2013 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript

2013 United States Grand Prix

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The United States Grand Prix was an exercise in patience for many drivers, nursing the tyres to make a single-stop strategy work.

The team radio messages reveal the difficulty some drivers were having, particularly in Lewis Hamilton’s increasingly terse messages to his pit wall.

Mark Webber – whose views about the current tyres are well known by now – remarked after the chequered flag that “you can only race for maybe five laps or so on these tyres”.

Some abandoned the attempt to make it through with a single stop. Felipe Massa switched to a two-stop strategy afgter which race engineer Rob Smedley asked him for “qualifying” laps.

Giedo van der Garde’s request during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be let past his team mate had its sequel in this race where Charles Pic was quick to alert his team that Van der Garde was holding him up.

But the winner was rarely in doubt and Christian Horner was quick to remind Sebastian Vettel of the significance of his latest victory before adding: “but I guess you already knew that”.

Here are the team radio messages that were broadcast during the United States Grand Prix.

2013 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*FromToMessage
PRLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonMy brake pedal’s quite soft. A little long.
PRPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, copy that Lewis. No more brake-throttle overlap to warm the brakes, just normal stops.
PRGuillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAnd cool the car, Sebastian.
PRGuillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelNo additional procedeure. Just back of the grid, P1, P0.
PRSimon RennieMark WebberOK, there will be no bite points at the back of the grid. Just go to P1 for ten seconds, then P0 please.
PRFelipe MassaRob SmedleyThe KERS is not working, too much gripping.
PRRob SmedleyFelipe MassaYeah, we know this. We’ll have a look and see what we do for the real start. We obviously will have a better idea once we’re on the grid as well.
PRRob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK mate, so cooling the car down now please.
PRNico HulkenbergMarco SchupbachSomeone needs to clean my visor on the outside. It’s a bit dirty here. I need a clean.
PRNico RosbergTony RossI’m just not sure if stopping early is the way to go now with these temperatures, you know? Maybe a lot of people are going to go into [distorted] by the end of the race. [Distorted]
PRTony RossNico RosbergAffirm Nico. I think the best thing would be to go to around lap 15 and let you know. As it is at the moment we’ll see how the degredation is in the first stint, but my tendancy is to agree with you. Let’s look after those. Nico, come to the car but I;d still say we do as we discussed. On the opening laps it’s important to be aggressive but after that looking after the tyres.
PRDave RobsonJenson ButtonJenson as you’d expect track temperature is rising, obviously not one o-clock yet and already it’s 37 degrees and on the way up so I think we can expect over the next hour or so it’s going to get well above 40. So I think the plan should work quite well.
PR?Giedo van der GardeWe don’t do the clutch scrub on the grid. So we just do the launch. And it should be now toggle up, mixture one, KERS one and the clutch should be set eight and [distorted] the pit limiter just before the start. [Distorted]. The after 18 and after 19 rolling bite point find. So we do the two rolling bite point find after 18 and 19. [Distorted].
PRLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonYou guys have prepared the tyres differently, right? I’m hoping the race will be different because the track’s completely different to the rest of the weekend. The rears are going to be a killer today. Don’t be surprised if it’s a two-stop. Jock, what do you think I should do with the differential?
PRJock ClearLewis HamiltonI’m happy with the settings you’ve got at the moment, Lewis, which is…
PRLewis HamiltonJock ClearWhat about the trouble we had through turn four? Was a little bit oversteery through there.
PRJock ClearLewis HamiltonA little oversteery through five, six and seven, yeah?
PRLewis HamiltonJock ClearThe second two laps or more oversteer. Six was fine, seven was oversteery. Five was oversteery.
PRJock ClearLewis HamiltonAffirm. In which case, can we go to diff init seven?óÔé¼?ª
PRLewis HamiltonJock ClearAlso turn 19.
PRJock ClearLewis HamiltonYeah, so diff init eight, please. Diff init eight. That will give you a much more consistent front through three, four, five, six, seven and nineteen. I’m happy with the others but, as I say, just looking at – so limiter on, please, limiter on soon as you start – looking at dialling in as much understeer as you can live with, really.
FLTony RossNico RosbergWork these brakes. All gears are now learnt.
FL?Sebastian VettelAnd clutch eight. Clutch eight when you can. Remember, no part throttle.
FL?Heikki KovalainenOK, we need to keep cooling the car, please.
FL?Sebastian VettelFeedback on start. Hold throttle during clutch slip. All systems are good, so remember your procedures. It will be two – two – bite point learn, and one and a half burnout. Remember, use brakes. Good clutch prep, so straight to your box. Focus on KERS at the start and KERS eight when you stop. So that’s two bite point.
FLSimon RennieMark WebberThis is a red start. React to the beep quickly.
1Tony RossNico RosbergCancel RS.
1Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonJust be careful with that right-front brake. A little bit cool.
1Adrian SutilBrad JoyceSutil crashed out on the straight after contact with Maldonado, bringing out the Safety Car.
I’m off. I retire on the straight.
1Mark TempleSergio PerezThere is a Safety Car. Safety Car. We are staying out.
2Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo the right-front brake is just a little bit cool, so just keep working the fronts. No need for throttle/brake overlap, just some big stops will do it.
2Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelSebastian, the incident is braking for turn 12., on the left-hand side of the track. The track itself is clear. There will be some service vehicles there.
2Tony RossNico RosbergRemember, stay right to avoid debris one the pit – on the back straight.
2Jenson ButtonDave RobsonEr, what’s the reason for the Safety Car?
2Dave RobsonJenson ButtonI think you’re just coming up to the incident now. Sutil is in the wall.
2Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, so let’s lay off the brakes just for a second – allow the calipers to cool a bit.
3Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneTry to keep brakes cool though, do not brake too much. Caliper temperatures high.
3Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelFor your reference the restart maps will be KERS eight and mix five.
3Marco MatassaDaniel RicciardoYou’re working on front tyres very good. Keep doing like this.
3Paul di RestaGianPiero LambiaseHow are the tyres, GP?
3GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaYeah, tyre pressures and temperatures are reasonable. Obviously you can do to maintain the temperature will be beneficial.
4Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo start picking up your tyre warming. Start picking up some tyre warming techniques.
4Simon RennieMark WebberOK mate. And a reminder, you can overtake at the restart from Safety Car line one, which is at pit entry. We do not expect it to be long until the Safety Car is in.
4Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelRehearse the restart in your mind. Safety car line one location.
4Dave RobsonJenson ButtonAs you come along the start-finish straight this time, I’d like you to stay to the left-hand side so we can take a good look at the car.
4Dave RobsonJenson ButtonSo there is some damage to the front wing.
4Jenson ButtonDave RobsonIt feels OK in turn two, I can push through turn two.
4Dave RobsonJenson ButtonYep, understood Jenson. Damage is relatively minor. Much less than the last race. So we’re going to stay out.
4GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaIt would obviously be very good if we could clear Bottas. Very good for our strategy.
5Tony RossNico RosbergSo down one when you can. Temperatures, 13 front, 13 rear. All under control at the moment.
5Gary GannonMax ChiltonSo in now, Max. In now for a drive-through. Drive through pitlane, remember limiter. Pit now.
6Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergRecovery seven, brake balance plus four.
6Tony RossNico RosbergSo rears are hotter than fronts. Come forward on brake balance.
6Mark TempleSergio PerezAnd Checo, please use some KERS for turn 11. Please use KERS before turn 11.
6Gary GannonMax ChiltonPic is 17 seconds ahead.
7Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonLast lap 950, so that’s good. Have a think about KERS for defending against DRS.
7Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThe Red Bull’s pretty fast.
7Simon RennieMark WebberDRS is now active.
7Tim WrightCharles PicTrack slippery between turn three and five.
7Tony RossNico RosbergYou have RFA [DRS].
7Francesco NenciEsteban GutierrezGutierrez has passed the Marussias and Caterhams following an early pit stop.
Very good Esteban. And now in front of you, Maldonado.
8Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneSo behind you, Maldonado is falling away. Daniel on the last lap did a 45.8. So there is more pace in the runners ahead, but they are obviously on different tyres.
8Pastor MaldonadoAndrew MurdochThere is some vibration in the car.
8Andrew MurdochPastor MaldonadoOK Pastor, we’re just checking the data.
8Paul DavisonJules BianchiWe need to come forward with the brake bias, Jules. The rear brakes are hot, we need to come forward with bias one percent.
9Juan Pablo RamirezGiedo van der GardeUse DRS.
9Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAnd diff map five is available.
9Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI feel like the fronts are overheating.
10Francesco NenciEsteban GutierrezUnlock the diff with the toggle for 15, 16, 17 and 18 for front-left tyre energy.
10Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaMassa is lapping around half-a-second off Alonso’s pace.
OK, in turns four, five and six, Fernando stays in fifth gear. That’s the only difference in terms of lap time between you both. Second and third sectors very, very similar.
10Gary GannonMax ChiltonGood lap. Point two slower than Jules in the middle sector. Watch for debris, three, four, five. Maldonado four seconds behind, he’s pitted already.
11Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo, pace is good. We want to target 45.0s. Did a 45.3 last lap.
11Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGrosjean, 44.1. Plus 3.8.
11Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergHamilton is degrading in front. Hamilton in P3 looks to be degrading.
11Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelYour pace is good, Sebastian. Grosjean, 44.1. Hamilton, 44.6. Everything else, 45s.
11Esteban GutierrezFrancesco NenciI start to feel a bit some degredation.
12Andrew MurdochPastor MaldonadoOK, we need to make this tyre set last. Look after the tyres in turns 17 and 18.
12Francesco NenciEsteban GutierrezWhat is the degredation, Esteban? Front or rear?
12Esteban GutierrezFrancesco NenciFront.
12Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonWebber has DRS.
12Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaWhen you can, tell me about the tyres. We’ve completed 11 laps.
12Felipe MassaRob SmedleyIs a similar situation as before.
13Francesco NenciEsteban GutierrezDon’t forget the cars in front are on mediums, in front of Vergne. So they will have more potential than you, so they will be naturally quicker than us. But you’re still quicker than them.
13Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, we do need to manage these tyres, we’ve still got some laps to do on them.
13Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonThat’s what I’m doing, man. Let me focus.
13Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAnd be ready line one. Track is clear.
14Simon RennieMark WebberOK, nice job mate. Toggle KERS.
14Paul DavisonJules BianchiBianchi has pulled out of range of Van der Garde’s DRS.
Great job, Jules. Three tenths a lap quicker than Max, we’re slowly pulling away from the Caterhams. Great job. How are the tyres?
14Jules BianchiPaul DavisonFeel good for the moment.
14Paul DavisonJules BianchiOK mate. Understood.
14Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonWebber passed Hamilton for third on lap 13.
Traction was at 1,400 so we do need to manage them, otherwise we’re on a two-stop.
14Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI’m trying to manage them, man. I’m trying to.
14Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonNow Lewis, you’re doing a good job. Webber’s pace looks pretty quick. You’ve got Hulkenberg behind, four seconds. He was four tenths slower last lap. We just need to manage this position here.
15Tony RossNico RosbergSo tyre temperatures are under control. Ricciardo has lost RFA [DRS] so try to pass now if you can.
15Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergYou’re closing on Hamilton. He’s told to manage his pace. You’re racing Hamilton in front.
15Simon RennieMark WebberOK mate we need to watch the front locking to look after the tyres.
15Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonGap to Webber ahead 2.5 seconds. Hulkenberg behind, 3.2.
15Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK, lifting off a little bit before in turn 17 just to save tyres.
16Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGood pace, Sebastian. Make sure you stay on top of your tyres.
16Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI don’t have the grip, man.
16Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, message understood. Information – Hulkenberg two tenths faster last lap.
17Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneVergne was the only driver to start the race on hard tyres and was planning to pit twice, but during the race Toro Rosso switched to a one-stop strategy.
Jev, are you OK for Plan C?
17Jean-Eric VergnePhil CharlesI think the tyres are good, so why not?
17Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneOK, understood.
17Mark TempleSergio PerezAnd Checo, we are in the window. We are in the window, confirm.
17Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergGood job so far. You’re closing on Hamilton, two tenths a lap.
18Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneGearbox eight, release five. Just to let you know, Gutierrez is 1.2 seconds behind you now. He has come a little bit closer.
18Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonThree tenths faster than Hulkenberg, last lap. Gap is three seconds.
18Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGoing as far as we can is more important than going as fast as we can. So go for the distance, not speed.
19Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK, Kovalainen in. It’s still a bit too early for us, so let’s see what pace you can do. You’ve got 2.7 seconds to Rosberg, so let’s see if you can close up that gap now.
19Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelYour torque map around the lap is good. We like it. It’s good.
19Mark TempleSergio PerezAnd Checo, how are the tyres and balance?
19Sergio PerezMark TempleAs expected. Very low deg(redation).
20Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico, confirm front wing we’ll go for the target Hard tyre setting.
20Nico RosbergTony RossAffirm. Minus one percent.
20Sergio PerezMark TempleOvertaking is very difficult.
20Mark TempleSergio PerezOK, understood. The pack is still quite bunched up, behind, We’ll monitor it and decide on the strategy over the next ten laps.
20Charles PicTim WrightThe rear-left has started degrading.
20Tim WrightCharles PicOK, understood.
21Dave RobsonJenson ButtonBox this lap.
21Jenson ButtonDave RobsonI have picked up more understeer.
21Dave RobsonJenson ButtonOK. Understood.
21Gary GannonMax ChiltonJules was point eight quicker last lap. Biggest loss, exit of nine. But he says he is pushing too hard to make the whole stint.
21Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaButton pitted, so push now. Need a big lap.
22Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK mate, this is good. Box at the end of this lap. We’re going to take off one degree for the hard.
22Daniel RicciardoMarco MatassaOne or two steps up?
22Marco MatassaDaniel RicciardoLet’s do two steps. Two steps up.
23GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaPaul, box. Pit confirm. Empty KERS.
23Tony RossNico RosbergBox. Box. Box. Boost to zero.
23Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonCars behind fourth-placed Hamilton are starting to pit including Perez and Di Resta from sixth and ninth respectively on lap 22.
Two tenths faster than Hulkenberg last lap. It’s all starting to kick off now.
24Simon RennieMark WebberOK mate, people behind us are starting to stop. We also have a gap ahead and behind, so we are just waiting for traffic behind.
24Mark TempleSergio PerezWe could be racing cars at the exit. Pit toggle up.
24Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonYour pit window is now clear. So you’re one-tenth faster than Hulkenberg last lap. Gap is at 3.4 seconds. We want to maximise this stint while your laptimes are still good to give ourselves an easier time on the mediums.
24Andrea StellaFernando AlonsoOK, Perez should go into traffic so now we try and close on Hulkenberg.
25GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaOK Paul, so Kovalainen pitted on Lap 17, we may expect him to go to the end, so he is probably pace managing.
25Jonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasPush for a couple of laps. See if we can get a jump on Alonso. Then we need to save tyres.
25Mark TempleSergio PerezGutierrez and Vergne are on 23-lap old tyres. If we can get ahead of them, we can get Alonso.
26Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAll these guys in front have stopped once already. So they’re not that slow. They’re doing mid-45s.
26Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergNico, front in for hard, I would keep.
26Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergnePerez behind you on new tyres, do not lose time with Perez behind you.
27Mark TempleSergio PerezCheco push now, we’re racing Alonso at the exit. Push.
27Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergBox. Box. Box.
27Marco MatassaDaniel RicciardoTemperature is increasing, we need to catch more clean air on the straight.
28Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinTyres have gone now. Think about what you want to do.
28Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelUnderstood.
28Tony RossNico RosbergSo there are 29 laps remaining. Ricciardo is just outside of your RFA [DRS].
28GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaDi Resta passed Kovalainen on lap 29 after half-a-dozen laps behind the Lotus.
Paul, we need to pass Kovalainen for engine and brake cooling. Come on, you’ve got him.
28Simon RennieMark WebberBox, Mark. Box.
28Mark WebberSimon RennieCopy that. Box.
29Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergNo need to push like mad. No need to push like mad.
29Mark TempleSergio PerezOK Checo, 27 laps to go. Let’s make sure we make these tyres last til the end and we have good pace at the end. Let’s manage our pace and we can attack again at the end. The race is not over by any means.
30Simon RennieMark WebberOK. Grosjean has pitted, he will be plus four.
30Paul DavisonJules BianchiOK Jules, great job. We are now outside of Van der Garde’s DRS zone. We need to look after the rears, I will let you know if they start catching us again.
30Jonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasTarget that laptime, low 44s. We’ve got a good gap behind.
31Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonOK, you need to give me some feedback, man. About my tyres, temperatures. Do I need to push more? Less?
31Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo the front tyre temps are now dropping off the maximum line. So they’re now coming into the window, so they’re looking safe. Your pace is good. Target, 43.7.
31Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelDon’t ask too much of your tyres. Remember, the two cars behind ran longer than you. The two cars behind had more range than you did.
31Juan Pablo RamirezGiedo van der GardeIn Abu Dhabi Pic was told to let Van der Garde through after holding his team mate up. Here there was no change of order.
You cannot lose more ground to Bianchi because Charles is catching you behind.
31Charles PicTim WrightI’m quicker than Giedo.
32Tim WrightCharles PicOK, understood. Push up to Giedo. You can be quicker out of 11 and 17 by not braking so late and making better exits.
32Tony RossNico RosbergGood effort Nico. So close the gap to Di Resta, do the same to him.
32Dave RobsonJenson ButtonInformation – the first car to pit on the hards was Kovalainen, he’s 14 laps into his stint and starting to struggle. Di Resta has overtaken him and others are having a go, so I think this is a good plan.
33Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK, gap to Ricciardo now is around two and a half seconds. I think that’s OK, I think we sit at around two and a half seconds. Button’s sitting around two and a half seconds behind you too, so just maintain that.
33Mark TempleSergio PerezTyres are fine. Let’s try and maintain a gap to Alonso so we can attack him at the end on better tyres. There may still be opportunites at the end.
34GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaRosberg is in your DRS now.
34Francesco NenciEsteban GutierrezSo the pace is a bit quicker than our competition which is around [distorted]. They’re about 44. The problem is Bottas is quicker than you and will slow you down. But around a 44 is OK.
34Mark WebberSimon RennieRight tyre vibration is unbelieveable.
34Simon RennieMark WebberRight Mark, understood. Keep pushing, you’re doing a good job.
34Tony RossNico RosbergAfter passing Di Resta
Good effort, Nico. Well done.
34Sergio PerezMark TempleTraffic. Traffic.
34Mark TempleSergio PerezUnderstood. He is getting blue flags.
35GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaSo KERS to defend, Paul. RPM 2. Do not use KERS exit turn nine.
35Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian, Mark is very close to Grosjean now. Grosjean is defending. Grosjean’s pace, 42.7.
35Simon RennieMark WebberOK, watch your front brake locking.
35Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOne tenth faster than Hulkenberg last lap.
35Marco MatassaDaniel RicciardoRecovery four, entry nine to attack.
36Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian you have a slow queue of cars ahead. Two Caterhams, one Marussia.
36GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaPaul, we believe the tyre temperatures are a bit low. Tyre temps are low on this set. You may need to try and push them to generate some temperature.
36Simon RennieMark WebberYou will catch backmarkers in four laps.
37Tony RossNico RosbergEarlier apex turn six for faster exit. Try that.
37Mark TempleSergio PerezOK Checo, last lap we lost three tenths to Alonso, but your lap before that was good, so let’s try and keep those up.
37Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaTwenty laps to go. Push on the back of Ricciardo now. Let’s push. I need you to push now and get on the back of him.
38Tony RossNico RosbergSo try an earlier apex in turn 20 for a better exit. Gap to Bottas below nine seconds. We’re currently half a second a lap quicker than him.
39Andrew MurdochPastor MaldonadoStill look after the fronts in turn 6.
39Pastor MaldonadoAndrew MurdochCopy.
39Andrea StellaFernando AlonsoSituazione stabile, apparte Perez, che gira come noi, apparte Perez, che gira come noi, non ci sono altri problemi dietro. The situation is stable, apart from Perez who’s lapping like us, apart from Perez who’s lapping like us, there aren’t any other problems behind us.
39Tony RossNico RosbergSo traction very good – 200. Bottas has been told to drive to a pace which is currently a second a lap slower than you are.
39Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanUse ‘overtake’ button on back straight.
40Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAnd fail 36, fail. Three six fail.
41Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaOK, now it’s going to have to be qualifying. There are 18 laps to go. See what we can do.
41Valtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsAre we OK with this energy?
41Jonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasEnergy is just on target.
41Andrea StellaFernando AlonsoFernando, facciamo solo un po’ d’attenzione al wheel spin, cerchiamo di controllare un po’ di piu’ il wheel spin, il resto ottimo. Fernando, lets pay attention to wheel spin, lets try and control our wheel spin a little more, the rest looks good.
41Paul DavisonJules BianchiPace is good, mate. We’re pulling away from Van der Garde. Pic is falling back and they both have blue flags now. Good job.
42Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelFair enough. Remember, you stayed in phase one for a long time on the other tyres and they fell apart very quickly. You might not get much warning, but keep your tyres alive. And if there’s a Safety Car, you’ll want some rubber left.
42GianPiero LambiasePaul di RestaOK Paul, we absolutely must push every lap. Keep the temperature in the tyres.
43Nico RosbergTony RossWho’s in front of Bottas?
43Tony RossNico RosbergPerez in front of Bottas, but 16 seconds.
43Jenson ButtonDave RobsonTraffic, Chilton.
43Dave RobsonJenson ButtonUnderstood. He has blues. He has blue flags.
44Mark SladeHeikki KovalainenOK Heikki. We think we’ve lost KERS. Try pressing the ‘OK’ button twice, please.
44Heikki KovalainenMark SladeOK.
45Rob SmedleyFelipe MassaLess brake pressure if you can, turn 4. Fernando not braking at all there.
45Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneOK Jev, 11 laps to go. If you’re happy your tyres are still good, you can start to push more now.
46Nico HulkenbergMarco SchupbachWhat is the pace of Perez?
46Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergSimilar to us at the moment.
46Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelRemember for you it’s all about no mistakes. Let’s focus on braking. Clean exits.
46Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelNow Sebastian, these tyres are not bulletproof. We are measuring wear. You’re OK., but don’t abuse it.
46Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinI’m aware. Let me know when you think there’s something odd going on.
46Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelSo far, it’s all linear and as predicted.
46Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonAngry
Blue flags!
46Tim WrightCharles PicLet him past, Charles. Let Hamilton past.
47Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneRelease eight, Jev. Gutierrez behind you is also picking up his pace. He’s one second. Release seven, release seven, he’s within one second.
47Tony RossNico RosbergCaution, throttle riding in turn 19. Tyre temperatures are all still good. You’ve still got good life yet. So ten laps remaining, gap to Bottas is three and a half seconds so just close that gap up to give yourself enough laps to pass.
47Andrea StellaFernando AlonsoAlonso is given the gap between him and Hamilton in Italian.
1.1
47Tim WrightCharles PicRain one for temperature.
48Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneRelease seven, release seven. Come on, Jev. Come on.
49Jonathan EddollsValtteri BottasRosberg catching at half a second a lap. There’s ten laps to go, you’re racing him to the end.
49Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGrosjean, 41.3. Again, he’s got Mark all over him.
49Marco MatassaDaniel RicciardoNine laps to go. What about tyre phase?
49Daniel RicciardoMarco MatassaI’ll survive. No more radio.
50Marco SchupbachNico HulkenbergSeven laps to go, seven. Perez same pace. Come on. Nico, come on.
50Tony RossNico RosbergSo, seven laps remaining. Gap to Bottas, five seconds. Currently nine tenths a lap faster.
51Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, so traction at 1,300. Target, 1,100. Alonso looks like he’s backed off, he may go for a push at the end. Let’s be ready. Look after these tyres.
51Simon RennieMark WebberWe think save all KERS, and use all the KERS turn 11. Even when you’re on DRS, keep using the KERS.
51Andrew MurdochPastor MaldonadoOK Pastor, six laps to go. Can you stay out? Can you make it to the end?
51Pastor MaldonadoAndrew MurdochCopy, will stay out. Stay out.
52Tim WrightCharles PicCharles, box this lap for a drive-through penalty. You have a drive-through penalty. Box this lap, pit confirm.
