2016 Singapore Grand Prix team radio transcript

2016 Singapore Grand Prix

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One of the few things F1 strategies hadn’t banked on in the Singapore Grand Prix was it running almost entirely Safety Car-free. The race stayed green from lap three until the end.

This was a disappointment for some, notably Fernando Alonso who’d been hopeful of making an unlikely podium appearance, as he did in 2009, after moving up to fifth at the start. “Unbelievable”, he remarked in the closing stages as the prospects of a helpful Safety Car receded.

Raikkonen pointed out he couldn’t speed up in the pits
At the same time Daniel Ricciardo was mounting a bid to for victory, slashing seconds per lap out of Nico Rosberg’s lead. The Mercedes driver did not copy the Red Bull driver’s late pit stop as his team initially called him in but aborted the cool as soon as it became clear he would come out behind Ricciardo.

Unfortunately for Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari got the same call wrong. Despite having remarked shortly after half distance that they “just need track position to the end”, Ferrari threw away that very advantage by bringing Raikkonen in a few laps later. He was not amused by their encouragement for him to keep the pace up, either.

Sergio Perez also had cause to doubt his team’s strategy but despite fearing he wouldn’t be able to make his tyres last he managed to.

And earlier in the race Lewis Hamilton expressed dismay at his team’s apparently conservative strategy after being put on a set of the soft tyres for his second stint. He got the chance to push at the end of the race, but was still having to conserve his brakes much of the time.

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2016 Singapore Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*DriverMessage
PRFrom Jenson ButtonEverything is OK. I think the balance is about right.
PRTo Jenson Button

OK, copy.
PRFrom Jenson ButtonCan we put cooling fans in it now? I’m just thinking this looks like it’s going to be a while.
PRTo Pascal Wehrlein

OK Pascal so we’ll box now to do a practice start. The pit lane is very busy at the moment so one thing that I need you to do is make sure you leave enough space to the car in front of you to be able to pull around it if needed.
1From Nico HulkenbergI just got hell from the Toro Rosso. I was sandwiched by them.
1To Carlos Sainz Jnr

Any damage Carlos, any damage?
1From Carlos Sainz JnrI don’t know, check the car from the outside, I can’t feel it here.
1To Daniil Kvyat

All OK with the car, Danny?
1From Daniil KvyatYeah, all OK.
2From Valtteri BottasPuncture, puncture. Got hit before turn one.
2To Valtteri Bottas

Copy.
2To Valtteri Bottas

Bottas was released as Vettel was passing him in the pits.
Look out for traffic, Vettel, traffic.
5To Felipe Nasr

You’re closing the gap to Perez ahead, good job.
5To Nico Rosberg

Tyre pressures are coming up to a reasonable region now.
5To Carlos Sainz Jnr

OK Carlos we see some damage on the bargeboard on the right, you have some more understeer, we cannot do anything at the minute for that.
6To Carlos Sainz Jnr

OK Carlos we will have to pit in the next couple of laps to remove the bargeboard flank. What about flap, are you happy with it, and tyres?
6From Carlos Sainz JnrTyres are holding on well.
6To Max Verstappen

OK Max so Sainz has been given a black-and-orange flag, so expect him to come in because he’s got damage on his car.
7From Lewis HamiltonKeep me up to date with my pace to the car in front.
7To Lewis Hamilton

Copy, Ricciardo, doing 51.7. Nico 51.9 last lap.
7To Carlos Sainz Jnr

Box, box, Carlos.
8To Nico Rosberg

Copy on three, Nico. We do need that brake management, we do need the brake management.
9To Nico Rosberg

So this is serious, Nico, we do need that brake management.
10To Pascal Wehrlein

That’s nine laps completed.
10From Pascal WehrleinTyres are still OK. I’m managing them a lot so no problem.
10To Pascal Wehrlein

OK mate you’re doing a great job, let’s keep it up.
10To Lewis Hamilton

So we really need to get on top of these front brakes.
10From Lewis HamiltonI’m looking after them so much.
12To Max Verstappen

How much longer can you run at this pace, Max?
12From Max VerstappenI’m just going slower and slower all the time.
13To Daniil Kvyat

