2017 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript

2017 United States Grand Prix

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Away from the action at the sharp end, where Sebastian Vettel gambled on a two-stop strategy in the hope of disrupting Lewis Hamilton’s charge to another win, several absorbing storylines played out further down the running order in Austin.

At Renault any hopes of seeing how new hire Carlos Sainz Jnr would stack up against Nico Hulkenberg ended earlier when the latter succumbed to another power unit problem in what had been a frustrating weekend. Meanwhile Sainz impressed: His dazzling pass on Sergio Perez earned praise on the radio and after taking the chequered flag he reflected on a weekend his race engineer described as “faultless”.

2017 United States GP in pictures
Meanwhile his former team mate Daniil Kvyat had returned to Toro Rosso and teamed up with Sainz’s former engineer Marco Matassa. “Welcome back, I’m proud of you,” Matassa told Kvyat after they grabbed the final point. Just 24 hours later the news broke that Kvyat had driven his last race for the team.

Brendon Hartley acquitted himself well at Toro Rosso, though was frustrated at being boxed in behind Lance Stroll early in the race and then running out of strategic options later on.

His frustrations paled in comparison to what was going on at Haas, however. The “I’m not moaning” legend on Romain Grosjean’s one-off helmet design seemed increasingly doubtful as he complained about a series of problems with his car during the race. With ten laps to go he warned his team about the dire conditions of his tyres, and some time afterwards his lobbying to park his car was met with a dismissive “shut up”.

Grosjean has faced questions about his radio remarks on several occasions in the past. He has suggested that it’s simply the case that more of his negative messages are played than those of other drivers. But it’s hard to imagine many of his rivals’ conversations are as terse as this very often.

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2017 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*DriverMessage
PRFrom Sebastian Vettel

OK check the roll behaviour in turn one and turn 12. So check potential three-wheeling in those corners.
PRTo Sebastian Vettel

Understood.
PRTo Sebastian Vettel

Any car issues?
PRFrom Sebastian Vettel

No car issues.
PRTo Sebastian Vettel

Understood
PRTo Romain Grosjean

Based on the flags it’s now come around to be something more like a headwind.
PRFrom Brendon Hartley

Can you give me an update on the exact wind direction?
PRTo Brendon Hartley

Tail in sector one.
FLTo Carlos Sainz Jnr

Good luck, have fun.
FLFrom Carlos Sainz Jnr

OK, thank you.
3To Brendon Hartley

Good job Brendon, next one is Vandoorne on super-softs.
3To Max Verstappen

Well done mate, good lap-and-a-half, let’s keep it moving.
3From Lewis Hamilton

Pace feels pretty good.
3To Lewis Hamilton

OK copy.
3From Romain Grosjean

Mate Kvyat is moving all over the place. Left, right, right left.
3To Romain Grosjean

Understood.
5To Pascal Wehrlein

So Pascal we stay out, consider the pace, and then decide.
6To Nico Hulkenberg

Scenario 12, we need to box.
6From Nico Hulkenberg

Oh, come on man.
6To Nico Hulkenberg

We’re retiring the car, Nico.
6To Stoffel Vandoorne

That’s exactly what I was talking about Stoffel. Brilliant job.
6From Pascal Wehrlein

Box this lap.
6To Pascal Wehrlein

OK Pascal copy, box this lap. We retire the car.
7From Brendon Hartley

Yeah not easy to overtake with the turbulence.
7To Brendon Hartley

No worries.
8To Stoffel Vandoorne

Stoffel do you think it will be possible to overtake Stroll or do we need to jump him in a pit stop.
8From Stoffel Vandoorne

