A first-lap crash gave the entire field the opportunity to get their mandatory pit stop out of the way and cruise to the chequered flag.
From the radio traffic during the race it’s clear many of the drivers were just as frustrated about this situation as those watching, as they had lost the best chance for them to gain positions around a track where overtaking is practically impossible.
However the strange circumstances of the race did produce some unusual tactics and surprising remarks on the radios.
A first-lap collision between Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg brought proceedings to a swift halt. Race leader Charles Leclerc’s engineer Bryan Bozzi, in his second appearance in the role, told him to expect a long wait for a restart:
Lap: 1/78 LEC: 40’56.330
Bozzi
Double yellow. Carlos had an issue.
Bozzi
Stay positive, red flag. Go to the pit lane.
Leclerc
Is everybody okay?
Bozzi
Everybody is fine. Carlos had a puncture. Come back to the pit lane and form a queue.
Leclerc
Copy that.
Bozzi
You stop where the garages end.
Leclerc
I get out of the car?
Bozzi
Yeah. So just to inform you, the crash was actually quite big between Perez and Hulkenberg but they’re fine. So it will take a bit.
Leclerc’s team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr collided with second-placed Oscar Piastri at the initial start. He pulled over with a puncture on the first lap, then was able to crawl back to the pits.
Having fallen from third to 16th, Sainz was desperate to know whether he would be able to reclaim his original position on the starting grid. To his immense relief, as at the Australian Grand Prix last year, he was.
Lap: 1/78 SAI: 41’02.721
Sainz
Have a puncture.
Adami
Sains skids off and stops at the exit of Casino K2 off. Puncture, front-left.
Adami
Sainz reverses out and continues Just try to come back if you can.
Sainz
Yeah I’m on it.
Sainz
It’s puncture or front wing?
Adami
Puncture for sure. Front wing we are checking. K2 off.
Adami
And red flag
Sainz
Please, please tell me we go again.
Adami
Can check.
Sainz
Ricky, what do you think?
Adami
Just stop in the queue. And we are checking, I’ll let you know.
Sainz
Ricky, please tell me we start P3. It’s like Australia, no?
Sainz
Ricky? I’m in the pits
Adami
Copy. Stop there.
Ocon: “That’s it, guys”
A fourth retirement on the first lap was Esteban Ocon, who tangled with team mate Pierre Gasly. His team inspected the damage after he dragged his A524 back to the pits, but it proved in vain:
Lap: 1/78 OCO:
Ocon
That’s it, guys. I will return the car but we have damage.
Peckett
‘Yeah rear-left puncture. Diff high speed 14, please. We have a red flag. Recharge on please, recharge on. So Esteban we’re going to box now. Red flag. Line up in the fast lane, please. We’re going to assess damage.
Ocon
‘Yep. Get ready, it’s rear-left.
Peckett
Yep we see that, we’re getting prepped.
Peckett
Okay, so we’re boxing now, lining up in the fast lane.
Ocon
I see an arm which is broken, the rim obviously.
Peckett
Yeah so we’re going to come down and assess everything now. Guys will be down as quickly as they can and we’ll go from there. So hang tight for a moment.
Lewis Hamilton was also concerned he might have damaged his car. He remarked “I told you guys” on his way into the pits, a message which was broadcast on the world feed, and appeared to indicate he wanted to start the race on the medium compound tyre instead of the hards, giving him a better compound to switch to in the event of an early red flag.
Lap: 1/78 HAM: 41’23.804
Bonnington
So we have an incident down at turn three. Cars stopped. Okay. Red flag. Red flag. Red flag, red flag. Keep delta positive. So we’ll be into the pit lane. So staying in the fast lane.
Hamilton
I told you guys. I told you guys.
Bonnington
So into the pit lane. Just pull up behind Verstappen, give yourself a little bit of space.
Hamilton
Check the floor. Went over turn one, just check the bib.
Hamilton
Shall I turn the car off?
“We go to the end”
Virtually every team seized the opportunity to change tyres and run to the end of the race without pitting at this point. Leclerc’s race engineer Bozzi let slip their plan before the restart.