Max is starting to struggle on super-softs behind. All OK with you? Happy to keep going?
13From Daniil KvyatYes this pace OK.
13To Daniil Kvyat

Copy.
13From Felipe NasrMy tyres are going off.
13To Felipe Nasr

Understood Felipe, we need a few more laps, you’re doing a good job.
13To Max Verstappen

We will be racing Ocon and Bottas on exit.
14To Daniel Ricciardo

Engine one position zero. Doing a good job, mate, just keep pushing.
14From Lewis HamiltonCan you keep me up to date, please, I have no idea what’s going on.
16From Kimi RaikkonenMy right-front is really bad.
16To Kimi Raikkonen

Understood.
16From Kimi RaikkonenIt’s hard to go around some right-handers, so that’s not so straightforward.
16To Nico Rosberg

And box, box. Just caution pit lane entry.
16To Nico Rosberg

Just re-sync your diff. We’re on the soft tyre so we want you to remember the diff switches for that. It will be clear on exit, just watch the exit.
16From Lewis HamiltonCome on guys, I needed a strategy that can get me past.
17From Pascal WehrleinYou should box me soon because I have too much traffic, I’m losing too much time. Tyres would be still fine.
17To Pascal Wehrlein

OK understood so you only have Massa behind, there’s a big gap behind him. That’ll be a few other cars stopping now so it’s just him.
18From Carlos Sainz JnrOK for me a bit about this race. What a mess.
19From Max VerstappenVerstappen was stuck behind Kvyat.
Come on, man.
21To Daniil Kvyat

OK Danny, Alonso is our race. If you think we can follow the train, use it.
22To Felipe Massa

OK Felipe this is Verstappen and Kvyat ahead, they’ve been fighting each other for a while. So if you get an opportunity use the overtake.
23To Felipe Nasr

There’s some debris, turn 22.
23From Felipe NasrInside, outside?
23To Felipe Nasr

Outside, Felipe. Debris outside.
24From Pascal WehrleinI always have this brake temps warning. I am lift-and-coasting so much I can’t believe it.
24To Pascal Wehrlein

OK understood Pascal, we see it as well. Just stick with it for the moment, we’ll keep you updated if you have to stop.
24From Lewis HamiltonYou need to start coming out with some plan to stop me from losing third because this is all the pace I’ve got with the brakes.
25To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel still doing a great job. Rosberg now 4.3 ahead. Behind you Hamilton bit off the pace he’s nine seconds behind you now and he’s got Kimi on his tail.
26From Carlos Sainz JnrOK box, box.
28To Kimi Raikkonen

…Adami. How are the tyres?
28From Kimi RaikkonenYeah OK, not too bad. Obviously following closely doesn’t help, a little bit freer but not much to do.
28To Max Verstappen

OK Max so you might be close to Ocon but he is a lap time. We’ll need to get through Nasr fairly quickly, he’s on ten-lap-old super-soft tyres.
28To Sebastian Vettel

Vettel passed Sainz and Gutierrez.
Well done Seb, keep your head down.
29From Fernando AlonsoOK. Tyres are still OK, a little bit of rear deg, but normal.
29From Jenson ButtonTraction is really bad. Even on new tyres, really bad.
29To Max Verstappen

Ignore the brake warning on the dash, Max. The next car ahead is Perez. He has fitted a soft tyre. His last lap was a 52.6, it’s three laps old, and from the looks of things he may well want to go to the end.
29From Lewis HamiltonDoes the other car not have the same problem?
29To Lewis Hamilton

OK Lewis, currently Nico’s doing a similar pace and similar level of management. He does have the issue.
30To Kimi Raikkonen

So we are still getting messages that Hamilton is in big trouble with brakes, Kimi.
31From Jenson ButtonCan you have a look at braking, please? First of all we don’t have good braking at all, but also feels like we have rear under-rotation.
31To Jenson Button

OK, copy.
31From Sergio PerezI don’t think I will get these tyres to the end, man, no way.
31To Sergio Perez

Understood Checo. Then you can use everything you need to overtake.
32To Nico Rosberg

And remember to drink, and a little bit more brake management, please.
33To Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen passed Hamilton.
Awesome job, and all while we were having a chat as well!
33To Nico Rosberg

