Belgian Grand Prix 2020: Qualifying team radio
57 radio messages were recorded during qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix 2020, across 18 drivers. Max VERSTAPPEN had the most, with 9.
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 · 9 messages
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 7 messages
- Carlos SAINZ · McLaren · 5 messages
- Alexander ALBON · Red Bull · 5 messages
- Kevin MAGNUSSEN · Haas · 4 messages
- Charles LECLERC · Ferrari · 4 messages
- Lando NORRIS · McLaren · 4 messages
- Daniel RICCIARDO · Renault · 4 messages
- Romain GROSJEAN · Haas · 3 messages
- Esteban OCON · Renault · 3 messages
- Daniil KVYAT · AlphaTauri · 2 messages
- Antonio GIOVINAZZI · Alfa Romeo · 1 message
- George RUSSELL · Williams · 1 message
- Sebastian VETTEL · Ferrari · 1 message
- Pierre GASLY · AlphaTauri · 1 message
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Mercedes · 1 message
- Lance STROLL · Racing Point · 1 message
- Sergio PEREZ · Racing Point · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Engineer: Okay, Amanda, it's just yourself and Kevin on the circuit at the minute.
Engineer: You can do the big adjuster rearward.
Engineer: Reset big adjuster and remember mode push, mode push.
Engineer: And we have tailwind into turn one, tailwind into turn one.
Engineer: Alright, so BVAL 3 and recharge off, Max. BVAL 3 and recharge off.
Engineer: Okay Carlos, that's P1. Good job mate. Good start to qualify. Box this lap.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, car is better. Clean lap. Bit of clipping into the last gain maybe.
Engineer: Yeah, copy. We're on that.
Engineer: And compared to Sebastian, you are 1.10 faster, sector 1, 2 and 3, faster each sector by 1.10.
Charles LECLERC: Position?
Engineer: Position P11 at the moment, and we need to try to improve turn 13 apex.
Charles LECLERC: Copy.
Engineer: Okay, so everyone around you is slow Let's keep up a reasonable pace, but don't take anything out of these tires. If you can't just make up the time on the straights
Alexander ALBON: Car feels good, flat feels good
Engineer: Okay, understood
Engineer: Just push on this in lap. It'll give us a little more time on the turnaround Okay, so that was a really good improvement your p17 your point. Oh five out of P15 okay anything you need do you want to make any adjustments? Okay understood, so we'll have a we'll do the turnaround here in the garage And then we'll get out in sync with everyone else, so we'll have a tow
Engineer: OK, no problem on the oil alarm, just ignore the oil alarm. If you want me to make it go away, I can give you a default, but you should be fine. OK, so... No problem. OK, Reichen in ahead.
Daniil KVYAT: Ok, Gasly is too slow guys, it's a mess, it's creating a bit of mess.
Engineer: And try and keep front tyre temperature up from here as much as possible. Straight line braking will help.
Engineer: Good lap dude, good lap. Bit of a shudder in 5th or 6th river. Hell of a save dude, hell of a save.
Antonio GIOVINAZZI: How much for P-15?
Engineer: So about 3 tenths to Q2, 3 tenths
George RUSSELL: Haha! Nice! I was not expecting that!
Engineer: Okay, dude, I'm afraid with P 17 P 17 Reichen and pipped us by a tenth and then the clerks another tenth ahead of him So pretty close to those other cars man, but good job from you. Good lap, man Yeah, nice work mate. It's just the FI that got us on that one. The scale wasn't welcome today Less than three tenths from battle dude. Good effort man. Good effort
Charles LECLERC: Yeah, we need a tow, but it's a fine line between traffic and roads.
Engineer: So it's both Mercedes, yourself, and both racing points on medium.
Engineer: So it's both Mercedes, yourself, and both racing points on medium.
Engineer: You might find benefit in generating a gap to the cars ahead at the moment now and then working the tyres on the way up to turn 15.
Engineer: OK, turn 18 is clear, so just four cars ahead of you.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Let me know behind as well.
