flap adjust.
49Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonCan I ask why?
49Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonWe are worried about wear, we are worried about wear on these tyres, we are down to the canvas, so box this lap, box this lap.
49Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonBono these tyres are still good.
49Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonThis was presumably broadcast as Hamilton went past the pit entrance
So this is for safety reasons Lewis, so box this lap. So Lewis you will be boxing next lap, box next lap.
49Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonBono you need to check his tyres, my tyres feel good.
49Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo Lewis we were down to zero on the first set. If we go longer on this set, we will be down to zero if not worse. So this is boxing end of this lap, instruction.
49Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI think that’s the wrong call, but I am coming in.
49Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK we will debate that later, so boxing at the end of this lap.
49Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaTyre phase three, still, going to four soon.
49Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrUnderstood Torque six. Box box Carlos box, pit confirm and box.
49Tony RossNico RosbergSo gap to Lewis is…
50Nico RosbergTony RossInterrupts
Don’t tell me any more.
50Tony RossNico RosbergCopy copy.
50Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenScenario plus.
51Max VerstappenXevi PujolarMake sure those Manors go out of the way as quick as they can.
51Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenCopy that.
51Max VerstappenXevi PujolarThey have to go out of the way now.
52Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonPlease check those tyres and let me know.
53Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiI crashed, again, T7, yeah.
53Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelAre you OK?
53Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiI’m OK. sorry. Sorry guys.
53Riccardo AdamiSebastian VettelOK, no problem.
53Sebastian VettelRiccardo AdamiAh, it is a problem. I did a [censored by FOM] job today.
53Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatFor the moment, Bottas has stayed out but he has completed 44 laps on that set.
54Sergio PerezTim WrightWhat if we pit now? Do we lose any places?
54Tim WrightSergio PerezCheco we would lose to Verstappen and maybe Grosjean.
55Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasAs mentioned, Kvyat in front is on [soft] tyres, I’m sure he’s going to struggle on the restart, You’ve got the [medium], it’s going to work well on the low temps.
55Tony RossNico RosbergOK Nico, go strat 12, Lewis has stayed out, current safe by three seconds, just keep you informed on the gap.
55Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatSo focus on maintaining tyre temperature Dani, temps at this stage are reasonable, pressures are no concern.
55Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonPlease check those tyres and let me know, I want some feedback on them.
56Tom StallardJenson ButtonJenson, Stevens ahead of you has blue flags and we still have blue flags for Grosjean behind.
56Romain GrosjeanJulien
Simon-Chautemps
What’s going on? There is no blue flags.
56Julien
Simon-Chautemps
Romain GrosjeanThey have blue flags, both Button and Stevens.
56Craig GardinerFelipe NasrOK for reliability, use third gear turn 13, third turn 13 for engine reliability.
57Tony RossNico RosbergUse the ten car lengths, use the 10 car lengths to keep the car cool, Get more braking temp.
57Jenson ButtonTom StallardNasr is struggling to get temperature he keeps locking up.
57Tom StallardJenson ButtonUnderstood Jenson, obviously you can not overtake Nasr until the restart.
57Jenson ButtonTom StallardYeah I know that.
57Jenson ButtonTom StallardNasr has got a brake fire.
57Felipe NasrCraig GardinerMy brakes are finished.
57Craig GardinerFelipe NasrUnderstood Felipe.
57Felipe NasrCraig GardinerYeah guys, this situation is no good, it could have been end of straight.
57Craig GardinerFelipe NasrLet’s speak later about that Felipe, alright? OK, see you soon.
58Dave RobsonFelipe MassaSo Felipe both these Red Bulls are vulnerable.
59Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatYeah for info Dani, so Daniel was able to pass Massa on the same compound, although Massa was starting to struggle down into turn one so it is going to be possible mate, especially with this tire grip delta. I think if Bottas does stick with it and stay out, then you will have to try and make a move nice and early.
59Sergio PerezTim WrightWhat if we pit now, do we lose any places?
59Tim WrightSergio PerezCheco we would lose to Verstappen and maybe to Grosjean.
60Daniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseMake sure we have a very good energy the five meters out of the last corner on the restart.
61Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatYeah understood Dani. So what we will be after is trying to generate the DRS gap as soon as possible, obviously no concerns on tyres on this stage.
61Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo lapped cars can overtake, so no weaving.
61Tom StallardJenson ButtonSo Jensen, Perez is in P8, he’s on 41-lap-old [mediums] and is holding everyone up, there could yet be action here.
63Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK Felipe, eight more laps to go, eight more laps to go, let’s start creeping up on those Red Bulls.
63Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatSo focus on maintaing the tyre temperatures Dani, temperatures at this stage are reasonable, just keep working on them. Pressures are no concern.
66Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK Daniel, I know it’s difficult, we need to try keep up with Kvyat if we can, it’ll help our DRS, we need to try to get DRS.
66Dave RobsonFelipe MassaSo Felipe both of these Red Bulls are vunerable.
66Gianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatLet us keep on Bottas’s tail, I am sure the Mercs will break his DRS.
66Dave RobsonFelipe MassaRicciardo is starting to really struggle with his rear tyres, let’s start to close up on him.
67Alexander RossiNicholas PerrinnGuys I am being held up now.
67Nicholas PerrinnAlexander RossiStand by Alex, let us stay with Will for a couple of laps.
68Max VerstappenXevi PujolarAre you sure the [unclear] has used tyres?
68Xevi PujolarMax VerstappenAffirmative.
68Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaI have really low grip on these tyres, much lower than the other tyres.
69Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrYes Carlos, yes. At the front we have super-high level of vibration, it is due to that.
69Carlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaNo but also coming from the rear.
69Marco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrUnderstood Carlos, it is a used set.
69Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK Felipe, eight more laps to go eight more laps to go, let us keep creeping up on those Red Bulls.
70Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonHamilton went off the track chasing Rosberg.
So hard to follow here.
71Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieRear tyres are nowhere.
71Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK, mate understood, just keep it smooth. The rear tyres may improve.
71Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK Daniel, so I know that it’s difficult, we need to keep up with Kvyat if you can, it will help our DRS, need to try to get DRS.
71Dave RobsonFelipe MassaOK Felipe, so Ricciardo is starting to struggle with his rear tyres, let us really close up on him.
71Marcus EricssonErik SchuivensThese [soft] tyres doesn’t work, no grip at all no grip at all, [medium] was a lot better.
71Erik SchuivensMarcus EricssonWe see that Marcus, we see that. Everybody seems to struggle with the [softs].
71Nicholas PerrinnAlexander RossiWhen they catch you, you have the two Mercedes together, they are fighting for the lead, do not hold them up.
71Will StevensJosh Peckett[Unclear] aren’t they, guys?
VLNicholas PerrinnAlexander RossiThat’s P15. Really great drive, mate, well done.
VLAlexander RossiNicholas PerrinnSorry about the first stint, I just couldn’t get the tyres warm.
VLTom StallardJenson ButtonOK Jenson that is P14.
VLJenson ButtonTom StallardOh that was a good show of where we are, really, in terms of pace. I mean, yeah, so far away.
VLMarco MatassaCarlos Sainz JnrP13, very difficult race for us. But you did a good job in managing everything.
VLCarlos Sainz JnrMarco MatassaWe had the pace to score points today. We just didn’t do anything really right, I think.
VLErik SchuivensMarcus EricssonWell driven, Marcus, not an easy race to manage, but well done. P12.
