Japanese Grand Prix 2018: Race team radio
84 radio messages were recorded during race at the Japanese Grand Prix 2018, across 18 drivers. 83 of them have a transcript; the rest are audio only. Max VERSTAPPEN had the most, with 19.
These are transcripts of real team radio audio, produced by speech recognition and presented as an archive rather than as edited prose. Radio is clipped and noisy, so wording can be imperfect. Each message is attributed to the driver or their engineer, and the original audio is playable in the archive.
Who was on the radio
- Max VERSTAPPEN · Red Bull · 19 messages
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 15 messages
- Daniel RICCIARDO · Red Bull · 12 messages
- Brendon HARTLEY · Toro Rosso · 6 messages
- Romain GROSJEAN · Haas · 6 messages
- Nico HULKENBERG · Renault · 4 messages
- Kimi RAIKKONEN · Ferrari · 4 messages
- Sergio PEREZ · Force India · 4 messages
- Sebastian VETTEL · Ferrari · 2 messages
- Kevin MAGNUSSEN · Haas · 2 messages
- Carlos SAINZ · Renault · 2 messages
- Lance STROLL · Williams · 2 messages
- Esteban OCON · Force India · 1 message
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Mercedes · 1 message
- Marcus ERICSSON · Sauber · 1 message
- Pierre GASLY · Toro Rosso · 1 message
- Fernando ALONSO · McLaren · 1 message
- Stoffel VANDOORNE · McLaren · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Engineer: So just do one little blip before you de-pre-start res and it'll be a gear one start. Remember reverse on and off and the little lift before turn one.
Engineer: One second. Sorry, my helmet's not properly done. Sorry, guys.
Engineer: OK, quite a big queue, just let me know about temperatures. Copy that, we should be OK.
Engineer: Remember, if we have a car behind us, we can't take more than 5 seconds for the start. If you have no cars behind, you're ok to wait a bit.
Engineer: Start. Start. Start.
Engineer: remember no burnouts and again the start is in after the pit exit but before the grass on the right-hand side
Daniel RICCIARDO: Uh, front wing, want to take some off, six clicks down.
Engineer: Ok understood sir, boxes lap please, boxes lap.
Engineer: OK, balance update, Max.
Max VERSTAPPEN: All OK.
Engineer: Understood.
Engineer: Box, box, box. Last clutch position was on target.
Engineer: And to the grid.
Sebastian VETTEL: Copy that.
Engineer: And clutch position was deep, 2%.
Lewis HAMILTON: Just start where everyone else is starting, where we were practising yesterday.
Engineer: Sir, negative, let's just have it in the same place.
Engineer: And Lewis, can you just confirm you're happy with the balance of the tyres, the vibrations on this set, do they look OK on data?
Lewis HAMILTON: Tyres are good, tyres are good,
Engineer: balance
Lewis HAMILTON: wise.
Engineer: And we can debrief in the garage.
Lewis HAMILTON: Cool.
Marcus ERICSSON: Radio check, 123
Engineer: Yeah, loading clear, over
Nico HULKENBERG: Radio check Mark, radio check.
Engineer: Yep, that's all out and clear to go. So, four more reminders, limiter on after firing up this time. At the end of the formation lap, turn 17 recharge off and then three burnouts starting 20 metres after the timing line. OK. And I'll remind you about scenario one at the end of the first lap.
Lewis HAMILTON: Ricky, when do I have my dismiss for the long run?
Engineer: You are at three on Friday.
Lewis HAMILTON: Is the track temperature going to be dropping or just staying the same through this race?
Engineer: I imagine it's going to stay fairly consistent throughout, it'll only be a degree or two at the most. Not a lot of cloud cover around to speak of.
Lewis HAMILTON: Have we had front graining here before, past years?
Engineer: Yes we have, in terms of the Friday sets, a little bit of light front abrasion but it was nothing to write home about, I expect the distract temp problems are going to shift to the rear.
Lewis HAMILTON: I'm assuming we're in VAT now, the same wing level?
Engineer: Yes you are.
Engineer: Practice start was on target, the switch that we did, are reverting back the engine performance to yesterday there, FIA told us, so you need to expect that, ok, here will be fine, we said in the race it counts less, yeah, don't worry.
