Belgian Grand Prix 2020: Practice 1 team radio
82 radio messages were recorded during practice 1 at the Belgian Grand Prix 2020, across 17 drivers. 79 of them have a transcript; the rest are audio only. Max VERSTAPPEN had the most, with 12.
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 · 12 messages
- Carlos SAINZ · McLaren · 10 messages
- Daniel RICCIARDO · Renault · 8 messages
- Charles LECLERC · Ferrari · 7 messages
- Daniil KVYAT · AlphaTauri · 6 messages
- Lando NORRIS · McLaren · 6 messages
- Alexander ALBON · Red Bull · 5 messages
- Pierre GASLY · AlphaTauri · 5 messages
- Esteban OCON · Renault · 4 messages
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Mercedes · 4 messages
- George RUSSELL · Williams · 3 messages
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 3 messages
- Kimi RAIKKONEN · Alfa Romeo · 3 messages
- Kevin MAGNUSSEN · Haas · 2 messages
- Romain GROSJEAN · Haas · 2 messages
- Sergio PEREZ · Racing Point · 1 message
- Sebastian VETTEL · Ferrari · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Engineer: When this McLaren goes, you might want to give it a few seconds before you go, just to make sure you get clearer.
Engineer: radio check Kevin radio
Kevin MAGNUSSEN: is good yep
Engineer: loud and clear that's Reichen in the head
Engineer: two three four two three four all loud and clear okay for gx3 and csl5 fifth gear
Charles LECLERC: Tire temperature is wrong, anything I can do?
Engineer: No, it's not working, so keep pushing, we will try to keep you updated on that.
Engineer: And we have tailwind into turn one, tailwind turn one and it will be mode race for last corner, mode race
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Engineer: Carlos, after you stop on the marks, once you switch the engine off, Carey will demonstrate the hand signals he would use for stop and go if we had a problem with the traffic light.
Engineer: Okay, recharge on. Danny's one and a half seconds behind, so aero P3, sixth gear.
Engineer: Unbox this lap box. You can keep mode raise and push on the in lap.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, radio check
Engineer: Loud and clear 10-6 Strat 8 as well please, Strat 8
Max VERSTAPPEN: Front end feels very strong.
Engineer: Let me know if you want to box, we'll make a front wing adjustment.
Max VERSTAPPEN: I guess I'm going to try one lap, and we'll see.
Engineer: Okay, when you're ready, B-Bell 3, B-Bell 3, and recharge off.
Romain GROSJEAN: Check engine. I've got no power on throttle up engaged gear. I've got no power.
Engineer: And we need the weaving to warm up at the front, we need the weaving.
Engineer: OK, if we cancel the use of the pull toggle, cancel the pull toggle, otherwise, same switches. Beep out three and recharge off. Everywhere or what? Yes, everywhere, yeah.
Engineer: Could we have diff exit 6, please? Diff exit 6.
Sergio PEREZ: Tires are in good temp.
Engineer: Yep, Checo tires are good at the moment. They will drop a bit, so just keep a little bit of brake temp.
Engineer: And how's the initial balance?
Daniel RICCIARDO: It's a bit more rear limited, so yeah, just felt the front was a little strong for the rear, but I think it will come, that's
Engineer: the concern
Daniel RICCIARDO: for now.
Valtteri BOTTAS: Quite a bit of understeer in general, especially at high speed.
George RUSSELL: Brakes aren't feeling overly good with the bite, poor bite into 1 into 5. Balance feels average at the moment, just struggling to get the tyres working. Probably a little bit too much surface temperature at the lap, maybe.
Engineer: and suggest using right hand toggle for turn one
Pierre GASLY: What the f**k
Engineer: is
Pierre GASLY: this doing?
Engineer: What the f**k is this doing?
Engineer: Shape 3, pull toe-gallon, shape 3, pull toe-gallon, don't drop too much, Raikkonen coming fast
Charles LECLERC: Tell me only the guys that are quick please. Can I have information screen?
Engineer: Information screen. Copy.
Engineer: There'll be one more time-lapse, Max. Let us know if you need any recommendations on TORS.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Right, right.
Engineer: Copy.
Engineer: Showing back the traffic in sector 2 there, nothing you can do, same for Carlos in front
Esteban OCON: Yep, a bit above the sea at the moment
Engineer: Copy
Engineer: We'll go to display 14, position 3 please. Display 1-4, position 3. That is a more aggressive pull toggle.
Engineer: You can push in the in-lap, and it's just a constant speed out of 4, and then you can keep pushing for test item.
Charles LECLERC: The tires are dead
Engineer: So there's nearly any slow laps to be a bit faster than this if we're going to make the time.
Engineer: And turn one just look like cold temperatures all round.
Engineer: And box, Alex, box, box this lap. You can attack turn 18 and then box, please.
Engineer: Ok Kimi, we'll box this lap and please push on the in-lap, we are a bit tight on time, 3 minutes.
Engineer: OK, mode 3 recharge off for a pre-start check as well before you switch off.
Engineer: You can go back to CSO one and we'll box now Kevin box now box
Kevin MAGNUSSEN: now
Engineer: Drive the outlap exactly how you want it.
Engineer: And still the only car on track.
Engineer: And Lando, for DRS, please try and use it where the boards say you should.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, I think it's been changed already.