Engineer: There's no threats behind.
Engineer: VoxBox, and a potential race start set just to keep the Delta negative.
Engineer: In terms of sectors, just 7,000th sector 1, you are up a tenth in the middle and practically zero in the final sector.
Engineer: recharge on please max recharge on box this lap this is a potential race start set so look after them on the way in what
Max VERSTAPPEN: position is that that
Engineer: was p3 uh hamilton 42 zero medium botas 42 one on medium and you were 42 four on medium everybody else behind you on soft
Engineer: A little bit of a loss in the final chicane, obviously a bit of traffic ahead. A little bit of a loss in the final chicane, obviously a bit of traffic ahead.
Daniel RICCIARDO: Got a bbw issue just to let you know understood
Engineer: we're watching it
Daniil KVYAT: Oh, okay.
Engineer: Oh, good. Currently P10.
Daniil KVYAT: Okay, I think the tides are a bit hotter than usual now. So I could see a bit of entry of 12, you know, 14. Also exit of last chicane. So let me know if the flap was a bit too fast this time. And the flap, I think, should probably stay where we are now. However, 8 is a bit on the edge now.
Engineer: Yeah, turn 8, we are carrying quite a lot of speed. So that's probably why, but agreed. Box, box.
Engineer: OK, now stand by, stand by, stand by. OK, let's go, let's go, let's go.
Lando NORRIS: Ocon's just moving quite dangerously, don't know what he's doing
Engineer: Okay, let's just be aware, Max is going to abort this lap at the end of it, he will complete the last chicane and then get out of the way so you can complete your normal time lap, okay? So just be aware, he will pull to the left at the exit at turn 19, so you concentrate on your own lap now, he will get out of your way at the end of the time lap, okay?
Engineer: All right, Max, so just to give you a bit of a heads up, as I say, this is a sight to run for us. We will plan to run the full lap. You'll get through turn 18, 19, but then pull right over to the left-hand side, please, on the exit of turn 19 whilst you abort so that we don't get in Alex's way as he will finish the lap.
Charles LECLERC: There's not much more I can do.
Sebastian VETTEL: So what was P10?
Engineer: P10 was 42.7, 2.7 with Norris, then is Kvyat, Gasly, Charles, 42.996 and behind you Russell, 43.4.
Engineer: OK, cars, P4, you're safely through. Look after the car on the in-lap. OK, Lando's made it through as well. So you've finished P5, Verstappen just jumped ahead of us. Let's keep the delta negative and close to zero. Look after the fuel, delta negative and close to zero. So cars eliminated are Kvyat, Gasly, Leclerc, Vettel and Russell.
Engineer: Yeah, sorry Pia, that's one tenth we lost in the last weekend.
Pierre GASLY: I know.
Engineer: And you can go to Strap Mode 2, Strap Mode 2
Engineer: Okay so it's Hamilton in front of you and Ocon four seconds back. With only one car in front we can definitely go for the gap we discussed.
Engineer: Can you hold the position behind Esteban please?
Engineer: OK, so there is now four cars to go ahead of you. Temperatures are in a good place, not worried about that at all, so it'll just be B valve 4 please, B valve 4. Just give them a little wake up into the last corner, no threats behind. And it'll be recharge off when you're ready. Give a good five second gap to Ocon.
Engineer: Again, this is BoxBox.
Engineer: OK, recharge on, recharge on, unbox this out please, you can keep up the pace on the way in please, keep up the pace on the way in, we don't need these tyres again. Strat 7 please, Strat 7.
Engineer: Estimate after that first run, we are P7, 42.45, Daniel did do a 42.06, he had a particularly strong Sector 2, Sector 3 was also pretty good.
Esteban OCON: OK, copy.
Engineer: Sainz just 0.015 quicker than you in P6.
Esteban OCON: Yeah, we need to put a little bit of front wing in. Copy.
Engineer: Currently P3
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yep, understood.
Engineer: Okay, so time to gain minimum speed, turn 5-6. Okay, and how was the balance?
