Loading Experience...
Preparing your Formula Dream journey
The Mexico City Grand Prix weekend on the radio: Hamilton arguing that Leclerc's penalty was too light, Ocon pleading over tyres the day before Haas stood him down, and Mercedes keeping Antonelli calm on the afternoon he became champion.
The Mexico City Grand Prix weekend produced a new world champion, a Ferrari row and a driver stood down mid-weekend. Most of it was on the radio before anyone explained it.
Our archive holds 59 broadcast messages from the weekend: 17 from first practice, 12 from second practice, 14 from qualifying and 16 from the race. Every one of them, with the audio and a transcript coloured by who is speaking, is on the
Esteban Ocon's only running of the weekend was second practice, after reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa had driven his car in the first session. Late in the session, his engineer told him the plan had changed:
"I'm still doing soft, right?" he asked. "No, we have to do medium," came the reply. Ocon: "No, no, I want to do soft, like, don't do that to me. Come on."
On Saturday morning Haas announced that Hirakawa would drive for the rest of the weekend, without giving a reason beyond saying it was not illness. Ocon's season, including Haas signing Rafael Camara for 2027, is in Esteban Ocon's 2026.
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole of 2026, 0.009 seconds quicker than George Russell. He thanked the team at length, and finished with this:
"I hope you're proud of yourselves too. You've got to keep pushing. We're on the right track. Wow, such a good feeling."
Further down, Oscar Piastri went out in the second part of qualifying and started 12th:
"I'm afraid that lap's not good enough to get through." Piastri: "Yeah, I don't know what happened, it's not very good." Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin was told to stop on track during the session:
"Stop the car now, stop the car now." The next day both Aston Martins were out of the race inside seven laps.
The race turned at turn 4 on the first lap, when Charles Leclerc went around the outside of his team mate, both Ferraris ran off the track, and Leclerc came back with the lead. Hamilton wanted to know what would happen:
"what's happening about charles". "investigation ongoing and we'll let you know," his engineer replied. In the Red Bull, Max Verstappen heard the verdict first:
"OK, Leclerc's been given a five-second penalty. I mean, Hamilton's already five seconds behind him." Hamilton did not think five seconds was enough:
"The problem with the five-second penalty is he's got clean air. He doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. You just give the positions back."
Leclerc served the penalty at his stop on lap 27 and dropped behind Verstappen, who took the net lead and kept it. His engineer's brief for the final stint was short:
"just do enough to keep him behind". Verstappen won by 0.799 seconds from Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli needed to finish ninth to win the title. Mercedes kept him out on his first set of tyres until lap 43, and the radio was calm throughout:
"let me know if you're happy with the pace," he asked. A few minutes later:
"still super happy with these lap times Kimmy, just keep it up". He stopped just before Valtteri Bottas's crash brought out the red flag, passed Leclerc at the restart and finished third. His radio after the flag was not among the messages broadcast, so it is not in our archive. The full story of his title is in Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 F1 world champion.
Leclerc, meanwhile, was struggling on the medium tyre in the last stint:
"car is very difficult to drive". He finished fourth.
These are the messages the world feed broadcast, not everything said between drivers and engineers. Radio before a session starts is never captured. Our 2026 coverage runs from the Canadian Grand Prix onward.
Quotes are verbatim from our transcripts, attributed using the speaker label on each line, and quoted only where the label and the words agree.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is on Sunday 8 November, and Mercedes can win the teams' title there. Session times are in our Sao Paulo GP 2026 preview.
The Formula Dream app plays driver radio as it is broadcast, with the transcript beside the audio, and collects every FIA document of the weekend, including stewards' decisions like Leclerc's penalty, the moment it is published. Live timing is in beta. Download Formula Dream for iOS and Android.
He said a five second penalty was not enough because Leclerc had clean air: "The problem with the five-second penalty is he's got clean air. He doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. You just give the positions back."
Haas stood him down for the rest of the weekend on Saturday without giving a reason, other than that it was not illness. On Friday he had argued with his engineer on the radio about a change to his tyre plan in second practice.
Every broadcast message from the 2026 weekend is free on our Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 radio page, with audio and transcripts.
All 68 Formula 1 constructors' championships from Vanwall in 1958 to McLaren in 2025: the team, its wins, its points and the round it was settled. Mercedes lead the 2026 table by 126 points and can win the title at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Driverwhat's happening about charles
Engineerinvestigation ongoing and we'll let you know
EngineerOK, Leclerc's been given a five-second penalty. I mean, Hamilton's already five seconds behind him.
DriverI can't remember the new penalties for Ted.
EngineerAnd Shah's got the five-second penalty.
DriverThe problem with the five-second penalty is he's got clean air. He doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. You just give the positions back.
EngineerCopy, Lewis.
Engineerbasically one of your uh magic mexico slits here max just do enough to keep him behind
Driverlet me know if you're happy with the pace
Engineerso it's doing what you can, target plus 5
Engineerstill super happy with these lap times Kimmy, just keep it up
Drivercar is very difficult to drive
Engineeryeah the weight and also the medium is a worse tyre keep your head down
EngineerAnd that's it.
DriverI know I probably replied saying I can't do it, but just do a good job of driving, stop as well, negative gain 2, 4, 5, 6, 4, 5, can't do it, you can't, but, that's how you say it.
EngineerIt'd be nice to be.
DriverAlright, shake.
EngineerTake spare for you.
DriverI should have bought you a steam engine.
EngineerCopy.
Driverwhat's happening about charles
Engineerinvestigation ongoing and we'll let you know
EngineerOK, Leclerc's been given a five-second penalty. I mean, Hamilton's already five seconds behind him.
DriverI can't remember the new penalties for Ted.
EngineerAnd Shah's got the five-second penalty.
DriverThe problem with the five-second penalty is he's got clean air. He doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. You just give the positions back.
EngineerCopy, Lewis.
EngineerI'm glad I don't need an honest assessment. Din Friere, how much faster?
DriverHonestly, I think quite a lot mate. It's harder for the non-berbers. Yeah, two threes.
Driverstewards of basic content, charles this win, we agreed, drivers briefing
Engineerbasically one of your uh magic mexico slits here max just do enough to keep him behind
EngineerIs there really nothing we can do at the minute? Our best bet now is to stay out of the sector car.
Driverlet me know if you're happy with the pace
Engineerso it's doing what you can, target plus 5
Engineerstill super happy with these lap times Kimmy, just keep it up
Drivercar is very difficult to drive
Engineeryeah the weight and also the medium is a worse tyre keep your head down
EngineerSo safety car, safety car.
EngineerWe've swapped the high fuel run to medium because all these appearances are not great.
DriverI'm still doing soft, right?
EngineerNo, we have to do medium.
DriverNo, no, I want to do soft, like, don't do that to me. Come on.
DriverI hope you're proud of yourselves too. You've got to keep pushing. We're on the right track. Wow, such a good feeling. Thank you, Luis.
EngineerI'm afraid that lap's not good enough to get through.
DriverYeah, I don't know what happened, it's not very good.
DriverI don't have any damage, why I shouldn't stop? You want to stop? I'm in the pit entry.
EngineerStop the car now, stop the car now.