Not sure. Let me give it another go.
8To Stoffel Vandoorne

Yeah you’re pretty close. Keep fighting.
8From Pascal Wehrlein

Someone crashed completely into me.
8To Pascal Wehrlein

Understood. Further feedback on damage Pascal.
8From Pascal Wehrlein

Yeah the car is not drive-able any more.
8To Lewis Hamilton

We are on plan A.
9To Kevin Magnussen

Front-right puncture. Box Kevin, please confirm.
9From Kevin Magnussen

OK.
9To Kevin Magnussen

Pace is pretty good. Even too good.
9To Daniel Ricciardo

How are the tyres?
9From Daniel Ricciardo

Fronts are pretty [censored by FOM]. But it’s not helped by the dirty air. And the rear, just got to manage.
10To Carlos Sainz Jnr

How are the tyres?
10From Carlos Sainz Jnr

So far so good. Let’s keep going.
10To Carlos Sainz Jnr

Understood.
11To Brendon Hartley

Careful with the front locking. We’ve got long to go on this one.
11To Max Verstappen

Well done Max. Alright so we’re back in the game, P6. Kimi is seven-and-a-half seconds ahead.
12From Daniel Ricciardo

Yeah as soon as we get a gap, let’s go.
12To Daniel Ricciardo

Understood.
12From Sebastian Vettel

I’ve got blistering on the front-left.
12To Sebastian Vettel

Understood.
12To Romain Grosjean

All looking good from our side. How is it following cars?
12From Romain Grosjean

Yeah I’ve got no pace.
12To Romain Grosjean

OK understood.
12From Romain Grosjean

There’s too much imbalance between headwind, tailwind. I’ve got massive oversteer into turn 15 and I don’t know what to do.
13To Max Verstappen

Think about your speed through turn 6 to make sure you’re quick enough for 7, 8, 9.
13From Max Verstappen

Yeah, I don’t want to damage the tyres.
13To Max Verstappen

Yeah exactly so think about your speed through six.
14From Kimi Raikkonen

Just drive into me but I guess that’s [censored by FOM] OK.
14From Lewis Hamilton

To make a longer stint I need another half a hole out.
14To Lewis Hamilton

OK, copy.
15To Fernando Alonso

100% pace. Box this lap.
16From Daniel Ricciardo

Engine’s gone.
16To Daniel Ricciardo

OK understood. OK mate so pull over somewhere safe.
17From Max Verstappen

What happened to Daniel?
17To Max Verstappen

He has stopped.
17From Lewis Hamilton

Tyres are good. I can extend this stint.
18From Max Verstappen

Front wing is fine. A little bit of rear locking.
19From Fernando Alonso

I can’t see from my steering. It’d be nice to know what strategy we’re doing. Can I drive differently? So we’re still in strategy B?
19To Fernando Alonso

We are plan B. Perez plus 2.4. Cars in front Ocon and Stoffel in front. This is our chance on Ocon.
20To Fernando Alonso

Perez plus 1.6. Stoffel won’t hold you up. We need to maximum pace.
20From Fernando Alonso

That’s what is confusing. We need maximum pace or we go into the plan B.
21From Lewis Hamilton

That’s a little bit close, guys. Why’d you allow him to get so close?
21To Sebastian Vettel

Can read the temps on the dash?
21From Sebastian Vettel

Too far, sorry, too far.
22To Fernando Alonso

Perez plus 2.4.
22From Fernando Alonso

Yeah we’ll see in a minute, I don’t care.
22To Kimi Raikkonen

And K2 off, Kimi, let’s keep the [state of charge] high. You’ll need it when we get to Bottas.
24To Max Verstappen

Box, pit confirm please Max. Watch out for the pit lane entry, could be slippery. And then make sure you keep hold of the brakes and keep off clutch.
25From Fernando Alonso

I think I have an engine issue.
25To Fernando Alonso

Back off please.
25From Fernando Alonso

I can’t believe it. Another six, eight points.
25To Fernando Alonso

Yes mate I know. Back off and we will box and retire the car.
28From Lance Stroll

I mean it’s unbelievable how bad the traction is.
28To Brendon Hartley

Magnussen is pulling away in front of Stroll. We are losing time.
28From Brendon Hartley