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yep,
Engineer: it
Daniel RICCIARDO: was okay, I think we could try one click up.
Engineer: Copy that.
Engineer: Okay, so we are cars 3 and 4 in the train. Hamilton and Bottas through a ruse already.
Engineer: Lando is nine seconds ahead warm the front tires through middle sector there's three cars nine seconds ahead Carlos they'll bunch up they're going very slowly
Engineer: Okay Carlos, so this lap again small incremental gains, no game changers, consistency with the brake pedal and then in the final chicane Don't over push the braking and get the snap in the mid. It's the snap in the mid that costs you the exit
Engineer: OK, that's a tidy lap, so just waiting for the cars to complete.
Engineer: Nice work, mate. Well done. That was an awesome session. Beautiful work.
Lewis HAMILTON: That one was for Chadwick. Chadwick Bosman, man. Rest in peace, King.
Max VERSTAPPEN: That was a hell of a lap. Really good lap mate. Hard luck. Just one hundredth behind Bottas. No way! Ah come on! I ran out of energy a bit too early.
Engineer: Ok Carlos, P7, we're P7, just got pipped by Ocon on that final run, 40 milliseconds. P7 is a good place to be starting tomorrow mate, well done today, good job. And look after the fuel on the inlap, so delta needs to be negative but close to zero.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah sorry guys, didn't quite get much more out of it, I think that's pretty much the limit. Good job, good quality.
Engineer: I
Carlos SAINZ: did improve the last again, it's just in turn, where is it,
Engineer: turn 10. 12, 12.13 I think, yeah.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, because I scrapped a lot of the front tires in 10, and then I had no front grip, front end in 12.13.
Engineer: Ok, well well done Carlos, P7 is good, we can have a good race from here.
Carlos SAINZ: What lap time Lando did?
Engineer: 42.6 for me. 45.7, it looks, well, let's say that the gains you make are mainly on the straight.
Engineer: So, P2, Lewis, yourself, Verstappen, it was just 50 milliseconds. And Ricciardo P4, Albon, Ocon, Sainz, Peristral, Norris.
Engineer: and we get the car ready to run in case but I don't think we are going to run obviously because it's a use time
Engineer: to check if we will just get the car ready for a used tire but i don't think we're gonna run
Engineer: I know turn 1 was a bit exciting but the rest of the lap was pretty solid. Good effort.
Alexander ALBON: Yeah, I was a bit surprised because I thought I would be pretty quick on the...
Engineer: I
Alexander ALBON: thought the RIS would be ready.
Engineer: Yeah, understood.
Engineer: Nice job S-man, P6, P6, excellent work, well done mate. Thank you guys, nice
Esteban OCON: start position for tomorrow, thank you for the work, thank you for trusting what I was saying in the past couple of races, thank you very much.
Engineer: Really pleased with that, excellent work.
Esteban OCON: Copy, thank you very much.
Engineer: That's P10. Drive to the delta please, drive to the delta. And White H9, position 14 please, White H9, position 14.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, I don't know, I don't think it was a terrible lap, but Ocon was driving dangerously slowly, so you can't just stop on track like that.
Engineer: Yeah mate, it was a strong lap. And we're going to report it to the race director, you can't just stop on track like that.
Engineer: Okay mate, that's P4. Nicely done. Sorry about the issues and sorry about this outlap.
Daniel RICCIARDO: We'll
Engineer: talk about that later.
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yep, alright. Thanks guys. Yeah, I lost it into, I think it was 8, with the issue.
Engineer: Yeah, no worries.
Daniel RICCIARDO: Alright. Yeah, sorry, I know there's a lot going on, but I heard P4, so I guess that's not too bad. Cheers guys. You heard P4. Congrats. Thanks.
Engineer: Alright.
Daniel RICCIARDO: Sorry, the adrenaline is still a bit high, but yeah, that was busy. But I think that's pretty good. Alright. Merci. Cheers. Au revoir.
Engineer: Merci. Steak feet tonight.
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