Pierre GASLY: I know it's stupid.
Engineer: And Valtteri car behind Verstappen P3
Engineer: And Ares magic on, Ares magic on.
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Yeah, it just went driving to me completely. We'll show Kimi, we'll show... I don't know what I lost, I lost a part for her.
Engineer: Okay, nice job. Next car Hartley
Engineer: So Magnussen has a puncture and he's putting debris around the track just keep an eye out for it
Engineer: So careful debris in this area.
Kevin MAGNUSSEN: The car is ****** guys.
Engineer: okay so the debris was from the Magnuson puncture that's why there's bits of floor debris around it the main part of his tyre is on the left hand side going into turn 16 okay
Daniel RICCIARDO: I see it and
Engineer: there is still quite a lot of debris I'm sure you saw the two cars they drove into the back of each other so there is some bits of front wing on the right hand side on the pit straight so stay on the racing line stay on the racing line down to turn one the debris near the pit line
Daniel RICCIARDO: don't remember okay keep
Engineer: your temperature in your tyres
Engineer: Okay Magnussen still hasn't got past the safety car. The safety car is in the last chicane so it's gonna be at least one more lap
Nico HULKENBERG: How many left cars is there, that
Engineer: went by now? Only Magnussen I believe, yeah Magnussen has gone ahead, that's the only one.
Engineer: Tyres, temperature is good for the restart. Tyres are good for the restart. We think this should be the last lap. I keep you posted.
Brendon HARTLEY: Copy.
Engineer: safety car in this lap safety car in this lap
Engineer: Remember you're racing from Safety Car Line 1, racing from Safety Car Line 1.
Engineer: Okay, so you can free tease the modes as you wish.
Engineer: So let's stop on the marks and then switch off the car we will retire
Engineer: Okay, there is possible debris but not confirmed turn 16 on the left hand side in braking possible debris unconfirmed turn 16
Engineer: Nice job
Engineer: And the gap to rest up and it's 30 seconds now.
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Yeah, but I'm going as fast as I can.
Engineer: Ok mate, nice job, you are now P5, you've just completed 13 laps, good job.
Engineer: Okay, 35.1 for Hamilton, 35.2 for you, 36.1 for Kimi, 4.4, gap at 4.4 max. Let's keep this up, mate. It's good.
Engineer: Still overheating is the limit if you can take any more brake balance forward do it
Engineer: You will have some traffic, look for signs, look for signs, they will be in front of you.
Engineer: Okay, full info Max, Kimi has pitted but he's on to mediums and he's into traffic, just keep doing what you're doing at this stage pace is good
Engineer: Checo Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car windows are open. Both windows are now open.
Engineer: Good job Kimi, engine free and get one available.
Engineer: I'd
Lewis HAMILTON: say we do a whole and a half probably.
Engineer: Copy, thinking the same.
Engineer: Okay, Daniel Pace is looking good on this tyre
Engineer: Racing Kimi, Racing Kimi
Daniel RICCIARDO: What time is this kid be doing?
Engineer: Raikkonen's fighting through traffic. He has been losing time to us. He's now 21 seconds behind. He's right on our window
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, it looks like they're throwing us into a different struggle.
Engineer: Understood.
Engineer: What is Mercedes commenting on the ISO, OK? Yep, so first sim was 21 laps, it'll be 32, 32 for this sim.
Max VERSTAPPEN: What did Mercedes say at the end of this stint? Were they out of tyres?
Engineer: Negative. Hamilton fastest lap for him was on his final lap. 34.0 on his 23rd lap.
Engineer: Doing an excellent job there Nico, keep it up.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Let me know if you're happy with tyre energies and stuff
Engineer: Yeah, just watch the right hand side. The right rear is a little bit warmer than we'd like at this stage So right hand side tyre where you can. I'll let you know once it's stabilised
Sergio PEREZ: Man, did you see how I leg-leg move?
Engineer: Understood Checo, understood Grosjean, right on the edge.
Engineer: Okay Fernando, Leclerc, Ericsson and Sorokin who all fitted the backup under the safety car are beginning to fall back, they're struggling. Stroll who's the car in front of Hartley is on 12 lap older backups than us, Hartley in front fitted the prime.
Lance STROLL: The flat spot feels really bad, just worried about the tire.