And push hard now, Nico. Go strat five.
34From Felipe NasrI’m having wheelspin.
34To Felipe Nasr

Understood Felipe. In the moment tyres are looking OK.
34From Felipe NasrI’m just having a lot of oversteer guys.
34To Felipe Nasr

Big push Felipe, big push now.
34To Kimi Raikkonen

OK Hamilton behind on prime, Kimi, so we just need track position to the end.
35To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel so Rosberg did a 50.7 on his first lap pushing. He’s on 50.0. Raikkonen caught us by 1.5 seconds that lap. Gap’s now seven seconds, I’ll keep you updated.
37To Sergio Perez

Checo for long stint on super-soft recommend plus half.
38To Lewis Hamilton

So Lewis there may be opportunity towards the end of the race. Suggest you use all the power unit.
39To Lewis Hamilton

OK Lewis we’re going to switch to plan B. Just need to pull Raikkonen in.
42From Fernando AlonsoAnd fifth is out of reach?
42To Fernando Alonso

Fifth is out of reach. Vettel has the pit gap. For us the race is with Verstappen who’s currently in sixth with one more stop to make. At the moment he is 9.7 seconds ahead and he will come out behind Kvyat, Massa and Perez.
42From Fernando AlonsoThe second to third is like a bull now. Nothing we can do I guess.
42To Fernando Alonso

Fernando there’s nothing we can do from a switch point of view. If you can, use higher RPM for the shifts.
42To Nico Rosberg

Gap to Ricciardo is…
42From Nico RosbergStop, stop telling me that.
44To Lewis Hamilton

So Raikkonen 50.2. This is really good, Lewis, just keep it up.
44To Sergio Perez

Checo the wear is balanced so expect both axles to need management. But at the moment front-right turn one, five and 22.
44To Kimi Raikkonen

So you are quicker than Ricciardo ahead. Keep squeezing up to him and keep the gap to Hamilton if you can.
46To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel so race update: Hamilton has pitted, Hamilton is now on super-softs. We’re going to watch Raikkonen’s move behind, OK?
46To Kimi Raikkonen

OK Hamilton’s in, push push push.
46To Kimi Raikkonen

So we are boxing this lap?
46From Kimi RaikkonenI’ll let you know, I’ll let you know.
47To Kimi Raikkonen

We know how close it’s going to be, we need everything perfect.
47To Kimi Raikkonen

OK we’re racing, we’re racing. Come on, Kimi.
47From Kimi RaikkonenWhat you want me to do on a pit lane? To go faster?
47To Kimi Raikkonen

No, no. I know.
48From Sergio PerezHe just went straight into me,
48To Sergio Perez

Understood. We need the pace now.
48To Daniel Ricciardo

Engine one position ten.
48To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel you are significantly quicker than the two cars behind you.
48To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel so you are closing very quickly. Just make sure you’ve got some tyres left when you get there.
48To Nico Rosberg

So box, box, but just stand by for abort. Push, get past Nasr.
48From Nico RosbergSmall mistake.
48To Nico Rosberg

Copy that message. So staying out Nico, important, staying out.
48To Nico Rosberg

Push hard now, Nico. Go strat five and overtake.
50To Daniel Ricciardo

OK Daniel. So Rosberg, there’s no way he can cover us now, he would come out behind Raikkonen.
51From Daniel RicciardoWhat time is iceberg doing?
51To Daniel Ricciardo

Rosberg 50.3. He’s been doing 5.04s for the last few laps, that is his pace.
51To Max Verstappen

Try and get it done nice and early, Max.
51To Daniel Ricciardo

At the current pace you will catch him with four laps to go.
54To Max Verstappen

Verstappen passed Alonso.
Well done, Max.
54From Nico RosbergHow much more can I take out of the brakes at the end of the race?
54To Nico Rosberg

We’ll let you know, Nico.
54To Nico Rosberg

So we’ll definitely give you more at the end, Nico.
55To Fernando Alonso

OK Fernando we are still P7, seven laps to go. Perez is +6 so no threat from behind. Manage the tyres and dash target. Let’s bank this race.
55From Fernando AlonsoYep. I think we need. We are doing good. It’s the first Singapore that nothing happened in front. Unbelievable.
56To Esteban Gutierrez