Engineer: Carlos it looks like the DRS issue may be still ongoing. We'd like to deploy when you get to the board please. Use the DRS when you get to the board even if you get the light early.
Engineer: And can we have trot 4 please, trot 4, 3 o'clock on the multifunction.
Engineer: Okay on that start so your pedal drop was deep and the drive out was a bit under
Engineer: Okay Carlos, that's P1, 50 milliseconds ahead of Lando. Remember we still need, I think, reasonable pace on the cool-down lap in these conditions.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, probably not using the headwind enough, there's more grip than I think.
Engineer: And Carlos, turn 8, peak pressure looks good, so it's just about carrying more entry speed. Cars are in phase, you can make a gap to Vettel.
Carlos SAINZ: Copy, I'm going to use the Masato to try and compensate the scenario 526.
Engineer: OK, most cars behind now completing their time-lapse, they're in phase, Bottas a 44.4, 44.4 on soft, Alex with a 45.0, and Sainz 45.2.
Engineer: Next car on a time-lapse and I think it should be the only car that will catch you is Alex. He's on the exit of turn 11
Engineer: So to Valtteri looks like minimum speed turn 7 and exit turn 8.
Engineer: And we have tailwind into turn one and last corner tailwind turn one and last corner
Engineer: I'm happy to box if you are Max, I don't necessarily think there's much... Yeah, that's okay. Yeah, okay, let's box.
Daniil KVYAT: Yeah, I don't know strange looking very strange
Engineer: OK, so relative to Hamilton, we were 4 tenths down in sector 1, unsure whether he had a toe. You were 2 tenths quicker in sector 2, and 2 tenths quicker in sector 3. Ultimately, same lap time. Versus Bottas, it was just a tenth and a half slower in sector 1. Same sector 2, although you are marginally purple, and same sector 3. And it's just over half a tenth down to Bottas.
George RUSSELL: With that track limits in turn 14.
Engineer: There's no updates on track limits still two cars at turn nine Gasly and Verstappen
Engineer: Yes, we can do another one, Dani, and our suggestion is entry 5, because we had more understeer now, probably because of vibration.
Daniil KVYAT: Yeah, also, first lap in 5, 6, 7, there was more understeer than before a bit, I had to lift very strongly to help the front in that section.
Engineer: Yeah, probably track improvement, Latifi is pushing 8 behind, 8 seconds.
Engineer: Ok, Russell 6 seconds behind, charging, so you are in phase
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Ok,
Engineer: come in, you're in mode charge, so what do you prefer to do? You want to keep pushing? Box this lapper. Copy. Copy. Box then.
Engineer: Target on this tyre, plus 5, plus 5 And we need good work on the brakes
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Engineer: Target on this tyre, plus 5, plus 5 And we need good work on the brakes
Pierre GASLY: I don't know, my front left, temperature?
Engineer: Yeah, copy that, we have a problem with the sensor, ignore it. Just rely on the front right, they were quite symmetrical.
Engineer: So we've got Sainz and Norris on high fuel. They're doing about 50.7 at the moment.
Engineer: Initial time lapse, Bottas, 49.0, then a 50.0, 49.0, 50.0.
Engineer: Carlos, turn 8, we're getting high rear slip on the bump. Go ahead.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, how is the pace?
Engineer: Pace is similar to Lando, difficult to compare with the others.
Engineer: Okay, so all cars around you on high fuel. That's Norris eight seconds ahead, Bottas six seconds behind. Shortly followed by Leclerc on his outlap from pit lane.
Engineer: Carlos, test the defense mode. That's scenario 10. Test defense mode.
Engineer: They did a very good job of looking after those fronts.
Engineer: And start throttle progression after the paddle and you can keep k2 on for all the lap
Daniil KVYAT: Okay, so the balance is a bit on the understeer side at the moment, the steering wheel is a bit light, but if that's what we need for now, I'm happy to continue.
Engineer: You've got a punch under from left, diff mid 12, and box, box, box.
Engineer: I'm
Valtteri BOTTAS: getting used to these punctures, I had one last week on my road car as well.
Daniil KVYAT: I mean, it just feels like we're a couple of steps down on the flat.
Engineer: Carlos, your last lap was deleted for track limits, turn 9. Last lap deleted, track limits, turn 9. Other laps have been okay, just?
Carlos SAINZ: Copy.
Engineer: ENTRY 4 IF YOU NEED ROTATION ENTRY 4
Lando NORRIS: How many more laps to go?
Engineer: We're going to run to the flag.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, I know, but how many more laps?
Engineer: It's definitely one, possibly two.
Engineer: I would like you to press and hold the overtake button after turn 4 for 5 seconds.
Carlos SAINZ: towards the base.
Engineer: Carlos similar to Renault similar to Lambo and maybe half a second off racing point
Engineer: This will be the last time lap.
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Engineer: And for info, compared to Esteban, you're lifting a bit more, turn 15.
Engineer: And after turn 4, can we do an aero cruise please, so aero P4, 5th gear after turn 4, aero P4, 5th gear after turn 4.
Engineer: Okay, cool the car please, cool the car, unbox this lap for a practice pit stop So high gear, low revs please, high gear, low revs and cool the car
Engineer: Okay, after the add board, put the launch map on, launch map on, apply the brakes during the stop.
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