Yeah copy that mate I can’t get past him.
28To Brendon Hartley

Yeah no problem you are doing a good job.
29From Sergio Perez

We need Esteban to pick up the pace. I’m a lot faster.
29To Sergio Perez

Understood.
32From Sergio Perez

Sainz is coming. I have a lot more pace than this. Can you tell Esteban to let me by? I’ll give him back the position in the end. Because I have a lot more than this.
32To Sergio Perez

Checo we need more management. Esteban is doing the management.
33To Max Verstappen

How’s the balance, Max?
33From Max Verstappen

All good.
34From Brendon Hartley

Can we not get an undercut to get some clear air?
34To Brendon Hartley

If we pit now we will get a lot of blue flags and lose a lot of time. We cannot box now. There is no option open.
34From Brendon Hartley

OK copy.
34To Carlos Sainz Jnr

Brilliant job.
35To Max Verstappen

OK Max let’s push on now please mate. Try and catch Kimi.
35To Marcus Ericsson

OK Marcus use overtake button now. We believe Hartley has low battery. Try to pass him.
36From Sebastian Vettel

Think about plan B.
36To Sebastian Vettel

Understood, we are thinking.
36From Sebastian Vettel

I’m not saying doing immediately I am just saying think about it.
36To Sebastian Vettel

Understood. Our best option is to go to the end but we are thinking.
37To Stoffel Vandoorne

Another great overtake Stoffel, good work, that’s P12 now.
37To Sebastian Vettel

Try to hang in there. Bottas in a fight with Kimi behind. Bottas lap time 39.7 and Kimi right behind him, they are fighting.
37To Max Verstappen

Doing a good job Max, keep pushing up to Kimi.
38To Max Verstappen

Box and confirm, Max.
38To Max Verstappen

Stop on your marks, deep on clutch. You know what we’re up to. Going to be a big lap.
39To Max Verstappen

Alright so Seb’s onto super-softs as well. That’s him coming out of the pits.
39From Lewis Hamilton

Keep me up-to-date with what you need me to do. Tyres are still good.
41From Felipe Massa

We are plan A?
41To Felipe Massa

Yep we are plan A. Your pace is good, 17 laps to go. We can catch all these guys, can have some fun here, Felipe.
43To Kimi Raikkonen

Nice work, nice work. Keep engine one for another lap, let’s pull a gap.
44To Lewis Hamilton

Raikkonen 38.8 last lap.
44From Lewis Hamilton

Bono how are they so close?
45To Lewis Hamilton

Raikkonen is on the same plan as us, same age tyre.
46From Romain Grosjean

OK I hope I’m not going to explode the front-left, there is no more rubber.
46To Romain Grosjean

OK, understood.
47To Kimi Raikkonen

Multi-function turbo six, Kimi. All these things are for fuel.
47From Kimi Raikkonen

Yeah but now my car is very bad. So we have to go back on the turbo stuff or something I don’t know what you think but [censored by FOM].
47To Kimi Raikkonen

Go back to turbo five.
48To Marcus Ericsson

Ericsson and Magnussen collided.
All OK Marcus?
48From Marcus Ericsson

Yeah OK. He turned in on me.
48To Marcus Ericsson

Keep pushing.
48To Kevin Magnussen

Traction looks fine so far.
48To Marcus Ericsson

OK Stroll right behind, we are racing him, you can use overtake button to defend.
48To Kimi Raikkonen

Just watch for debris in 13.
49To Stoffel Vandoorne

OK Stoff you know how to attack into turn one. I f you need you can change the approach to 17/18.
50From Kevin Magnussen

I don’t think I’m going to be able to do the last six laps on these tyres, guys.
51To Max Verstappen

Get right up to Seb. You want to be right there to take the opportunity as he passes Bottas.
52To Max Verstappen

Come on let’s get this, make this count nice and quickly.
52To Kimi Raikkonen

Seb is now the car behind.
52To Kimi Raikkonen

OK if Seb comes alongside let him by.
53From Kimi Raikkonen

Yeah but tell him to keep going, I’ll try to get some tow from him.
53To Kimi Raikkonen