VLMarcus EricssonErik SchuivensYeah thanks guys. Was not easy but I think we did the maximum.
VLErik SchuivensMarcus EricssonYeah copy that.
VLMark SladePastor MaldonadoTough race not to get a point but that’s the way it is, I’m afraid. Good drive, Pastor. Well done mate.
VLPastor MaldonadoMark SladeYeah, thank you.
VLJulien
Simon-Chautemps
Romain GrosjeanThat’s it Romain, P10, well done.
VLRomain GrosjeanJulien
Simon-Chautemps
Wooh…
VLJulien
Simon-Chautemps
Romain GrosjeanWell earned point.
VLRomain GrosjeanJulien
Simon-Chautemps
Good job, guys.
VLJulien
Simon-Chautemps
Romain GrosjeanIt’s good, one point is good. You drove very well.
VLXevi PujolarMax VerstappenOK Max P9. Difficult one. Very well managed, good job.
VLMax VerstappenXevi PujolarAt the end I think this is the best we could do. So thankyou.
VLXevi PujolarMax VerstappenYes, that is correct, we couldn’t go our pace.
VLMax VerstappenXevi PujolarYeah, I mean, on the middle of the straight no power any more, all the time, but P9 is not that bad.
VLTim WrightSergio PerezOK Checo well done, P8.
VLDave RobsonFelipe MassaAnd P6.
VLFelipe MassaDave RobsonOK guys, yeah, sorry was not very good on the tyres so just lost that position. So anyway well done for the podium.
VLRob SmedleyFelipe MassaThanks Felipe. Nice job. Well done mate that was a good race anyway. We gained a position and we gained a point on Red Bull as well.
VLBrad JoyceNico HulkenbergChequered flag. Good job Nico, good job. Nice drive mate.
VLNico HulkenbergBrad JoyceThank you guys. Good call on the strategy, obviously the Safety Car was a nice bonus in the end.
VLBrad JoyceNico HulkenbergYeah it came out just right for us. Pace throughout looked strong, Nico, pace looked good.
VLSimon RennieDaniel RicciardoBit of a down race for us. Looked like the pace came back for a bit at the end of that last stint. We struggled a little bit with the rear tyres early on. But by the end of it pace was back to normal.
VLDaniel RicciardoSimon RennieWhy didn’t we split the cars? Don’t understand why we didn’t put a [medium] on at the end.
VLSimon RennieDaniel RicciardoWe were not too bad on the [soft] at the start relative to everyone else. We thought the [soft] was the better tyre for the short stint.
VLChristian HornerDaniel RicciardoWell done Danny that was a good drive. Unfortunately the Safety Car didn’t work in our favour at the end there, you were looking in good shape up to that point.
VLDaniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseAargh [censored by FOM] we lost the [censored by FOM] podium.
VLGianpiero LambiaseDaniil KvyatYeah bad luck Dani. I’m sure there wasn’t anything you could have done without that.
VLDaniil KvyatGianpiero LambiaseThanks guys, solid points.
VLChristian HornerDaniil KvyatWell done Dani that was probably your bets run of the season and you deserve a podium today. It was just, you know, you were a sitting duck unfortuntely at the restart. You did everything you could. So well done.
VLDaniil KvyatChristian HornerThanks Christian, thankyou. Yeah it was a confident drive, confident in the car. Thankyou guys, thanks to everyone.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasFantastic job, fantastic, P3. Excellent, you smashed it the whole weekend. Brilliant drive.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddollsYes! Thanks guys, mega race. Good strategy and everything, thankyou. Feels so good after so much bad luck. Let’s enjoy it.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasRemember we’re going to stop at turn 13.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddollsSee you there.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasYep, everything worked well today. Power unit was strong, wasn’t it? That helped.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddollsYeah, big thanks to HPP [Mercedes-Benz High-Performance Powertrains], the power unit was mega.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK well done Lewis, P2 I’m afraid, but we had the pace today. Good job mate, good job.
VLNico RosbergTony RossWoo! Yeah!
VLTony RossNico RosbergExcellent job Nico, excellent job. Ideally we let the whole of the rest of the field go through and we are stopping at turn 13 for the podium.
VLPaddy LoweNico RosbergNico it’s Paddy, fantastic drive today. Great racecraft.
VLNico RosbergPaddy LoweThankyou Paddy. Thanks everybody for this win. Really special, really awesome. I’m expecting a good podium performance, guys.