52Charles PicTim WrightWhy I have a drive-through?
52Tim WrightCharles PicYou have a drive-through for impeding Hamilton. Drive-through, watch the speed limit, watch the white line.
52Simon RennieMark WebberWe think you got closer then, mate. Do the same again. The same tactic. All the KERS, turn 11.
53Paul DavisonJules BianchiShould have no more blue flags to the end of the race.
53Simon RennieMark WebberOK mate, if that’s not going to work, try using all of the KERS in the last corner to try something different.
53Phil CharlesJean-Eric VergneRecovery three. Recovery three.
53Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK, traffic ahead. Maldonado. He’s got Chilton ahead of him, who’s got blues already. So Maldonado might be focusing on Chilton, not you.
54Mark WebberSimon RennieTrouble with the rears, mate. I’ve used a lot of tyre.
54Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonThree tenths faster that lap to Alonso. Gap now at 2.9, three laps remaining.
54Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelThe only one who can beat you today mate is yourself. Be careful.
55Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanNo ‘overtake’ button this time.
55Mark TempleSergio PerezTwo laps to go, Checo. Let’s keep the pace up for the last couple of laps. Got an 11 second gap behind.
56Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelLast lap, Sebastian. Starting the last lap.
56Dave RobsonJenson ButtonGreat job Jenson. That is Pic in front of you. He’s traffic, he should have blue flags.
VLChristian HornerSebastian VettelFantastic, Seb. Record-breaking in a season. Unbelievable. Brilliant drive! Brilli- say hello to those guys at turn one!
VLGuillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGood job, mate. Very tidy.
VLSebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinI’m speechless?óÔé¼?ª I’m speechless. We have to remember these days. There’s no guarantee that they will last forever. Enjoy them as long as they last. I love you guys. We have an incredible team spirit?óÔé¼?ª incredible. I’m so proud of you. I love you. YES! Shake ‘n’ bake!
VLGuillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelVettel does more doughnuts.
I thought you could write your name!
VLChristian HornerSebastian VettelEight in a season, Seb. That’s a record in itself. The only one who’s won more than you in a row is Ascari?óÔé¼?ª but I guess you already knew that.
VLRomain GrosjeanAyao KomatsuYee-ha boys! Good job, guys, good job. One was too quick, but the other is behind. Fantastic. Well done. Where did Heikki finish?
VLAyao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanHeikki is out of the points, unfortunately. He had to change nose, so out of points.
VLRomain GrosjeanAyao KomatsuAnd the other one?
VLAyao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanThe other one finished P5. So Fernando P5, Massa’s out of points. Well done, Romain. What a drive. Great drive. Nice job.
VLRomain GrosjeanAyao KomatsuYes! I cannot do more. Was under pressure every single lap.
VLAyao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanNo, brilliant. Brilliant.
VLSimon RennieMark WebberNice job today, mate. Obviously the first corner was tricky. Good job with Hamilton. Very tricky with Grosjean – you were obviously a lot quicker than him, but very difficult to overtake. But good job mate. Nice one.
VLMark WebberSimon RennieThanks guys. Yep?óÔé¼?ª you can only race for maybe five laps or so on these tyres. We gave it a good crack, but he had track position. Was quick in the first sector.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, great drive Lewis. Very well managed. So that’s P4.
VLRoss BrawnLewis HamiltonVery well done, Lewis. That was a perfect drive, with the car we had today. Very well managed drive and exactly what we wanted. So well done.
VLLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonGreat job this weekend, guys. Good points. It’s what we need.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonYeah, stirling job by you, Lewis.
VLAndrea StellaFernando AlonsoGreat, great race. Your pace on the Hards was matching the quicker cars at the front. It was tight with the tyres at the end, but it worked out. Well done today.
VLMarco SchupbachNico HulkenbergOK, P6. good job, Nico.
VLNico HulkenbergMarco SchupbachThank you. Again, towards the end there with light fuel, the car light, we get performance when before we were struggling.
VLMark TempleSergio PerezWe finished P7. I think that’s a really good drive. I think yesterday, after an awesome qualifying, it was always going to be difficult to gain places and we didn’t quite have the pace to match Alonso and Hulkenberg. But I think you did a really solid job anyway, so well done. Great weekend.
VLJonathan EddollsValtteri BottasP8, Valtteri! That was a smash! Great job. Strong weekend.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsYes! Yeah! Finally! (laughs)
VLTony RossNico RosbergWell done Nico.
VLRoss BrawnNico RosbergWell done Nico. We didn’t quite get it right in qualifying and paid the price, because the car wasn’t bad. But you prove a perfect race for what you had. Some important points, so thank you. Well done.
VLNico RosbergTony RossThank you. Yeah, at least a good result against Ferrari.
VLDave RobsonJenson ButtonOK, Jenson, great job. I know that’s not really what we race for, but that was a hard fought point and won by some extremely skillful and well paced driving, so great job.
VLJenson ButtonDave RobsonYeah, cheers mate. Cheers Dave.
VLDave RobsonJenson ButtonSo Jenson, I’m sure you’ve seen this as you came round but, surprise, surprise, Vettel won the race. Grosjean second, Webber picked up third. Followed by Hamilton, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Checo was seventh, Bottas, Rosberg and then ourselves in P10.
VLJenson ButtonDave RobsonHow far was Rosberg in front?
VLDave RobsonJenson ButtonYeah Jenson, Rosberg 18 seconds up the road. Just 18 seconds. Bottas very close to him. So I’d say we had the pace to race those guys, obviously we didn’t have the track position. We took that early pitstop trying to jump some cars and get you some clear air, which turned out to not work terribly well, but you obviously drove quite superbly from there. A few of the cars had to make a second stop from there which helped and some good overtaking there at the end, so really good job.
VLJenson ButtonDave RobsonYeah, cheers. It’d be nice to get it all together one weekend. Sorry about that guys. But Brazil – it’s going to happen. It’s going to be a great weekend.
VLDave RobsonJenson ButtonYep. Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be?óÔé¼?ª it’ll be good.
VLMarco MatassaDaniel RicciardoP11, Daniel. Thank you for the effort. How was your race?
VLDaniel RicciardoMarco MatassaYeah, just the last five laps, the tyres just hit a cliff. Couldn’t do anything more. I tried my best.
VLMarco MatassaDaniel RicciardoYeah, we saw that. Thank you for the effort, Daniel.
VLPhil CharlesJean-Eric VergneVergne was given a 20-second penalty for colliding with Gutierrez on the final lap.
OK Jev, really good effort today. Sorry you didn’t quite get points, P12. But good effort.
VLJean-Eric VergnePhil CharlesGutierrez was really stupid.