Copy, copy. Take DRS from him if you can.
53To Max Verstappen

Well done mate. OK let’s push on to Kimi. Four seconds to him now and four laps to go.
55From Stoffel Vandoorne

I have no left mirror so I cannot see.
55To Stoffel Vandoorne

That is Stroll behind.
55To Brendon Hartley

Two more laps. Bring it home.
56To Max Verstappen

You’re going to get one shot at him, Max.
VLTo Lewis Hamilton

Get in there Lewis! Beautiful work, mate. Excellent drive there.
VLFrom Lewis Hamilton

Woohoo! Great job guys. Ah that was so much fun today. Thanks so much for your time, appreciate it. To all the fans, thanks so much for your support.
VLTo Lewis Hamilton

Great work yourself Lewis. Mercedes world champions!
VLFrom Lewis Hamilton

You guys, everyone in the garage and back at the factory, you guys have worked so hard this year. Truly deserve it. So proud to be a part of it thank you.
VLTo Lewis Hamilton

Thank you Lewis mate. Another great drive from you today. You do seem to love it here.
VLTo Sebastian Vettel

P2, Sebastian, P2. Tough race.
VLFrom Sebastian Vettel

Copy that. How did he get him there in the end?
VLTo Sebastian Vettel

Got him in turn 18.
VLFrom Sebastian Vettel

OK. Grazie ragazzi. Today I think we were just not quick enough. Probably with the strategy it didn’t make a big difference but grazie.
VLTo Sebastian Vettel

OK thank you.
VLFrom Kimi Raikkonen

[Censored by FOM]. Sorry guys. [Censored by FOM]. [Censored by FOM].
VLTo Max Verstappen

Yes boys, yes boys, podium mate.
VLFrom Max Verstappen

Yes! Yes! Ah that was a good one! Haha!
VLTo Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen you are brilliant. Fantastic drive. What an overtake.
VLFrom Max Verstappen

That was a good race. I really enjoyed that one.
VLTo Max Verstappen

Mate that was absolutely solid from where you started. Mega pace all the way through. Mode one. You deserve that.
VLFrom Esteban Ocon

Awesome job guys. And well done for the repair on the grid. Big motivation from everyone, really appreciate it. Thanks a lot for that.
VLTo Esteban Ocon

Copy that Esteban.
VLTo Carlos Sainz Jnr

Excellent job Carlos. Well done. Absolutely faultless.
VLFrom Carlos Sainz Jnr

Thanks you guys. Very solid weekend from all of us. Congratulations. I think we did the job that was take points from Williams so bravo. Thank you. Merci.
VLTo Carlos Sainz Jnr

Brill job Carlos, well done.
VLTo Felipe Massa

That’s a great race. Bit of a shame at the end we didn’t manage to get Perez. But still that worked out well, was a great drive one-stopping on those tyres. Fantastic job.
VLFrom Felipe Massa

Yeah guys thank you. Yeah shame not to pass him. [Unclear] with the lapping car behind and the car with the DRS before. Anyway thank you guys, good job.
VLTo Felipe Massa

Yeah well done Felipe.
VLTo Daniil Kvyat

Come on Danny, P10, one point in the bag. Well done.
VLFrom Daniil Kvyat

Thanks mate.
VLTo Daniil Kvyat

You made it. Well done. Awesome drive in this stint, not easy at all. Well done.
VLFrom Daniil Kvyat

Grazie Marco. Been a while since a good race so thank you.
VLTo Daniil Kvyat

Welcome back mate, well done, I’m proud of you.
VLTo Stoffel Vandoorne

OK Stoffel that is the chequered flag. P12. Some great racing, some great overtaking, was always going to be difficult from P20, I think you raced very well today.
VLFrom Stoffel Vandoorne

