Japanese Grand Prix 2023: Qualifying team radio
80 radio messages were recorded during qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix 2023, across 20 drivers. 77 of them have a transcript; the rest are audio only. George RUSSELL 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
- George RUSSELL · Mercedes · 9 messages
- Max VERSTAPPEN · Red Bull · 8 messages
- Pierre GASLY · Alpine · 8 messages
- Liam LAWSON · AlphaTauri · 7 messages
- Lance STROLL · Aston Martin · 6 messages
- Charles LECLERC · Ferrari · 6 messages
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Alfa Romeo · 5 messages
- Yuki TSUNODA · AlphaTauri · 5 messages
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 4 messages
- Lando NORRIS · McLaren · 4 messages
- Alexander ALBON · Williams · 3 messages
- Oscar PIASTRI · McLaren · 3 messages
- Carlos SAINZ · Ferrari · 2 messages
- Esteban OCON · Alpine · 2 messages
- ZHOU Guanyu · Alfa Romeo · 2 messages
- Sergio PEREZ · Red Bull · 2 messages
- Logan SARGEANT · Williams · 1 message
- Nico HULKENBERG · Haas · 1 message
- Kevin MAGNUSSEN · Haas · 1 message
- Fernando ALONSO · Aston Martin · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Engineer: Okay Lance, plus five, we need to pick it up a little bit.
Engineer: Good traffic there, George.
George RUSSELL: Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm always okay. Again, space.
Engineer: Keep your cool, just follow procedure
Engineer: Main corners to work on 13-14 so box box Weybridge reminder watch for Weybridge
Engineer: Okay Liam, so compared to Yuki in P3, your main losses are exit of turn 2, so he's going a bit more aggressive on power.
Engineer: So a slightly stronger wind than P3, more headwind in P3, slightly stronger, Perez pushing 5 seconds back, then it should be clear.
Engineer: It's getting
Lewis HAMILTON: very hot.
Engineer: Okay, copy.
George RUSSELL: I felt like I had a bit of a hesitation turn 12 into 13.
George RUSSELL: Our lap was all good, just obviously difficult when guys back it up in turn 17.
Liam LAWSON: Yeah, copy they made a massive gap
Liam LAWSON: Do you want me way negative, or do you want me on zero?
Engineer: Negative. Push. We need to push. Push for tyres.
Engineer: And nobody's going, so we have free air behind Charles.
Charles LECLERC: Are we safe and are we boxing or are we still doing the second time run?
Engineer: I come back to you.
Engineer: Just a reminder, we need to be negative the delta
Charles LECLERC: Ah, yeah, f***, uh, yeah, that, fuck.
Engineer: So
Lewis HAMILTON: much traffic. It's going to get worse.
Engineer: So we have 3 minutes and 10 seconds to the flag, plenty of space, 9 seconds in front.
Engineer: You've got Lawson exiting the pits now we need elbows out for him
Engineer: All right, you're good on time. I don't know what these people are doing. We're not supposed to overtake at the fast lane
Pierre GASLY: Anyone pushing behind?
Engineer: No, nobody pushing behind, mate. OK, we're all safe.
Pierre GASLY: I like some feedback on rear tires. Felt good starting the last chicane, but got a big snap out of turn 2.
Engineer: So just keep on top of that Delta. Yeah, I see, I see, don't worry.
Engineer: We blocked
ZHOU Guanyu: my own tower for the bug for me and I have traffic into turn 9.
Engineer: Control, we will report.
ZHOU Guanyu: Who was that for touring the last sector but for the joke
Engineer: Okay, unfortunately, that's B16. Albon just bit us. I
Valtteri BOTTAS: don't know what happened there. Again, that was good.
Engineer: Okay, got it.
Engineer: I
Valtteri BOTTAS: don't know what happened there. Again, life was good.
Engineer: Okay, go.
Engineer: Okay, unfortunately, that's B16. Albon just bit us.
Engineer: After the scales procedure you can drive back down to the garage. We are P16 and P19 with our two cars.
Engineer: So Lance, let's stay in the car in case of deleted laps.
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Nico HULKENBERG: It was strange, despite the mega toe on the back straight, I didn't really gain time.
Engineer: So Lance, let's stay in the car in case of deleted laps.
Engineer: Okay Lance, I'm afraid we're out. You're within two tenths of Fernando. It's very very tight
Max VERSTAPPEN: My Delta's not working.
Engineer: Stand by.
Engineer: Recharge off, recharge on.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Oh, that doesn't do anything.
