Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021: Qualifying team radio
67 radio messages were recorded during qualifying at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021, across 19 drivers. Lando NORRIS had the most, with 7.
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
- Lando NORRIS · McLaren · 7 messages
- Max VERSTAPPEN · Red Bull · 6 messages
- Yuki TSUNODA · AlphaTauri · 5 messages
- Carlos SAINZ · Ferrari · 5 messages
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 5 messages
- Lance STROLL · Aston Martin · 4 messages
- Charles LECLERC · Ferrari · 4 messages
- Pierre GASLY · AlphaTauri · 4 messages
- Daniel RICCIARDO · McLaren · 4 messages
- Sergio PEREZ · Red Bull · 4 messages
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Mercedes · 4 messages
- Esteban OCON · Alpine · 3 messages
- Kimi RAIKKONEN · Alfa Romeo · 3 messages
- George RUSSELL · Williams · 3 messages
- Sebastian VETTEL · Aston Martin · 2 messages
- Nikita MAZEPIN · Haas · 1 message
- Mick SCHUMACHER · Haas · 1 message
- Fernando ALONSO · Alpine · 1 message
- Antonio GIOVINAZZI · Alfa Romeo · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Engineer: OK, we've got Russell out and queuing, both Williams in fact out and queuing.
Engineer: Okay so there will be a queue, there's 30 seconds to go. I want you to get in that queue because I imagine other people are going to come out and join it.
Engineer: And remember if we can do a bit of our gap to car in front before 22, green light, green light.
Charles LECLERC: We're going to be a mess in the last sector.
Engineer: Copy.
Engineer: Please repeat
Pierre GASLY: Are we fine for timings with our plan and the traffic we have?
Engineer: Yes, we are. Yes, we are Bring the gears where you can
Engineer: Okay, give yourself a good gap, Fernando.
Engineer: Let's cool the tyre sector one and in full throttle before turn 13.
Engineer: And we should try to improve entry turn 13, push more entry 13
Engineer: So we are clear from behind? Yes, mind the pinch Everybody ok? Yes or no? Traffic ok, they are all charging Everybody in phase
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Yeah, it already is Ok, copy
Engineer: This is inlap and we need a fast inlap, fast inlap
Engineer: Fuel is okay, so keep good speed on the in-lap please, keep good speed on the in-lap.
Engineer: Do you need, what do you need aerobalance-wise, Lance? Um,
Lance STROLL: another quarter.
Engineer: Copy, quarter.
Daniel RICCIARDO: I've just got the right-hand toggle light, it's on, but the switch is off.
Engineer: OK, understood. OK Daniel, we'll box this lap.
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yep, box confirmed.
Engineer: So Daniel, don't worry about that, that's just an artefact of what's happened with recharge, and we'll fix that in the garage. Box now, stop in front of our garage.
Engineer: Kamaz, nice lap, nice lap, so let's use the in button please, the in button, and we need another pushing in lap, another pushing in lap. We need the
Nikita MAZEPIN: same step, let's track.
Engineer: Okay.
Max VERSTAPPEN: I had
Engineer: a
Max VERSTAPPEN: terrible first sector.
Engineer: I guess we saw that.
Engineer: Okay Treka, we can do a single call and then go again, single call and then go again. Would you go quicker?
Sergio PEREZ: We'll try. I'm not very hopeful that the time might be a bit too hot, but we can try.
Engineer: So that or we can come in for a fresh set. Your call.
Sergio PEREZ: No, it's not. Are we looking safe or not?
Engineer: We think we're good. Obviously it's a new track, a bit of uncertainty in these matters. Would you go fast on a new set?
Sergio PEREZ: Yeah, I would. But let's try it with this one.
Engineer: OK Lance, we need plus 60 on the cool lap, plus 60 on the cool lap.
Engineer: I've got some, he's firing, he's firing. Copy. Copy, copy.