Once the race resumed Ferrari told him to keep a lid on his pace, to reduce the chance the drivers immediately behind him would build up enough of a lead over their pursuers to be able to make a pit stop without losing a position on the track.
Lap: 2/78 LEC: 2’57.857
Bozzi
Two burnouts. Two burnouts.
Bozzi
The race restarts Last car on the grid.
Lap: 4/78 LEC: 1’22.625
Bozzi
And slow intro.
Bozzi
DRS enabled.
Lap: 8/78 LEC: 1’21.030
Bozzi
We are happy with your tyre management. Keep it like this.
Lap: 10/78 LEC: 1’20.775
Leclerc
Can you tell me about the front saturation in turn seven, please?
Lap: 11/78 LEC: 1’21.046
Bozzi
Front saturation is good, 68 laps to go.
Lap: 12/78 LEC: 1’20.252
Bozzi
Race update. We are opening a gap to Russell because he’s on mediums and saving more than us, the top four. Not an issue. Keep up.
Four places behind Leclerc, George Russell was the first driver on the medium tyre compound, and told to maintain a slow pace too, so much so that he became concerned about the possibility Max Verstappen behind would attack him:
Lap: 14/78 RUS: 1’20.272
Russell
You just tell me what you want me to do.
Lap: 15/78 RUS: 1’20.202
Dudley
So keep doing what you’re doing.
Lap: 16/78 RUS: 1’19.913
Dudley
So George, happy to reduce management 15, 16, 18, 19. And George, oxidation warnings are no issue so don’t worry about those, just follow my orders.
Lap: 17/78 RUS: 1’20.150
Russell
How hot is the front-left turn eight?
Lap: 18/78 RUS: 1’19.438
Dudley
So surface temp at turn eight is below the window.
Russell
So are you scared of me sliding it there or not?
Lap: 19/78 RUS: 1’20.157
Dudley
Yeah. We don’t want to be sliding the tyre too much there turn eight.
Russell
Okay shout when Verstappen gets in the one second.
Dudley
Affirm.
Russell
It’s just that we’re driving so slow, I think it would be easy just to pounce in a sector and gain a second and a half or so. Are any gaps opening up behind?
Lap: 20/78 RUS: 1’20.053
Dudley
So the gap to Tsunoda is opening up behind us. So you’ve got Verstappen at 1.2.
Russell
Only under one second, please.
Lap: 21/78 RUS: 1’19.788
Dudley
Yeah. Copy that.
Albon: “Going to take out my front wing”
Alexander Albon was queued up behind Yuki Tsunoda, another driver who had been told to restrict their pace for tactical reasons. He grew increasingly frustrated as the laps ticked down, increasingly warning that the RB driver was risking contact by slowing him down.
Lap: 36/78 ALB: 1’21.628
Albon
What’s going on behind?
Urwin
So it’s eight seconds back to Gasly and Stroll. They’re on the medium. They don’t need to pit again but they’re on the medium.
Lap: 37/78 ALB: 1’20.775
Urwin
So that’s just a case of everybody managing tyres to prevent any graining. It’s 42 laps to go.
Lap: 41/78 ALB: 1’19.329
Albon
Just trying to reduce [lift-and-coast] and get the bulk up a little bit. It’s dropping a little bit too much.
Lap: 42/78 ALB: 1’20.084
Urwin
So the gap to Tsunoda was four, he’s been asked to slow down. Gap now two-and-a-half.
Albon
Why are they making him slow down so much?
Urwin
Probably just trying to get to the end. It’s 37 laps to go.
Lap: 45/78 ALB: 1’21.748
Albon
What’s the gap behind?
Lap: 48/78 ALB: 1’19.321
Albon
The problem is this pace is too slow for my tyre temps. So I need to get Yuki to get a move on.
Lap: 61/78 ALB: 1’20.222
Urwin
Tsunoda is trying to back you up so that we don’t get a safety car stop window on Gasly.
Albon
Don’t look… Okay.
Albon
Yeah. He’s really dangerous.
Lap: 62/78 ALB: 1’19.506
Albon
Going to take out my front wing with him.
Urwin
The situation ahead has been reported.