Thanks to @KevinCucamest for translating the Italian messages.

Lap: Refers to lap message was broadcast on. There may be a delay between messages being said and being broadcast. PR = pre-race; FL = formation lap; VL = victory lap.
Message: Repetitive or irrelevant messages omitted. Notes in italics. Highlights in bold.

Follow F1 Fanatic Live on Twitter for team radio highlights during all live F1 sessions.

United States Grand Prix data

Image © Renault/DPPI

Author information

Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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59 comments on “2013 United States Grand Prix team radio transcript”

  1. maarten.f1 (@)
    20th November 2013, 9:52

    Is Grosjean seriously referring to Alonso as “the other one”? Wonder what’s up with that.

    1. I wondered that too, if maybe there was a missing message telling him about Massa and then he referred to Alonso as “the other one” in response… Otherwise seems odd that he would say it and his engineer would understand.

    2. constructors points..

    3. “You-Know-Who”
      “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”

    4. @maarten-f1)

      Fernando Alonso…. THE OTHER ONEEEEEEEEEE !

      sounds like a 80’s terror movie presenting the monster :P.

      1. More like the 50’s. “The Thing from Spain”… ;)

    5. the other one. aka. the other world champion – of the rest lol

    6. Nice to see that Grosjean asked about Kovalainen after the race. That’ll go down well with his team, I’m sure.

  2. “Yep, understood Jenson. Damage is relatively minor. Much less than the last race. So we’re going to stay out.”

    A bit of an understatement no? He lost the entire cascade element and a chunk of the endplate. (https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ferr-mass-cota-2013-61.jpg)

    1. Last time he lost an additional piece of the top left ;-)
      http://www.formula1.com/wi/gi/597×478/xgOv/sutton/2013/d13abu2765.jpg

      1. Well I suppose it is minor compared to that! ;)

  3. Lap 13 Peter Bonnington to Lewis Hamilton: OK Lewis, we do need to manage these tyres, we’ve still got some laps to do on them.

    It is kind of stating the obvious at this point in the season, you can understand why Hamilton would get irked at being old that as he’s trying to race. There’s quite a few engineers who seem to spend as much time trying to sound cool on the pit radio as they do telling the driver useful information quickly in as few words as possible. Sometimes not speaking is an acceptable option.