Valtteri BOTTAS: Engine set off.
Engineer: AP-17 out, AP-17 out What?!
Sebastian VETTEL: Oh man!
Mick SCHUMACHER: I didn't turn on the DRS.
Carlos SAINZ: Wow, Ghastly, what the ****? It's in the middle. Come on. I got out of the way. Ghastly, I have to hit the brakes.
George RUSSELL: Are you sure the Delta is correct? You seemed awfully quick.
Engineer: Yeah, it's all fine. Still targeting minus one. OK, we are through P14. Minus one. Target minus one. How
George RUSSELL: comfortable? That was a good lap.
Engineer: Yeah, it's all pretty close, but it's in a good battle really. Just less than half a tenth from two alphas. Box, box.
Engineer: Yeah. No way. How
Sebastian VETTEL: much?
Engineer: So car ahead is two hundredths. Yeah. No way we lost it. Turn
Sebastian VETTEL: 22.
Engineer: Yeah, yeah. And traffic. Yeah. That was
Sebastian VETTEL: not great.
Engineer: Alonso is P15 and through, it is two and a half tenths. Ah, so it's not two hundredths. No, two hundredths to the car ahead, sorry, and it's two and a half tenths to P15. Ah, okay. The way you've been helping us as well. Still not great. Yeah, and the traffic in 22 didn't help at all. So that's it, yeah? Yeah, that's it. That's it. Still P17. Lance P18.
Pierre GASLY: Johannes, do we have real luck in turn 1 or...?
Engineer: It's on the edge, but okay.
Engineer: Traffic is good, you have nobody behind, take the time you need and mode push when you're ready.
Yuki TSUNODA: I need rotation more high speed.
Engineer: And be careful, the box is busy, be careful.
Yuki TSUNODA: F***ing white brakes!
Engineer: Ok, no worries, no worries.
Engineer: So Orlando the thing for us to think about here is if the time doesn't come on the medium Whether or not we need to bail early enough to give us enough time to do a good job of the soft
Lewis HAMILTON: I don't know what we're doing, I have no grip out here.
Engineer: Okay, so we're still on plan eight. Try and speed this up best we can. Happy with the flap? Do you want to put a bit in? Well, it felt
George RUSSELL: rubbish on this soft tyre. It's gonna get it working for the first lap. I think it's gonna be fine for the option. Let's go half.
Carlos SAINZ: Saved
Engineer: it
Carlos SAINZ: Ricky, saved it.
Engineer: Just repeat the last phrase you said about the tyre. I think I'm happy with the tyre. OK, if you're happy, then let's go again.
Engineer: Okay, let's try to get a lap done, recharge off, reset brake balance
Fernando ALONSO: Okay,
Engineer: let's let's do another prep down
Engineer: Ok Kimi, so wait that they push you off the scale, then restart the car and come back to the box.
Engineer: And Lando. The lap that we did at the end of Q1 is good. So if we can just achieve that again, that's cool.
Engineer: So, showing Tailwind into Turn 1.
Engineer: I got held up. Whoever the Red Bull is just blocked me in the last corner. Yeah, that was Perez. Perez held you up, we saw that.
Carlos SAINZ: Ricky, the rear wing looks like it's
Engineer: strained. Yeah, it's been put some tape there, it's another six seconds behind. A little bit damaged, not too bad. But I didn't touch nothing. Yeah, with the rear you touched the barrier, but we put some tape, it should be fine, yeah. Last small touch.
Engineer: Okay, Daniel, let's protect the parts, we'll box the slap. F*** sake!
Carlos SAINZ: It's impossible, the car is un-drivable.
Engineer: Okay it's P14.
George RUSSELL: Yeah I assume it's flap for the option tyre, soft the front weren't working too, needed the flap. The front worked pretty well on the medium.
Engineer: Anyway not too bad. Copy that. Yeah I reckon a P12, Chio managed to hold on to P10 currently.