Albon
Reported, but it’s not changing.
Lap: 63/78 ALB: 1’23.085
Urwin
Copy that. So that’s blue for George, Verstappen right behind him. And then a four-second gap to Hamilton.
RB were telling Tsunoda to restrict his pace partly because they had mis-read one of their rivals’ strategies. They thought Pierre Gasly needed to pit again to fit a different tyre compound, not realising that he too had changed compounds during the suspension:
Lap: 8/78 TSU: 1’21.651
Spini
You’re doing well, Yuki. Just save tyre.
Lap: 11/78 TSU: 1’21.289
Spini
Yuki everybody will go to the end except Gasly. There is two cars behind you.
Lap: 12/78 TSU: 1’21.089
Tsunoda
Why Gasly not?
Spini
He fitted the medium again, so he will need to fit the hard at some point.
Lap: 13/78 TSU: 1’20.682
Spini
Yuki we are very happy on our tyre management. Keep doing this. Keep managing.
Lap: 25/78 TSU: 1’20.329
Tsunoda
Are you happy with this pace?
Spini
We are happy.
Lap: 33/78 TSU: 1’20.749
Tsunoda
I think Alex Albon is… keeps doing mode one and will try to overtake me.
Spini
Copy. You can defend cleverly, Yuki. And press and hold always available.
Not for the first time this year, Aston Martin used Fernando Alonso tactically to help his team mate. They had him reduce his pace to create a gap for Lance Stroll to make a pit stop for fresh tyres and resume his pursuit of Gasly without losing a place:
Lap: 19/78 ALO: 1’20.605
Alonso
We want to try to overtake the cars in front? At least with one car?
Cronin
Copy, Fernando, copy.
Lap: 20/78 ALO: 1’21.110
Alonso
So no one has to stop in front?
Cronin
Okay Fernando so nobody ahead has to box, nobody ahead has to box. The people ahead on mediums are managing the most but we do think the hards have got a tough time too. And we are looking at plan B. We’ll get back to you on plan B.
Alonso
Copy. The Plan B is for everyone [unclear] so when the leaders are coming, maybe to don’t lose seconds one car can stop, something.
Lap: 21/78 ALO: 1’20.317
Cronin
Yeah, yeah. Copy.
Lap: 23/78 ALO: 1’20.246
Alonso
What are you thinking? I can try also to attack the cars in front and tyres, if they’re gone, they’re gone. I’m out of the points anyway. But let me know.
Lap: 24/78 ALO: 1’21.413
Cronin
Yeah copy that.
Cronin
So Fernando our preference is to do plan B. It’s plan B plus one now. Plan B plus one.
Alonso
Yeah, okay.
Lap: 32/78 ALO: 1’21.010
Alonso
Let me know, I’m not sure what we’re doing.
Cronin
Yeah, we’re obviously trying but Lance is struggling a little bit ahead.
Lap: 34/78 ALO: 1’20.877
Cronin
So Fernando I know you trying and it’s tough, but if you could go any… plan B plus two, that would be good. Plan B plus two.
Alonso
Where are the leaders?
Lap: 35/78 ALO: 1’20.432
Cronin
Okay Fernando so the top four are 17 seconds behind you. So Leclerc 17 seconds behind and they’re all together within five seconds.
Lap: 37/78 ALO: 1’21.512
Cronin
This is good. You’re doing a good job.
Lap: 38/78 ALO: 1’21.082
Cronin
Okay Fernando so about three laps the leaders will catch the back of our train, which is Bottas.
However to the team’s disappointment Stroll hit the barrier soon after taking fresh tyres. That gave him a puncture which ruined his race:
Lap: 41/78 STR: 1’20.200
Vizard
Gasly has been told to back us up, so now’s the time to have a bit of fun. HPP on, single press HPP.
Stroll
Need you to help me out here.
Vizard
We are looking, we are looking.
Lap: 42/78 STR: 1’37.062
Vizard
Box opposite Gasly, opposite Gasly.
Lap: 45/78 STR: 1’18.806
Vizard
Lance the leaders will be with Gasly in around 12 laps. He’s already in our pit window so we just need to get to the back of him and have some tyre.