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.

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Mexican Grand Prix data

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Keith Collantine
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42 comments on “2015 Mexican Grand Prix team radio transcript”

  1. Has any solid evidence emerged to back up Bonnington’s “we are (the tyres) down to the canvas” claim?

    1. Fwiw, Ros inlap was 1:26.4, Ham was 1:28.2. Either he make a huge mistake on the inlap or the tyres just fell of the cliff.

    2. Sigh. I am pretty sure that we heard Rosberg being told that his tyres from the first stint were down to 10%. Lewis Hamilton did an extra 2 laps on his set, and as Frans mentions his times clearly went off the cliff by the end of that second lap.
      Therefore I see no good reason to doubt that that set was indeed completely used. The second set of both drivers (the one they had on when pitting for the second time) was later reported to have been still 60% good after 20 or so laps, and might have been fine to the finish. Then again, the team didn’t know that for sure and they had enough time in hand to be on the safe side with this extra pitstop.

      1. ColdFly F1 (@)
        4th November 2015, 23:21

        30 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg Nico just information on tyres they were worn down to ten percent so managing the tyres you’ve got good position.
        29 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg So just information Lewis at the end of that stint where he did two extra laps, he dropped off quite a lot, so his tyres were very worn like yours.

    3. No, and i don’t think we will have any because tires would have been good to the end, without the safety car.
      Mercedes just wanted to be super sure, they had enough of a gap to do a free stop; they couldn’t stop just one of them because whoever remained on the track had an advantage (like in Monaco). So the difficult part was to convince Lewis to pit and not take advantage of Rosberg making an unnecessary stop. It took 2-3 laps on the radio but he complied. Not the racy thing to do, but good for the team.

      1. @ianbond001

        Ironically, Lewis would flip a switch if the positions were reversed? Imagine, since he’s usually ahead in the race if Mercedes decided to give the driver behind a contra strategy for a shot at the win? And than Lewis loses a race because of that. Or Lewis wants to go extra lap so they pit Rosberg instead. For instance, in Spa, Lewis said he wanted to keep going, so the team said if you don’t pit, we’ll pit Rosberg, at which point Lewis complied. Imagine they don’t tell Lewis, they just say “affirm” and they then pit Nico and with fresher tires jumps Lewis and wins the race. I can hear it all day “you should’ve pitted me man, you should’ve pitted me.” “Ah, sorry Lewis, but you want to call your strategy, so we let you.”

        Kind of like Monaco (“I thought Rosberg and Vettel pitted under the VSC” – when his unspoken thought was – “I thought the team would just do me wrong so Nico would win and not me, so I whined until they pitted me, but I didn’t want to just asks the team if they pitted Rosberg because then I’d look paranoid and weak…”)

        1. @uan I think so many people are missing the point here. As @ianbond001 mentions Mercedes had to pit to be “super sure” and in doing so they removed the one chance (albeit slim) Lewis had of winning the race which was that Nico suffered less than him. Nico had everything to gain by this strategy – both cars on safe easy tyres to the end and guaranteeing his lead. Lewis had nothing to gain by this strategy and something to lose and therefore was irritated.

          The mistake was made by Mercedes – they should have discussed the two stop with Lewis before pitting Nico rather than pitting Nico and then forcing Lewis into a poor strategy disguised as a safety call (and then having everyone say it was only fair since Nico had already stopped). Lewis was right to argue and be annoyed, the call might as well have been a team order to not challenge for the race win and we expect drivers to be unhappy about that.

          1. @jerseyf1 I do not think the previous post missed any point, as yours does not make sense. To quote:
            “the one chance (albeit slim) Lewis had of winning the race which was that Nico suffered less than him”
            If Nico suffered less than Lewis, then Lewis’s lap times would get worse than Nico’s. So where is that small chance you are speaking of? If indeed Lewis’s tyres would suffer more (and I am not sure that is the case), that putting both on fresh rubber actually helped Lewis.

          2. @ph *more than him

            Apologies for the error, I’m sureyou could have worked it out if you were looking for the logic rather than avoiding it!

          3. @jerseyf1 Well that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Was really Nico suffering more than Lewis? I have yet to see any information in this direction.
            Sure, it is possible that Nico might have suffered more, but it makes no sense to speak of “depriving someone of opportunity” when there is no indication of such an opportunity existing, just on a basis that it might have happened.

      2. It was definitely Mercedes taking advantage of the gap to add a factor of safety but not necessarily because it was marginal. There was nothing to gain by anyone except statistics. Mercedes would be assured a 1-2 if they didn’t take any risk. Hamilton conversely had to take a risk to assure a win, but if he failed, Merc would miss out on a one-two but Hamilton would loose nothing. As for alternate strategy: last year they used it a lot to give Rosberg a chance, but not an advantage. But if you remember Bahrain, Hamilton was on the primes and the safety car came out and gave Rosberg a huge unfair advantage. This year Merc scrapped the practice. It would have been devasting to Rosberg if they allowed Hamilton to continue and he won the race.

  2. Very interesting reading. :)

    Few good comments, but this one is a little shocker to me:

    “Yep. Seb deserved that…”
    Ricciardo seems to be very serious with Seb. Comments like this, “He got lucky…” from Singapore.
    Looks like he’s kinda obsessed with Vettel.
    Can’t wait for ROC lol

    1. Interesting indeed. I did not realise there was any animosity between them above the competition aspect..Or maybe we are extrapolating?….

      1. I think it’s all about competition, but Ric is taking it very seriously. Strange for such a “cool” guy

        “One of the main things I’m looking forward to when I return to London in November is beating Seb. I shouldn’t start this rivalry to be honest, but I want to win!”