Blue flags for Ricciardo, we need to be smart.
56To Nico Rosberg

No more traffic for now until the end of the race. Get your head down. Be five to go.
58To Daniel Ricciardo

OK you’ve now got a clear track ahead of you to Rosberg, five seconds ahead.
60To Daniel Ricciardo

OK charge 13. You are coming up on some backmarkers.
60To Nico Rosberg

So we’ve got a slow bunch of backmarkers in front of you. You will expect to come up to them before the end of the race, just beware.
VLTo Nico Rosberg

Woo! Brilliant drive.
VLFrom Nico RosbergYes, come on guys! Come on!
VLTo Nico Rosberg

At last in Singapore.
VLTo Daniel Ricciardo

That was a super drive, Daniel. We obviously went for it to cover the others with the three-stop but you gave it everything, well done.
VLFrom Daniel RicciardoThanks guys. Appreciate it. Thanks for trying something. That was fun, at least.
VLFrom Kimi RaikkonenIs that the finish to the race?
VLTo Kimi Raikkonen

Copy, copy. OK Kimi great drive from you. Sorry we didn’t make the podium. Was just leaving it to you the last few laps.
VLFrom Kimi RaikkonenWhat happened at the pit stop situation? I mean, I don’t know, I don’t understand how we lost position.
VLTo Kimi Raikkonen

Yeah we need to look at it in more detail afterwards, Kimi. Lap mode Safety Car In.
VLFrom Sebastian Vettel(In Italian and English) Thank you guys, good race. Good recovery. Thank you.

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.

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Singapore Grand Prix data

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    30 comments on “2016 Singapore Grand Prix team radio transcript”

    1. What time is iceberg doing?

      missed that during the race.
      There should be a whole separate channel for comments by the Aussies. (maybe Liberty can sell it to Comedy Central)

      1. Did he really say that ?

      2. Didn’t know whether he meant Kimi or Nico.

    2. Are all radio messages during the race in this transcript? I am a bit puzzled as to why Bottas did not report his seat belt issue before coming in.

      1. Yea, I am puzzled by this too. I also heard him say he had a puncture on the 1st lap and that isn’t on the transcript.

        1. @thegianthogweed Apologies, a section of the early messages were cut off due to a technical error. This has been fixed so you should be able to see them now, including the Bottas one you refer to.

      2. Only those that are broadcasted. FWIW Bottas did report the seatbelt issue over the radio to the team.

        Source:
        http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/williams-worried-by-bottas-seatbelt-issue-828189/

    3. I’d still love to know exactly what the brake issue Mercedes had that affected both drivers. (allegedly)

      1. ‘Temperature’. ‘Overheated brakes’ to be more exact. @franton
        HAM is quoted saying this in various articles on this site; same for ROS I believe.

        Not sure why you include ‘allegedly’; don’t feed the thin foil hat people!

        1. You obviously never watched “Have I Got News For You” back in it’s heyday. Allegedly :p

          Given there’s an article where Paddy Lowe went on record as saying that there wasn’t an issue, either they deliberately hobbled both cars for some tinfoil hat reason or (more likely) they totally screwed up the cooling requirements then. Pity, would have been nice to see some actual overtaking not done in the pit lane.

          1. PlanetF1 .com has Paddy Lowe stating that there was NO brake problem they were just managing the brakes from the start of the race.

          2. @franton

            there’s an article where Paddy Lowe went on record as saying that there wasn’t an issue

            I believe I’ve read the quotes you’re referring to and I don’t think they amount to the spin some publications put on them along the lines of ‘Mercedes didn’t have a problem with their brakes’.

            1. From http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-drivers-didn-t-have-brake-problems-in-singapore-828326/

              “They didn’t have any problems with brakes, it’s a question of management,” Lowe told Motorsport.com.

              Admittedly I haven’t seen quotes from anywhere else but that’s clear cut to me, assuming it’s accurate.

            2. If the brakes can’t perform at certain venues, that’s a [i]problem[/i] that needs managing. That Lowe doesn’t want to use that language is irrelevant as the net effect is the same.

      2. @franton Mercedes explained that in this race the brakes would not have been able to withstand qualifying-style braking throughout the race. Hence, management was needed from the beginning. So I don’t think there was any issue, it was just managing brakes in a way from the beginning in order to end up with the minimal time for the full race. Same as fuel really.