Lap: 48/78 STR: 1’49.132
Stroll
Puncture.
Vizard
Box [unclear].
Vizard
Okay Lance it’ll be a slow stop, we’ve got a left-rear puncture. Soft tyre.
“Hamilton is just playing a slow, fast, slow game”
Verstappen ran between the two Mercedes drivers and took advantage of Hamilton’s slow pace after his pit stop to take a fresh set of tyres. He tried to use this to hunt down Russell, but was not successful. More surprisingly, he didn’t have the pace to beat Hamilton behind him to the fastest lap of the race.
Lap: 52/78 VER: 1’33.905
Lambiase
Okay so Hamilton in, Max. Push up for the moment. Push up to Russell.
Verstappen
You want me to push?
Verstappen
Yeah, just this lap for now. I don’t think there’s too much drama either way, Max.
Verstappen
Box and pit confirm Max. Box, pit confirm. Strat 12 in pit lane. Strat nine and yellow line on the exit. Strat nine, yellow line on the exit. Could be close with Hamilton, although I don’t think so. Could be close though. Yellow line on the exit.
Lap: 53/78 VER: 1’18.724
Lambiase
No, nice lap Max, well done. So let’s push on now. Push on.
Lap: 59/78 VER: 1’14.748
Verstappen
Mate, battery, no one is watching it again.
Lap: 61/78 VER: 1’15.121
Lambiase
For reference, Hamilton is just playing a slow, fast, slow game. Just interested in a purple lap. Focus on the car ahead.
Lap: 64/78 VER: 1’16.619
Lambiase
Maybe give yourself a breather, then look for the fastest lap, if you’re interested.
Lambiase
Currently, purple lap is a 14.1. That’s -0.4 on your dash.
Lap: 66/78 VER: 1’16.121
Lambiase
Okay, let’s take a breather Max for two laps, cool the front brakes. Hamilton at 1.5.
Hamilton: “Do I need to go any faster?”
Hamilton secured the fastest lap as he chased after Verstappen:
Lap: 55/78 HAM: 1’16.492
Bonnington
And Verstappen a 15.8, George 18.2.
Lap: 60/78 HAM: 1’15.848
Hamilton
Do you want me to put that time further out of reach?
Lap: 61/78 HAM: 1’15.274
Bonnington
Yeah, we just have to see how Verstappen responds. He was 15.3 last lap. So George 16.6, Verstappen 15.3. Gap to George 8.4.
Hamilton
Are you… are we supposed to be closing that gap?
Bonnington
You are doing it naturally, Lewis, so just keep closing that gap.
Bonnington
This tyre is more resilient.
Lap: 65/78 HAM: 1’15.190
Hamilton
Do I need to go any faster?
Bonnington
You still hold the fastest lap. Verstappen may try to push back and go himself but he is at the moment stuck behind George.
Leclerc: “What did you say?”
It seems Leclerc and his new race engineer are still getting used to each other. Leclerc had to ask for clarifications several times during the race.
But they also had a light-hearted exchange when Leclerc offered to update Bozzi on his potential pace. Ferrari did not want this information to be shared on the radio – particularly as that part of the exchange was played on the world feed.
Lap: 23/78 LEC: 1’18.458
Leclerc
Update me on tyre energies compared to Carlos.
Bozzi
Very similar.
Leclerc
‘Very similar’, you said?
Leclerc
Yes and we are happy. Keep up, keep it up.
Lap: 29/78 LEC: 1’19.053
Bozzi
Our pit stop tail is on Russell, so we have to match his lap time or slightly faster. That is what’s our main target now.
Bozzi
So we need to be doing 18.6, not faster. This lap time is good.
Lap: 30/78 LEC: 1’19.935
Leclerc
You said you don’t want to open on Russell? Or you want to open?
Bozzi
We do not. We do not. So we either lap the same or slower.
Bozzi
Russell 18.6.
Lap: 37/78 LEC: 1’18.925
Bozzi
If you can, we need to slow down a bit.
Leclerc
Yeah, I mean, what’s the scope of that?
Bozzi
We are preventing McLaren to have a pit stop window because we have no rush on this happening.