Yeah I think that was the maximum possible today. Lost too much time with Grosjean fighting at the end.
VLTo Brendon Hartley

Very good job Brendon. The pace was pretty good at the end. Shame about Stroll at the beginning. Very good job today, strong race.
VLFrom Brendon Hartley

Yeah thanks a lot guys, awesome. Yeah I mean we lost a lot of time behind Stroll, but mate I’m smiling. Amazing feeling to complete my debut so thanks a lot guys.
VLTo Brendon Hartley

Yeah you’ve done well, very strong race again. And the pace was not bad at all.
VLFrom Brendon Hartley

Yeah I lost so much behind Stroll in that middle section buddy. But anyway, cheers.
VLFrom Romain Grosjean

This conversation clearly happened before the victory lap.
Mate what was that? Seriously. I don’t know if I… I think we should retire the car. I think we should retire the car, no point in going to the end. I can see the whole [censored by FOM] left tyre. What are we doing, guys? Seriously.
VLTo Romain Grosjean

Shut up.
VLFrom Romain Grosjean

You’re not paying your life here. The tyre is completely gone.
VLTo Romain Grosjean

OK dude so we’ll box to retire the car, retire the car. Box now. It’s the last lap anyway, man, but just bring it in easy.
VLFrom Romain Grosjean

I can go the chequered flag if you want, but…
VLTo Romain Grosjean

Yeah we’ll just take the chequer.
VLFrom Romain Grosjean

OK.
VLTo Marcus Ericsson

So was a pretty decent race. Good pace. And also we got a five-second time penalty for the collision with Magnussen.
VLFrom Marcus Ericsson

OK copy.
VLTo Marcus Ericsson

We could see some big floor or front wing damage.
VLFrom Marcus Ericsson

Before that the pace was good.
VLTo Marcus Ericsson

It was good, consistent and quite fast. OK, thank you.
VLFrom Marcus Ericsson

I had to try and go for it because, with Vettel there…
VLTo Kevin Magnussen

Just for your reference I think the pace on soft was really good. Really good management. Just unfortunate with the accident with Ericsson.

Note: Only includes messages which were broadcast in the race coverage.
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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United States 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...

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    7 comments on “2017 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript”

    1. All Romain had to do was bring the car home safely. It was the last lap anyway. Its not as if he was racing for position, only Kevin and Ericsson were behind.
      I am not paying my life here, i understand. But he could have still made it by keeping it safe–something F1 drivers would know with so much of experience. His ‘moaning/whining’ isn’t helping.

      1. Romoan Grosjean

      2. The communication was 3 laps earlier, not on the VL

    2. 6 To Pascal Wehrlein: OK Pascal copy, box this lap. We retire the car.
      8 From Pascal Wehrlein: Someone crashed completely into me.

      F1 sure is dangerous when people crash into you when you are already retired and boxed. ;)

      1. That is only two laps into the future past.
        In Canada,
        Kimi: “Are we going back to tomorrow ? Go back to tomorrow’s set-up?”

        I had to pinch myself and check the date twice to make sure i was in the right universe !!!

    3. I loved the conversation Grosjean had at the end of the race. But the comment “This conversation clearly happened before the victory lap” may be wrong, if the official start of the victory lap (VL) period happens as soon as the lead driver crosses the finish line. In that case, Grosjean would have been on his last lap when the leaders were on their victory lap. Confusing labelling though.

      My favourite message, to Perez: “Checo we need more management. Esteban is doing the management.” Crushing. Almost as brutal as “Shut up”, to Grosjean. Classic from Alonso, too: “Yeah we’ll see in a minute, I don’t care.”

      Thanks again for putting these up Keith – lots of insight to be found, and some comedy gold.

    4. ILuvSoundtracks (@)
      27th October 2017, 14:52

      Lap 14, From Kimi Raikkonen: “Just drive into me but I guess that’s [censored by FOM] OK.”

      What happened to Kimi at that time he said that?

    Comments are closed.