    2. Well Vettel nearly took him out, so it makes sense he feels that Vettel deserved that bit of karma.

      They always feel the need to claim it wasn’t their fault that an incident occurred. Just so the stewards know it was the other guy’s fault.

      In the case of Bottas vs Kimi they even use 3 messages to blame Raikkonen. Would you say they are obsessed? Or just trying to sway the stewards decision in their favor?

  3. Vettel – DoTW

    Kappa :D

  4. Jonathan Eddolls is very clever.

    “He just cut you up, gave you no space”
    “Yeah you had the line, copy that.”
    He said those to stewards actually.

  5. Well, looks more and more like Seb is gonna win against Kimi even in the “coolest, no BS-ty guy on the radio” category.

  6. Kvyat sure likes to curse on the radio..

    1. Yeah, I noticed that too. It’s very amusing how he doesn’t have any second thoughts about his choice of words that are broadcasted live. Maybe they forgot to tell him that FOM airs the radio, or he just doesn’t give a damn whatsoever.

  7. 30 Brad Joyce Nico Hulkenberg So we are thinking about converting to strategy X, strategy X. It’s 44 laps.

    There’s a small part of me holding out the hope that they’d considered 23 other strategies before going with that one…

  8. No Rosberg radio about the second tyre stop as expected, sigh.

    1. Fudge Ahmed (@)
      4th November 2015, 19:03

      Probably went something like;

      Rosberg: ‘Am I going to win? What do I need to press on the steering wheel? Did you tell Lewis the same? Can we put more tyres on in case something happens? Can you please make Lewis do the same please? ‘

      Im kidding. Uncharacteristically great drive from Merc’s number 2, semi fair and square (corner cut to break DRS notwithstanding but I think the result would have been the same regardless.’

      1. @offdutyrockstar – :-) he (Rosberg) actually lifted after he rejoined the track there, to make sure the gap to Lewis was less than before he had run wide, you can clearly hear it on the onboard + saw it on the timing screens at that point.

    2. No Rosberg radio about the second tyre stop as expected, sigh.

      No radio broadcast; not all messages are available for the transcript.

      1. Well yes that’s what he meant; we want to know what all was said when Nico got called in. I think George is smart enough to know that Merc didn’t telepathically beckon Nico to the pits.

        1. ColdFly F1 (@)
          4th November 2015, 23:24

          We still might get something from the onboard compilation Canal+ tends to do.

  9. Tyres, tyres, bloody tyres, I’m sick and tired of hearing about these lousy tyres.

    1. + infinity. Also, know its not related in terms of product quality as Pirelli road tyres are actually good, but purely out of protest of what they have done to F1 I haven’t bought a Pirelli tyre since they re entered the sport. So 2 cars at roughly 15-20000km each year for 5 years. Bet I’m not the only one to think like this when they consider tyres on their roadcar. How on earth is this good business practice/advertising for their company, and on that note, why not just tell Bernie, ‘no’ its not in our interests to make your silly degrading pencil eraser tyres that are unable to be pushed and cop flak for it anymore?

      1. You say

        Pirelli road tyres are actually good

        but then say

        purely out of protest of what they have done to F1 I haven’t bought a Pirelli tyre since they re entered the sport

        with zero consideration to the fact that those in charge of F1 want tyres that are designed to degrade.

        And this is why I am totally sick of hearing about the tyres.

  10. My PERSONAL take on the tyre saga….. Mercedes decided to play it safe with Rosberg by pitting him a second time. To be fair to Rosberg, they thought it necessary to also pit Hamilton a second time. Unfortunately, in being fair to Rosberg, they were not being exactly fair to Hamilton. Again, just my OWN opinion.

    1. @stubbornswiss

      But both drivers know this, and over the course of the season, it will benefit Lewis more than Rosberg, since Lewis is usually ahead, and Mercedes won’t do a contra strategy for the second driver (unless they have lost positions and need help getting back up – like Lewis in Spain).

      Not sure why Lewis whines about it.

      And Mercedes always pits their drivers whether they need to or not to make they win (and they have way more than a pitstop in hand over the 3rd place driver).

      It’s interesting no one thinks Merc can’t give the choice to Rosberg – “Okay Nico, we want to pit you to be 100 percent on your tires, but Lewis is going to jump you and stay out until the end of the race and will probably hold on. Are you okay with that?”

      Now if Nico wants to pit anyway and ends up losing the tire management battle, fair enough. But if the team decides for one driver, than both drivers will get the same decision.