Leclerc
I didn’t get it, but that makes me push in the slow speed which I don’t like.
Lap: 38/78 LEC: 1’18.528
Bozzi
Okay. Priority one is tyres. So if you can’t, just do what you can.
Leclerc
Copy. Why on [unclear] written Virtual Safety Car ending?
Bozzi
Not sure, but everything’s okay. Soon you will start getting the lappers ahead. Eight seconds, Bottas.
Leclerc
Copy that.
Lap: 39/78 LEC: 1’18.181
Bozzi
40 laps to go. You will start feeling the wake soon so take care on the driving.
Leclerc
I didn’t understand, say again, speak slowly.
Bozzi
Soon you will start feeling the wake of the cars. So be careful.
Lap: 40/78 LEC: 1’18.733
Bozzi
Mode race, mode race.
Lap: 46/78 LEC: 1’18.567
Bozzi
Russell 18.2.
Leclerc
Just for your info, I think I have around… I mean, do you want to know the margin?
Bozzi
No, Charles, we’re not interested. We know.
Leclerc
You said ‘no’ right?
Bozzi
No, we are not interested.
Leclerc
Joking That’s rude.
Lap: 47/78 LEC: 1’19.185
Bozzi
Sorry. Russell 18.5.
Lap: 55/78 LEC: 1’17.444
Bozzi
Race update, P6 and seven Verstappen and Hamilton pitted for hards, Russell going to the end in P5.
Leclerc
What did you say? Speak to me in the slow section.
Bozzi
P6 Max and P7 Hamilton pitted for hards. Russell staying out in P5.
Sainz: “Where would Lando exit?”
Meanwhile Sainz was extremely concerned that Ferrari give no opportunity for Lando Norris behind him to make a pit stop, especially when the cars behind him began to come in:
Lap: 39/78 SAI: 1’18.310
Sainz
Where would Lando exit now?
Adami
Between Russell and Verstappen.
Sainz
In case of Safety or in a normal?
Adami
Normal.
Sainz
Shouldn’t we slow down then?
Lap: 41/78 SAI: 1’18.714
Sainz
Last lap Verstappen?
Lap: 42/78 SAI: 1’19.171
Adami
Charles lap time 18.1. Verstappen 18.2.
Lap: 44/78 SAI: 1’18.762
Sainz
Let me know the gap behind. I don’t Lance to box for a medium. We would be very vulnerable.
Adami
For Lando’s between.. behind Verstappen, for info.
Sainz
Yeah but keep me posted. If he suddenly gets a better window.
Adami
Yeah, sure.
Sainz
We cannot allow that.
Lap: 55/78 SAI: 1’18.661
Adami
Now Russell went through traffic. So our update is in front of him. Lando as well.
Sainz
Should I slow down?
Adami
Hamilton, Verstappen boxed as well. Blue flag to Tsunoda in front.
Lap: 56/78 SAI: 1’18.119
Adami
Lando 0.5 behind.
Sainz
Hamilton and Verstappen have pitted?
Adami
They boxed already, yeah.
Sainz
But Russell hasn’t?
Adami
No, he is going to the end apparently.
Sainz
What is my interest here?
Adami
The priority is still to keep the gap to Piastri in front, seven seconds.
Sainz
Yeah but this is easy. Tell me behind.
Sainz
Is Lando behind Russell on the pit window?
Adami
On top of it.
Lap: 57/78 SAI: 1’17.599
Adami
Land 0.5 behind. Now Russell has picked up the pace. He is in free air.
Adami
Charles could slow down Piastri a bit and we are both safe.
Adami
Copy that.
Verstappen: “I thought the ride was bad yesterday”
Leclerc took the victory on a weekend where Red Bull struggled to compete and Verstappen was especially unhappy about his car’s performance over the kerbs, as he remarked after the race:
Chequered flag
Lambiase
Okay, that’s that. Well done, mate.
Verstappen
Oh, I thought the ride was bad yesterday but this was another level. My body is completely broken.
Horner
Yeah tough weekend, Max, plenty to take out of it. Probably one of the world’s most boring races, unfortunately.