Engineer: Temperature on the front are okay and vibration of the car are okay, so it's critical but it's still constant.
Lance STROLL: That's about to sound bad
Engineer: OK mate, so tyre wear in the first in on supers was very good, no concern on the super
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah and that was not a nice tyre at all
Engineer: Understood
Max VERSTAPPEN: The wear life between soft and the medium, is
Engineer: that
Max VERSTAPPEN: a lot different?
Engineer: There is a small improvement in wear life on the medium
Engineer: So there's gonna be a whole host of blue flags
Engineer: Tire temperatures are stable they've been very stable over the last five laps
Engineer: Virtual Safety Car
Engineer: So just keep your dash positive target plus one shortest line, please max shortest line
Max VERSTAPPEN: It's getting a bit rough, close to the limiter
Engineer: Understood
Engineer: Okay, gap to Perez 1.7. Let's stay within five in case he gets it. Yeah. No, I need to get the position now
Engineer: It's okay, we'll get it sorted, just get the temps up and just drive and close up these gaps.
Romain GROSJEAN: You made your dirty air.
Engineer: And you are the fastest man on track
Engineer: Alright Max, to the end of the race you have two attempts of Mode 7 between Turn 13 and Turn 2 so you can use Mode 7 between 13... Yep, OK. ...only twice.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Are you guys not worried about the close to the limiter, that's the problem?
Engineer: I'll get back to you. Fuel 3, position 4. Fuel 3, position 4.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it's definitely getting worse.
Engineer: Understood.
Engineer: You have five laps remaining, just be careful these guys ahead they are fighting for points.
Brendon HARTLEY: Hey, I'm so much quicker, but I can't get by.
Engineer: OK, shift to 6th and 7th max on the red light, not the blue.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I'm doing that, I've got 10, 15 laps already.
Engineer: And you're still fastest man on track, so two laps remaining.
Max VERSTAPPEN: I can use mode seven now, two laps.
Engineer: Last lap, mode seven, correct.
Engineer: I
Lewis HAMILTON: hope you guys are not getting bored of this, because I'm definitely not.
Engineer: Never grow tired Lewis, never grow tired. Yeah, you guys are looking good out there.
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, Silver Arrows in formation.
Engineer: Yeah, what a team.
Engineer: Alright Max, you've done it mate. You've done it. It's another podium, P3. Mega work.
Max VERSTAPPEN: That was not bad.
Engineer: Well Max, it was a very strong drive, so to get that in spite of the penalty, very, very strong. I doubt you're too popular with Ferrari and the Italians today.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, well, that's not my problem. They went too aggressive.
Engineer: Yeah, well enjoy the podium. Well done. Good job.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Thank you.
Engineer: it's not bad from p50 mate yep understood thanks guys it's a good comeback well daniel has a very good comeback very good drive today well done
Sebastian VETTEL: Ok, not much to say, I think as Dinovskin said, I don't know, if I don't go for that gap and that gap was there then I might as well stay at home, sorry for the result, la macchina è stata forte, grazie ragazzi.
Engineer: Grazie a te, we got the fastest lap.
Sergio PEREZ: Good job guys. This is what we deserve. Well done to everyone.
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Romain GROSJEAN: dot org
Engineer: Good
Engineer: Don't know what happened at the beginning of the race, but definitely something strange on the car. Something's wrong, yeah. Yeah, I felt suspension or something. Okay, yeah. Perez, not acceptable. Not acceptable. Okay, man, as far as we can tell, we were positive, but anyway, we'll go through the data later. When the dash became black, I was plus 0.3. So that's the restart, unless we have a problem with the software, but that's the restart. It closed the 2.4 second gap within 10 meters. That's not normal. Yeah, understood. When the race is over, when everyone's back, we'll go through all the data and get everything straight. Anyway, you did a really good job managing these tires with no information. Really good.
Engineer: Nice job mate, P10, well done! Thank you guys, well executed, again! Bravo everyone, I know it was difficult to salvage a point here, but we did it! Thanks Carlos, great race!
Engineer: We got ourselves ahead of the Williams mate, that's not a bad effort after yesterday. Yeah
Stoffel VANDOORNE: that was a frustrating race, I mean honestly with this power we can't do anything.
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