      1. Not sure why Lewis whines about it.

        It’s not obscure @uan. You just suggest an agenda by calling it ‘whining’. Lewis wanted a tyre usage battle, because in that lay his only chance of beating Rosberg. Chance. Not certainty but chance, as opposed to No chance with a second stop. Seems pretty simple to me I gotta say.

        To start with he didn’t know why Rosberg had pitted, because Bono didn’t really explain on the radio. It could have been a puncture or a flatspot for Nico then it would have been legitimate for Lewis to stay out and win with a one-stopper. “Worried about wear” didn’t really stack up because there was no threat from behind so from his point of view he could have waited to see how the wear developed.

        It’s a result of the drivers not having their own strategists more than anything, but Hamilton was quite reasonable arguing his corner.

        1. @lockup

          It is whining because not once in 3 seasons, and especially in the last two seasons (close to 40 races now) have Mercedes allowed the drivers to do this – allowed tire usage to dictate strategy or to allow one driver to possibly beat the other driver. Merc is never going to risk a certain 1, 2 finish so that one of the drivers can beat the other. You know that, I know that, Hamilton and Rosberg knows that.

          And just imagine, they don’t pit and the SC comes out at the wrong time and they lose track position to RB or the Williams?

          So yes, Hamilton is whining. Yes, it sucks for both drivers at various times as all they can is follow the leader and hope he makes a mistake or isn’t quite as fast (which usually works in Hamilton’s favor). So with two evenly matched cars being forced to run the same strategy and the two of you are really the only competition for the other — well, so be it.

          Or you end up with a situations similar to Monaco where Hamilton was so certain they put Nico on an alternate strategy and pitted him, that he practically demanded to be pitted (“these tires, they’re going off, I’m losing temp, blah blah blah). Now that was extreme, but imagine Nico does stop first while running behind, and Hamilton’s tires do go off and LH loses a victory. He’d flip over that too.

          So the team decided to pit both drivers a second time to ensure a 1-2. Nothing to see here. And Lewis knows that. (Don’t forget Lewis was the same guy who thought he would be able to win Singapore if he doesn’t DNF. After the first SC, Vettel is going slow and the announcers are saying “he’s going slow to preserve his tires”, Ricciardo said later “I knew he going slow as he was saving his tires”, Vettel said later “I was saving my tires” and then we had Lewis going “man, I’m going the same pace as these guys on the Prime, I’m faster than them…”

          1. There were valid reasons why the team called the stops @uan, and also valid reasons why Hamilton queried it and asked for data. Other drivers showed he was correct about stint length options. Calling it ‘whining’ is about you rather than him, along with dredging up and misrepresenting Monaco and Singapore which have nothing to do with it.

          2. Your knowledge of events in f1 is shocking to say the least. :)

          3. Also just because you mentioned it. In Singapore vet was fastest but Mercedes were a lot closer in the race than qualifying (still slower) there is no way to know for sure but what Hamilton was referring too was that usually you use the soft tire to pull away knowing you have the slow one to come and then a guy on a different strategy would close the gap when he is on options so the point was if vettel had continued to tire save for much longer Hamilton would have been not far behind at the pit stops and on the faster tire which may or may not have matched Ferrari pace. I doubt it personally but it’s a valid opinion of hamiltions.

    2. @stubbornswiss I do not understand your reasoning. How can you claim that it was unfair to Hamilton given that after those pits, the situation between drivers has been exactly the same as before piting, that is, they both had tires of similar age and the same position on track?

      1. @ph Exactly my point! Rosberg was okay with switching to plan B, as he did not challenge the call, and came out in the same position, but with fresh rubber. Pretty fair and favorable to him. Hamilton on the other hand was NOT okay with switching strategies, and he said so, and actually requested to stay out. Although we have been told numerous times how their drivers are allowed to freely race each other, the Mercedes pit wall ordered Hamilton to pit and agree with the strategy change. I DO NOT THINK THIS WAS FAIR TO HIM. As the race has been decided, any thoughts or theorizing about what the outcome might have been is exactly that – thoughts and theorizing. (By the way, I said ‘it was not fair’ to Hamilton, I never used the word ‘unfair’ in my original post).

        1. Did Toto drive the car into the pits remotely from the pitlane?

          1. I’m sure he would if he could!

  11. Carlos Sainz talking to himself in third person on lap 35 looks ridiculosly funny… :P (Edition mistake but funny if you think about it that way)

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