Verstappen
Yeah that red flag completely destroyed any kind of strategy. It was really, really boring there just trying to save those tyres to the end, you know?
Horner
Yeah. I think the only car to make an overtake was Stroll.
Verstappen
Did you fall asleep, anyone?
Lambiase
It’s a shame that Mercedes and Russell gave up the ghost so quickly in the race, but…
Verstappen
Radio cuts out Yeah, I mean, there’s nothing. Look at the pace adv…
Alonso: “I thought that we were P10”
There was disappointment at the end for Alonso, who though he’d scored a point:
Cronin
Well done Fernando, P11. You can put the run switch to warm up, run switch warm up, and then multifunction B blue, multifunction B blue override position 12. Multifunction B blue override position 12. Good job with the tyres there, well done. If you can, take all the pickup.
Alonso
I thought that we were P10, mate.
Cronin
No afraid not.
His team mate, meanwhile, could only apologise for his mistake:
Vizard
Okay Lance so that’s the flag. That’s the flag. So just a couple of…
Stroll
Sorry about that.
Vizard
It’s okay mate don’t worry. We were pushing, we were trying something so that’s fair enough. There was nothing else on the table so it was worth a go, wasn’t it? So don’t worry.
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It’s nice to get these little insights into how they manage the race. You can sort of feel the calm that Verstappen has in his current situation, and Sainz always comes across as being exceptionally aware of the race as a whole.
Not a fan of Albon’s “penalty baiting” and Williams actually reporting it to the race director; it’s not like Tsunoda was randomly braking, he was just going slow. Like pretty much everyone.
With the stewards inserting themselves like they have, deciding who wins and who loses (by imposing incorrect penalties/VSCs), why wouldn’t the drivers want to adapt a more child like mentality of ratting out other drivers et al. But, to be honest, its really just a sign of the times, and the way authority is promoting itself through venues like F1.
Williams embrace the ethos, that’s why they aren’t a winning team.
I don’t have access to the radio recordings or transcripts, but I’ve heard differing accounts of what Lewis was told when coming up to his pit window and during his outlap about whether he should push or not.
For instance, it’s been suggested that Lewis asked about pushing on his outlap, but was told to just do a normal outlap.
Can RaceFans confirm? can you detail any/all comms between Lewis and pitwall shortly before/during/after his pitstop please?
I always try to look for the tidbits and this was an interesting one.
Why does a driver need their team to be watching the battery? I just can’t shake the feeling that battery modes are more important to performance than we realise.
It used to be a rule in F1 that the driver drove the car alone and unaided. Howadays it needs the driver plus half a dozen pairs of eyes on the pit wall to keep these cars running, plus a bank of computers working out what the strategy should be lap by lap. Radios might be good for TV entertainment, but if radio was banned, they’d have to design cars which were drivable by the driver alone, manage their own batteries, manage their own tyres. I wonder how many of the current drivers could cope with that mindset.
I don’t mind there being tech that’s being used, but it would be good to know what it is and how. I wonder if the battery capacity reduces over the course of a race despite the recharging. It was the same in Imola where he complained the battery was “running out” which doesn’t make much sense to me.
If it is anything like the sim games, you are working the battery deployment and recharge continuously exiting and entering most corners; the minute you forget, bang, where did my charge go. Once I figured this out, I got much quicker and was not a rolling chicane on the fast straights.
If you don’t use battery modes, you can’t defend or attack; you are literally in a GP2 car as Fred would say. You must strategically use the added 161HP provided through ERS. So in reality, F1 actually does have a Push to Pass system and its worth 161HP anytime the driver needs it, as long as he has kept the batter topped off. That’s the trick; finding the balance and then remembering to both deploy and then rebuild/recharge the battery every lap sometimes every turn or you just can’t compete. Drivers have total control over the extra 161HP the ERS Battery provides; but it must be monitored as it drains very quickly when activated. Properly used it is worth a couple of seconds a lap, but then again, 161 additional HP at your fingertips should make you quite a bit faster.
If it’s anything like the games, which is kinda my point, that it doesn’t seem to be. The teams themselves are controlling something here which is affecting the batteries charge or deployment beyond the driver. Whether that’s through the screen notifying the driver what charge mode to be in, or the radio as we heard in Imola.