Engineer: Just
Valtteri BOTTAS: had a contact with Alpha on
Engineer: the front right.
Engineer: But more decent lap time on lap 3, right? Based on Q1, yes, but Q2 we have no reference Because what we could do is build push twice if you wanted to but we've never done it before
Pierre GASLY: Okay,
Engineer: let's go for the single run I think it's you you'd find a bit of lap time as well in yourself every time if you agree
Antonio GIOVINAZZI: Yeah, sorry guys, it was too much on the limit, sorry. Kobe Antonio, we're checking the car now.
Engineer: OK, Daniel, let's protect the parts, we'll box the slap.
Carlos SAINZ: Guys, but I didn't touch the wall. I don't know.
Engineer: Yeah, you did touch the barrier.
Carlos SAINZ: Where? I don't feel it.
Engineer: Yeah, it was a little touch, but we damaged the end plate.
Charles LECLERC: We go for a boost straight away, right?
Engineer: Yes.
Engineer: And check brake balance for outlet
Engineer: OK, Max, so Bottas' first time lap was a 28-1, 28-1. Hamilton aborted his first time.
Engineer: so again that's when we could find ourselves out of sequence with some cars depending on what they're doing all right let's just keep our eyes peeled yeah this is only ten cars out there now
Engineer: Copy, thanks for that. Roger that, so let us know if you need a flap adjust.
Engineer: Last one, man. Okay, mate. Thank you.
Max VERSTAPPEN: I need a tow.
Engineer: Okay, so the loss is to Max, Turn 4, over-pushing the entry into Turn 4.
Max VERSTAPPEN: If Czechoslovakia is not happening, just try to give me a time.
Engineer: Max has got out of the car but I'm not sure exactly where he is so again nice and steady on the way in please
Esteban OCON: Mr Bennion
Engineer: Alright, well done mate
Yuki TSUNODA: CALL US, MAN! I HAD F***ING TOO DEAR!
Engineer: We had the parrots and no, absolutely nobody in front so we didn't have a tow, it was a penalty Your lap was good Alright,
Yuki TSUNODA: don't f***ing care about the f***ing qualifying s***
Lewis HAMILTON: What's happened?
Engineer: Well, that's just about the most hectic Q3 we've had in a long time. So yeah, currently P1, got to the edge of P2. Verstappen just managed to tag the wall, exit last corner, so yeah, good job mate.
Lewis HAMILTON: Ah, great job team, great job team. You had me worried there for a second.
Engineer: Yeah, well Verstappen was on for a good one mate, he really was on a flyer. But yeah, nice job for keeping it cool.
Lando NORRIS: Oh my
Engineer: bad, I'm
Lando NORRIS: sorry.
Engineer: Yeah it's okay to box, okay to box and clear behind. Okay so that's uh P7. Yeah
Lando NORRIS: sorry about that I messed it up in the end.
Engineer: Okay no worries, just remember to turn the car completely off and once you get out check it again.
Engineer: Ok, be careful with Max, stop over there, and then stop at the bridge please What's happened there? I don't know Pierre, no idea It just went a bit under dust maybe and hit the wall Copy And it was a purple sector 1 and 2
Pierre GASLY: Oh ****
Engineer: Yeah, another P6 for you, another top 6, so nice job mate Yes, very good thanks And a lot of work for tomorrow, so we need to keep it up for tomorrow, big work
Engineer: So Verstappen crashed at the last corner, so it's Hamilton P1 and you're P2. Great job. Good job, guys. Good job. Great lap, Valtteri. Great lap.
Engineer: All OK, Max?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah.
Engineer: OK, mate.
Engineer: Okay, that's provisionally P4, 28.1.
Engineer: And P4? P4?
Charles LECLERC: Look, turn 22.
Engineer: This
Charles LECLERC: time I think I gained quite a bit in turn 22. Good effort guys.
Engineer: You've done a great job. Well done.
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