    Although speaking of stating the obvious it works both ways:

    Lap 7, Lewis Hamilton to Peter Bonnington: The Red Bull’s pretty fast.

    Well spotted Lewis!

    1. @hawkii they’ve got to manage the mood of the driver aswell. “Manage your tyres”, giving the specific, short-answer might not do the job.

      And, let’s be honest, Hamilton’s been irked about his mechancis telling him things, whatever it is, at whichever point of the race, since McLaren days.. It confuses me how can’t he just meet with his staff and sort out the way they manage team radio together. I’d have thought that’s one of the first things they do in a new team before a race.

      1. @fer-no65 That was kind of my point though, he knew he was going to have to manage the tyres anyway, just adding “because we have laps to do on them” doesn’t actually add anything to the short message. If you’re going to say “high temps on the rears” or something of that nature at least it gives him a bit more idea of what he actually has to manage. In this day and age of Formula 1, the message they gave him they might as well have been telling him to remember to brake and accelerate.

    2. Agreed, but I think Lewis should work on his relationship with his race engineer. It’s like how a rally driver and a co-driver need to have chemistry in order to succeed. Otherwise his race engineer doesn’t know when to say what and Lewis might not get the information that he needs.

  4. Good to see a lot of messages between Alonso and Stella. Last few races have been too quiet. Looks like things are returning back to normal now between the two.

    Now, a winning car in 2014 please!!

  5. I wonder what Fail 36 was supposed to signify.

    1. Could be a KERS failure and would explain why Vettel was slower than GRO and WEB towards the end.

      1. So slow that he still went on to clinch the fastest lap of the race on the 54th lap.

        1. haha true!

  6. Does anyone else besides me read the messages to themselves in voice of the people who said them?:)

    1. I do it with Rob Smedley!

  7. Rocquelin’s “box, box, box” is starting to be popular with other race engineers)

    1. @sunlounger Rocquelin is usually: “Box, Torque Map 1 & Box” :-)

      1. Usually it’s “Box Box Box, Torue 1 and Box” – the map part usually goes missing

  8. What does “Cancel RS” mean? Every race, it is used by one of the Mercedes engineers on the first lap.

    1. Isn’t it “Race Start” modes?

    2. Race start settings

    3. I guess it’s not Renault Sport. I think it’s a formation lap mode

  9. Just noticed no-one was reminded to drink at the weekend, maybe they’ve all been prodded enough

    1. It’s coming up to Christmas!! – don’t drink and drive maybe?

    2. Probably because:

      a) Wan’t that a Mercedes coded message? Perhaps not used this race.
      b) I seem to remember this is not all the radio action, just the radio channel officially released by FOM which is then transcribed by @keith & friends.

      1. Pretty sure Vettel was told it at one point too, although it was mostly Mercedes up to that point

      2. @faulty As it says in the article this is only what was broadcast.

  10. “No need to push like mad. No need to push like mad.”

    Sums up the dire state of F1 at the moment. Such a message would be UNIMAGINABLE 10 years ago unless you had a 30+ second gap to second place.

    1. +1
      Indeed, this formula has gotten to the point where we see a demo of how short tires can last. What is the point of having really athletic drivers and powerful cars if all they do is drive to delta times to manage tires. I for one can’t wait for this to be changed.

      1. Sadly, I don’t think changing some of the regulations will have an overall effect on the quality of racing. What needs to be changed is the philosophy behind the rule-making.
        Over the last 20 years what we’ve seen is a charge towards homologation and “equalness”. What we have is a set of rules that favors one type of competitor, and only one driver/car can excel at being whatever the rules are asking of them. Since the early 90s it’s been either a Newey car or a Brawn car, or either Schumacher or Vettel; and that’s no coincidence, it´s because those four entities are best suited to these types of rules. It’s not so much that others have faltered in their challenge, it’s just that the set of rules allow for only one type of winner.
        It’s obvious that if the Ferrari could qualify from the front row it’d be equally as boring to watch those races than it is now; they have the fastest raceday car and they’d run away to a bigger gap than the Red Bulls. But the rules punish them too much, because they favor the car in front. Rules don’t give an equal chance to the attacker or the defender.
        Rooting for a midfield team or driver has become an exercise in suffering, I want the teams to try out alternative strategies to get their drivers ahead, and it never happens. But I understand that much smarter people than me, with much more information and the tools to analyze it at their disposal have come to the conclusion that there are no more gain-effective strategies than what they try on Sunday, even if it means that everybody else is doing the same thing. That sort of unified problem-solving is there because Formula One racing has become too complex, there are too many variables to solve for, and thus, the avenues for solution have -naturally-, converged. It is the same in car design; the same solution, the same slightly different aerodynamic device.
        As for the drivers, the debate about Hamilton’s aggression, Kimi’s racecraft and Alonso’s focus becomes moot once they all fail against Vettel’s “work within the team”. Wait, wasn’t that Schumacher’s highest praised ability as well? Why was Pérez not renewed? Is Hülkenberg’s body mass, in spite of a stellar season and a half, the only reason keeping him from reaching 100% desirability? Why do they keep Kovalainen around? It must be the same reason, having too many variables in the car, must need in turn a reliable source of information FROM the car’s behavior to the team as well as a driver that can be both fast and capable dialing IN the parameters the team instruments tell them. Who is the best at that?
        It seems to me that there is a problem with the cars as machines. The pinnacle of motors sports and innovation doesn’t have to mean complexity. It often didn’t in the past. The question, in my opinion, is one of simplicity. There have to be some tradebacks that promote diversity; this formula for success is limiting diversity. We will have no James Hunts if FIA/FOM keep us on this road. There will be less industry participation in the sport, because one of the market’s strength is definitely consumer choice. And the more complex we make the rules, the less chance for choice there is.