MichaelN
30th May 2024, 14:07
It’s nice to get these little insights into how they manage the race. You can sort of feel the calm that Verstappen has in his current situation, and Sainz always comes across as being exceptionally aware of the race as a whole.
Not a fan of Albon’s “penalty baiting” and Williams actually reporting it to the race director; it’s not like Tsunoda was randomly braking, he was just going slow. Like pretty much everyone.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
30th May 2024, 20:23
With the stewards inserting themselves like they have, deciding who wins and who loses (by imposing incorrect penalties/VSCs), why wouldn’t the drivers want to adapt a more child like mentality of ratting out other drivers et al. But, to be honest, its really just a sign of the times, and the way authority is promoting itself through venues like F1.
Williams embrace the ethos, that’s why they aren’t a winning team.
Evilquinn
30th May 2024, 14:39
I don’t have access to the radio recordings or transcripts, but I’ve heard differing accounts of what Lewis was told when coming up to his pit window and during his outlap about whether he should push or not.
For instance, it’s been suggested that Lewis asked about pushing on his outlap, but was told to just do a normal outlap.
Can RaceFans confirm? can you detail any/all comms between Lewis and pitwall shortly before/during/after his pitstop please?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
30th May 2024, 14:56
Sure, we did actually transcribe that earlier, you’ll find it in this article from yesterday:
Mercedes admit error in failing to warn Hamilton out-lap was “critical”
Evilquinn
30th May 2024, 15:36
Excellent, thank you!
Jere (@jerejj)
30th May 2024, 16:50
I’m surprised Bozzi didn’t name Magnussen.
SteveP
30th May 2024, 17:09
Especially as he actually named the only innocent party in that three car pile up as though he was an active participant.
Tristan
30th May 2024, 21:26
I always try to look for the tidbits and this was an interesting one.
Why does a driver need their team to be watching the battery? I just can’t shake the feeling that battery modes are more important to performance than we realise.
AlanD
30th May 2024, 22:01
It used to be a rule in F1 that the driver drove the car alone and unaided. Howadays it needs the driver plus half a dozen pairs of eyes on the pit wall to keep these cars running, plus a bank of computers working out what the strategy should be lap by lap. Radios might be good for TV entertainment, but if radio was banned, they’d have to design cars which were drivable by the driver alone, manage their own batteries, manage their own tyres. I wonder how many of the current drivers could cope with that mindset.
Tristan
30th May 2024, 23:27
I don’t mind there being tech that’s being used, but it would be good to know what it is and how. I wonder if the battery capacity reduces over the course of a race despite the recharging. It was the same in Imola where he complained the battery was “running out” which doesn’t make much sense to me.
Bosco Moroz
31st May 2024, 1:53
If it is anything like the sim games, you are working the battery deployment and recharge continuously exiting and entering most corners; the minute you forget, bang, where did my charge go. Once I figured this out, I got much quicker and was not a rolling chicane on the fast straights.
If you don’t use battery modes, you can’t defend or attack; you are literally in a GP2 car as Fred would say. You must strategically use the added 161HP provided through ERS. So in reality, F1 actually does have a Push to Pass system and its worth 161HP anytime the driver needs it, as long as he has kept the batter topped off. That’s the trick; finding the balance and then remembering to both deploy and then rebuild/recharge the battery every lap sometimes every turn or you just can’t compete. Drivers have total control over the extra 161HP the ERS Battery provides; but it must be monitored as it drains very quickly when activated. Properly used it is worth a couple of seconds a lap, but then again, 161 additional HP at your fingertips should make you quite a bit faster.
Tristan
31st May 2024, 5:20
If it’s anything like the games, which is kinda my point, that it doesn’t seem to be. The teams themselves are controlling something here which is affecting the batteries charge or deployment beyond the driver. Whether that’s through the screen notifying the driver what charge mode to be in, or the radio as we heard in Imola.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
31st May 2024, 9:15
Just made a small amendment to this article: Part of Sainz’s communication with Adami during the red flag had been left out so that’s been added in.