Engineer: Yes, we saw that.
Audio only, no transcript available for this message.
Engineer: Slow button on and box this lap Max, slow button on, box this lap, you can keep up the pace on the way in.
Alexander ALBON: I picked up a lot of understeer to begin that lap and then it went to quite a lot of oversteer so it's a bit tricky to judge. I think we just send it out and we'll be okay. Yeah, copy.
Engineer: Stop in front of the garage
Charles LECLERC: I might have done a mistake with the approach, I think I went T0, I don't know if it's the right one for the weighbridge, sorry
Lando NORRIS: And a lot more bottoming, turn 3, turn 6, then 4
Pierre GASLY: I felt like something between my feet and the cockpit Copy
Liam LAWSON: The balance wasn't too bad, a little bit on the nose on this tyre.
Engineer: more like previous runs now. Looks like wind conditions have dropped slightly compared to what I was just telling you about, so more like previous runs now.
Pierre GASLY: Temperature is slightly off.
Engineer: Yeah, could we do a come in? Just hang in there.
Engineer: You don't have to leave. We'll come and get the car. Pull over into the slow lane. We'll come and get the car
Engineer: We are through, Charles Lapland 29.9
Engineer: Okay Liam, that's P11 at the moment.
Engineer: Oh, sorry mate.
Pierre GASLY: Hungry to miss.
Pierre GASLY: That's so tight.
Engineer: Yeah, half a tent or so, not even... Ok mate, that's a P-12
Engineer: Ok Liam, confirm P11. Sorry, very very close. It's just half a tenth to Alonso.
Esteban OCON: Sorry guys.
Engineer: It's alright mate, it's all very close.
Liam LAWSON: Yeah, I got the other thing right at the grip Well, I'll very stay exit of 14 In three of 16 as well
Pierre GASLY: Honestly, I gave everything. It was a very tiny lap.
Engineer: Feedback, turn 11 before there was a gust of tailwind.
Engineer: Okay, so we'll be go one Russell's 20 seconds ahead of you will be go up
Engineer: And it will be strapped to. Good to go.
Engineer: This is comparing your fastest with the one you just did on the used.
Engineer: Watch the traffic. This is low, ok.
Engineer: Eyes on dash. Target plus one on the tyres. Target is plus one.
George RUSSELL: Gave a good go but the just wasn't really biting. Sector one just sliding around a bit
George RUSSELL: Lester, will we fall out?
Engineer: Yeah, copy that. Just wait for these cars to finish their laps.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, all good. I didn't get anything at all in the slipstreams. Bit frustrating.
Engineer: Look at this, so that's a P-7, so we've got a P-7, it's one second.
Max VERSTAPPEN: There you go, 28.
Engineer: Duly taken. That was outstanding Max, absolutely outstanding.
Max VERSTAPPEN: That first sector was really enjoyable.
Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, well done everybody, thank you The first lap was pretty good, the second one Now the tricky stuff and
Engineer: ****
Oscar PIASTRI: up the less tricky stuff, so thank you
Engineer: And Oscar, I can hear you're pretty excited, so I'll just remind you when you park up, engine off, wait five seconds, and then remember to go to P0.
Charles LECLERC: Honestly, that was a really good lap, I mean there's not much more in that lap.
Engineer: Okay, so we do finish in P3
Lando NORRIS: And then we'll be going to the grid. OK, well done guys. Pretty insane. P2, P3, well done.
Max VERSTAPPEN: That's how we bounce back. Simply lovely. Unbelievable so far this weekend, guys. I can't wait for the rocket ship today again, especially the last few laps. They were really, really enjoyable. Let's finish it off now tomorrow.
Engineer: The biggest margin here since 2004.
Engineer: OK Luce, so that's a P7, so we've got a P7, one second to turn for Stappen, George P8
Lewis HAMILTON: You've got a lot of work to do with this car, good job, good session guys, tough out there
Engineer: Yeah, well don't check that was a strong effort We'll get a good race tomorrow. Yeah
Sergio PEREZ: It's been quite difficult weekend up to now, but the race is there so let's get them tomorrow
George RUSSELL: Gave it a good go but it just wasn't really biting, Sector 1 just sliding around a bit but let's
Engineer: see
George RUSSELL: where we fall out.
Engineer: Yeah, copy that, just wait for these cars to finish their laps.
Engineer: Ok, it's B9 Ok,
Yuki TSUNODA: good job guys Good turn around, car was good
Engineer: Ok, it's B9
Yuki TSUNODA: Copy, good job guys, good turn around, car is good.
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