    2. Yes indeed, a big thank you from the team managers to all the drivers who managed to driveslow enough to score points.

    3. Such a message would be unimaginable 10 years ago unless you had a 30+ second gap to second place.

      You’d have to go back further than that – over 20 years back, to when the Safety Car was not in use.

      The disincentive for building a large lead is that in can be wiped out by the Safety Car. In that situation the leader can find himself without a buffer to the cars behind him (and no lapped traffic these days, either), and worn tyres. Yes, the post-2011 tyres have amplified the effect, but the root cause of leading teams not wanting too big a lead is that it can be wiped out by the Safety Car.

  11. Do you all think it’s easier for Vettel to get FLAP because tires need such care now as opposed to allowing you to push all race? They go off for everyone, but Vettel is willing to risk the tire damage to get FLAP, and it doesn’t seem any other racers actively go for it, because they are busy trying to finish as high as possible. And especially with a few second’s lead, he knows he could risk damaging his tires for slower future laps because he has enough gap to outlast 2nd place. (On top of all this, I realize he has the fastest car, so that makes it easier.) Although being in first means he has the most to lose in the race, knowing his final points position means he has the least to lose in a sense. I assume back in the day, when everyone pushed all race, at any time someone could have a great lap and taking flap from Schu, or whomever, regardless of him having a faster car. The current situation, and the factors I outlined, favors Vettel to push but not others. What do you think?

    1. @chaddy, I think because the tyres do not last very long, especially of you push them hard, the quickest way to drive a stint will result in the tyres being in bad shape at the end of the stint. Ross Brawn said that Nico’s and Lewis’s tyres were almost at the end of their ‘lives’ after they finished the race, “which is as it should be”, according to Ross.

      Vettel is pretty much the only driver in the race that is not trying to do the final stint as quickly as possible. Instead, he is only doing it quick enough to maintain a comfortable gap to his pursuers, and as a result he has much more life in his tyres left at the end of the race, so one quick lap is easy to do, and won’t damage the tyres too much.

      Also, Vettel likes his fastest laps. On the odd occasion that we see other drivers comfortably leading the race (and it hasn’t happened that often in recent years – only Alonso’s two wins this season spring to mind), we don’t see them going for fastest laps.

      1. That’s an interesting insight about Vettel being able to manage the gap/tires better, so he has life in them for a flap. That’s a result of the situation we have now with the tires, so I get the impression you pretty much agree with me, but find his ability to get to first to be an important part of the equation.

        So my question is, would Vettel be getting as many flaps if the tires were indestructible?

        1. @chaddy, my answer is yes he would, because he likes to and he usually has a clear track ahead of him.

  12. Can somebody tell me how long does the safety car follow the other cars at the start of a race?

    1. I think it turns into the pit lane exit, and then does a u-turn and parks

    2. You mean the medical car at the back of the grid? It does a full lap. You could see it coming up on Sutil after his crash. The safety car is ready at the pit lane exit at the start of a race.

    3. I does a full lap and pulls into the pit lane. While it isn’t an F1 car it also isn’t exactly a slouch, so it has enough time to cover the lap before the field comes round again.

  13. I found this kind of funny:

    Lap 13
    Bonnington: “OK Lewis, we do need to manage these tyres, we’ve still got some laps to do on them.”
    Hamilton: “That’s what I’m doing, man. Let me focus.”

    Lap 14
    Bonnington: “Traction was at 1,400 so we do need to manage them, otherwise we’re on a two-stop.”
    Hamilton: “I’m trying to manage them, man. I’m trying to.”

    Lap 31
    Hamilton: “OK, you need to give me some feedback, man. About my tyres, temperatures. Do I need to push more? Less?”

    1. I guess at lap 13/14 were on old soft’s so he probably would have know by this point what to do.

      By lap 31 would have been well into the mediums & perhaps he had no guidance as to how he was doing on them.

      — Would be interesting to read what was said in-between.

      RJ

  14. I really enjoy reading these messages.

    I think Lewis should buy Peter a beer after the race. Peter had to put up with Hamilton’s mood swings during the race. Also Lewis should have a word with Seb as to how he and rocky are able to Gel so much :)

    In 2007 when Hamilton debuted, he fell too much into the high volatile situation between Fernando & McLaren. I feel this incident has had a very strong impact on his perception of the Grid. He believes that he and Fernando are in this tiny little bubble where they are the only 2 raw talents and they only need to prove to each other. Maybe Alonso is not feeling that way. But Lewis definitely feels that Alonso is his yardstick. Lewis was so happy after the race because he was basically able to hold off Fernando.

  15. Pretty easy to see why this race got such a poor rating.

  16. Of course not everything is broadcasted, but it’s still pretty interesting that it took up to lap 8 for Maldonado to report “some vibrations”, when it was clear from the pictures from lap 1 that his front wing was so loose that it could come off at any moment.

  17. It’s probably a stupid question but can the teams listen to all the conversations between the other teams and their drivers? Surely they must because sometimes the audience is given information that could be influential in a race.

    1. See lap 39, Rosberg is told what target Bottas was given (I suppose the radio from lap 30).

  18. 45 Rob Smedley Felipe Massa Less brake pressure if you can, turn 4. Fernando not braking at all there.

    This is quite shocking, and show how different were the two cars, one that could go through that turn without reducing speed and one that needed to brake. (And before the dead-horse-beating starts, I will say right here that I do not believe the difference is due to the driver. Not a this level).

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