        1. Well then that almost cost Lewis a 3rd place and their triggering pitstop almost cost Nico his lead. Not exactly Merc’s finest hour.

          1. @franton That’s a weird comment to make when Rosberg did take the win and Mercedes handed Hamilton the podium through strategy when he was not in a position to take it for himself.

            1. Barely. Both cars were not noticeably quicker than the Red Bull or the Ferrari (notice that Hamilton was overtaken by Kimi. Unthinkable normally.) during the race purely because they were both managing brakes.

            2. @franton sorry, but that’s nonsense. Rosberg was faster than Kimi all weekend, including during the race, so Hamilton could have been too. That was not up to Merc, that was Hamilton.
              And Rosberg only came under threat from Ricciardo because of RBR’s excellent strategy. On equal tyres he was managing the gap. He had also gotten notice that he would be able to go faster (= use more of the brakes) when Ricciardo would close up. So they had it under control – until the good call by RBR of course, but that was strategy, not speed. And ultimately Rosberg did prevail so strategy was good enough.

            3. @MattDS This is where the F1 app subscription comes in handy. The lap times between RIC and ROS were similar throughout the race. You may argue race management, but I see two cars going as fast as they could but hobbled by brake and in HAM’s case, set up issues.

            4. @franton I do have the F1 app subscription, and other than that the lap times are freely available on F1F. I don’t see how they matter. No, I do not believe that Rosberg was going as fast as he could – and he was assured by Merc that if push really came to shove, he would be able to use more of his brakes.

              I stand by my opinion. The Merc was HEAPS faster in qualifying, it could keep the RBR behind without too much of a problem during the race, and Mercedes engineered a struggling Hamilton to third place. They did a great job, especially after a dismal Singapore 2015.

              But yeah, if you think a 1-3 is not “Mercedes’ finest hour”, then you are entitled to your opinion I guess.

      3. The issue they have with their brakes is that they have their brake setup optimised for speed @franton. That means that it can go fast (less obstruction of airflow from ducts etc), but cannot withstand that speed and agressive braking for longer periods of time, especially in hot weather.

        It’s been something that Mercedes has been doing since at least the start of 2014 now, that is why they have been more prone to brake issues than other teams. But the car is also able to generally run faster than the others in qualifying. Or in short stints if needed to catch up, build a gap, etc. It’s just a question of optimising the package, and so far it seems to work for them more often than not.

        1. I’m quite aware of that: I spent a lot of time reading that other “technical” forum ;) . On the whole I’d agree with you. I’d say they went too far and because of which they lost more lap time “managing temperatures” than if they’d made the ducts a little bigger. Obviously there’s fuel and other things to factor in, but it does seem like a team mistake.

          1. I think they’d have qualifying pace as paramount in Singapore – and just expect and deal with the hassle of having to manage the brake temps, if Ham had been able to deliver a faster time (and so avoid dirty air) then it would have been a totally successful trade-off.

            1. I think you nailed it. They were afraid of getting beaten in qualifying and thought it was better to have track position and managing the brakes than to lose track position and have better pace in the race. And it doesn’t look like a bad decision to me. With a less aggressive qualifying setup, it was perfectly imaginable that Hamilton could have started sixth behind the Red Bulls and the Ferraris.

        2. Maybe this is the cause of both cars having ERS failure in Canada 2014?

    4. ILuvSoundtracks (@)
      21st September 2016, 14:40

      Nothing from laps 1-5?

    5. I’m surprised Carlos Sainz wasn’t required to pit immediately to remove the bargeboard that was hanging off. Surely if his issue was serious enough to warrant the black and orange flag, I would have pitted Carlos at the end of that lap

    6. 46 To Kimi Raikkonen So we are boxing this lap?
      46 From Kimi Raikkonen I’ll let you know, I’ll let you know.

      Pretty sure the “from, to” are mixed up on this one.

    7. Raikkonen was also told: “They’re starting to panic a bit about Hamilton’s brakes, let’s give them a little bit of pressure.”

      http://www.formula1.com/en/video/2016/9/Director's_Cut__Singapore_2016.html

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