2014 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript

2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton took his second victory in eight days at the Bahrain Grand Prix after holding off a strong challenge from team mate Nico Rosberg.

In an action packed race that thrilled viewers, some of the drivers could be heard getting rather excitable themselves over the team radio.

Not all of them were happy with how the race developed, particularly Nico Hulkenberg who agitated for his team to report one of his rivals to race director Charlie Whiting.

Esteban Gutierrez was taken by surprise when Pastor Maldonado flipped his car upside down at the first corner. He wasn’t the only driver to be infuriated by the Lotus pilot, Jean-Eric Vergne complaining “he tried to kill me” earlier in the race.

But the fight at the front was all about the Mercedes team mates. Paddy Lowe reminded both of his battling drivers to bring their cars home in one piece, but once the team’s second consecutive one-two finish was secured, Lowe was quick to praise his championship leading pairing on their professionalism.

Here’s how a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix unfolded over team radio.

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2014 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript

Lap*FromToMessage
PRMarco SchupbachAdrian SutilTen minutes to go, ten minutes.
PRAndrew MurdochFelipe MassaOK, just on the switches, check you’re in mode-12. The lower start mode switch flicks over to the right hand side. You’re in torque-1 and clutch-5.
PR?Felipe MassaUnidentified voice.
Clutch-5? Yes. All correct.
PRPaul DavisonJules BianchiSame as always, but I’ll run through it anyway. So after we fire up, pit lane speed limiter on and then a static bite-point learn once we’ve all left the grid. Then on the formation lap straight after the start, we’ll go into torque-4, recovering SOC [state of charge] ready for the race start. I think for eighth gear we may have to get you to sync first gear again, but we’ll let you know. Four tyre warmings and then the big ones are torque-3, ‘Eng’-1 and the rolling bite-point learn before you’re stationary. But I’ll remind you of all that before the end.
PRPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, so just a reminder to look where the yellow line is on your right-hand side. If you can see, just bear in mind where you are compared to that.
PRAyao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanVettel and Sutil on [medium] tyre
FLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonRear tyres are coming up nicely as well. So front brakes need a bit of work.
FL?Nico RosbergUnidentified voice.
Brakes are starting to come up, tyres are 8.5 front, 9.5 rear. And gears are learnt.
FLBernadette CollinsJenson ButtonOK Jenson, we need to learn sixth, seventh and eighth. Six, seven, eight.
FLAngel BaenaMarcus EricssonRolling bite-point find before turn 15.
FL?Sebastian VettelUnidentified voice.
Remember your procedures. It’s bite-point learn and two burnouts. Bite-point learn and two burnouts. Mode-7.
FL? [American accent]Sergio PerezPerez then locked his brakes approaching the first corner
Be careful with the front brakes into turn one, they’re slightly under temp.
1Tony RossNico RosbergCancel RS.
2Kimi RaikkonenAntonio SpagnoloMagnussen has clipped Raikkonen’s right-rear on the opening lap
Magnussen hit me again!
2Antonio SpagnoloKimi RaikkonenUnderstood, understood.
2Jean-Eric VergneXevi PujolarContact with Maldonado on lap one left Vergne limping back to the pits with a damaged car
Crazy, that Lotus guy! I don’t know who it was. Absolutely mental!
2Xevi PujolarJean-Eric VergneCopy that, copy that. Box.
2Jean-Eric VergneXevi PujolarThe guy tried to kill me!
3??DRS enabled
3Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo Nico at 0.9, he has DRS
3??And white H-5 position two, urgent. White H-5, position two.
4Daniil KvyatMarco MatassaCar’s locking.
4Marco MatassaDaniil KvyatOK Daniil, keep going like that. Keep going like that. You’re one-tenth faster than Daniel.
4Daniil KvyatMarco MatassaOK guys, this is ridiculous. Car is front locking way too hard.
4Marco MatassaDaniil KvyatOK Daniil, one click rearward brake bias.
5Nico RosbergTony RossI need information on fuel consumption compared to the other car.
5Tony RossNico RosbergSo you are saving more fuel than your team mate, but continue to save. Gap to Massa, 2.7. You have DRS.
5Fernando AlonsoAndrea StellaAlonso has lost seventh to Hulkenberg’s Force India
We don’t have the power to keep him behind.
5Jules BianchiPaul DavisonIt’s even worse like this on power. It’s even worse on the straights.
5Paul DavisonJules BianchiYeah, the power will feel worse mate. The power will feel worse, but we have a higher top speed.
6Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo just look after that left-front. It looks like we have a little more understeer than the other car.
7Tony RossNico RosbergSo remember Nico, we have the alternative strategy which we’ll be going for which means you need to go longer on this first stint, looking after the tyres.
7Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo let us know if it’s the front or rears that are taking the punishment.
7Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonFront-left and left-rear. Got too much front wing.
8Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaSutil has pitted for soft tyres
Go engine mode position five and torque-8.
8Marco SchupbachAdrian SutilTarget is 17. Target is 17 on that one.
9Angel BaenaMarcus EricssonMultifunction three, position seven. Less higher-speed understeer.
9Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanYour pace at the moment looks OK. We’ll have a look on the pitstop on the rear wing.
10Fernando AlonsoAndrea StellaTyres are worn.
11Dave RobsonJenson ButtonAnd Jenson we are in the window. In the window.
11Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceIt’s really loose rear, but also quite a bit of understeer.
11Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergUse your diff switches to track where the oversteer is.
11Mark SladePastor MaldonadoOK Pastor, your pace is good. Your pace is very good, we’re sticking to Plan-A.
12Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico, go to strat-seven. Both cars strat-seven. Try braking five metres later into turn one.
12Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonAnd go strat mode seven. Strat mode seven, both cars are making the change.
12Antonio SpagnoloKimi RaikkonenHow are the tyres?
12Kimi RaikkonenAntonio SpagnoloYeah my left-front is flat-spotted and it’s vibrating quite heavily. And I get some understeer in the right-hand corners.
13Dave RobsonJenson ButtonOK Jenson, this is good. Massa in front is starting to struggle, bringing Checo back with him.
13Felipe MassaAndrew MurdochI need to think about what to do, because I’m losing the rear tyres [distorted].
13Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaCopy Felipe. Go engine mode position four, torque-7.
13Dave RobsonJenson ButtonOK Jenson, cars are starting to pit. We are still on Plan-A.
14Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinMy DRS is not working any more.
15Craig GardinerEsteban GutierrezSutil has retired following contact with Jules Bianchi
We have a gap behind. Adrian went off at turn one and stopped.
15Marco SchupbachAdrian SutilCan you not continue, Adrian?
15Adrian SutilMarco SchupbachI mean this has to be a penalty here!
15Jules BianchiPaul DavisonI’m turning in and he’s just turning on me!
15Paul DavisonJules BianchiJust be careful, looks like rear-left puncture. Diff entry 12 as well.
16Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieRicciardo is behind Vettel on quicker tyres
We’re losing time like this.
16Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoUnderstood mate.
16Daniel RicciardoSimon RennieWe’ve got to decide what to do.
16Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelSebastian, let Daniel go through please. Daniel is quicker than you, let him by please.
16Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinCopy. I’ll do it 11 – turn 11.
17Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinOK, we should box. No more rear tyres.
17Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelUnderstood.
18Nico RosbergTony RossHamilton has come under attack for the lead by Rosberg
Warn him, that was not on!
18Tony RossNico RosbergCopy Nico, we need you to go to strat-10, you cannot use strat-six.
19Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian, you’ve realised the undercut. Ricciardo – 42.6. Respect the beeps, please. Respect the beeps.
19Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoBox, Daniel. Box. Box this lap.
19Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergWe’re on strategy two. Strategy two.
20Tony RossNico RosbergSo using DRS push hard now for two laps, push hard for two laps, thenwe got to [medium] tyre, alternative strategy.
20Tony RossNico RosbergHamilton pits from the lead
Push hard, Nico! Push hard. Fuel is fine, fuel is OK. But you can still do lift and coast to look after the tyres later in the second stint.
20Gianpiero LambiaseSergio PerezJust make sure we’re not late on the DRS down the straight from turn 10 to turn 11, Checo. Make sure you use the wing button as soon as you hear the tone.
20Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian the cars ahead are for position but we think the majority of them are three-stopping.
21Marco SchupbachAdrian SutilOK Adrian, box box. Ignition four. Ignition four. OK Adrian, we retire. You drive forwards into your garage. Watch Dominick.
21Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian, you’re minus-three, Button. He stopped around the same lap as you – we think you’re on the same strategy.
21Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, Nico boxing this lap. You are four seconds safe.
21Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico, need bite-point seven and box, box, box.
22Tony RossNico RosbergRosberg pits for medium tyres
So Nico, this will be a long stint on [medium] tyres.
22Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, we need to manage these tyres. Get the most out of them, minimise our time on the Mediums.
22Paul DavisonJules BianchiAnd Charge-9, Jules. Charge-9. Let’s try and get some tyre temp back. Front, minus five. Rear, minus ten.
22Tony RossNico RosbergAlready have oversteer now.
23Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK, Raikkonen and Vettel ahead are doing 41.0s. Cars ahead are doing 41.0s, you’re catching them at six tenths a lap.
24Felipe MassaAndrew MurdochMassa is behind his team mate Bottas, with two Force Indias close behind
He’s losing his rears. He’s losing his rear tyres.
24Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaCopy that, understood. Try and use this to get by him.
24Tony RossNico RosbergSo you’re currently quicker than Lewis. You’re on Mediums, he’s on Softs. So remember, looking after the tyres on the stint.
24Mark SladePastor MaldonadoOK Pastor, you’re doing a good job but we’re a little bit late on the tones, so try to lift on the tones please.
24Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeOK, copy that.
24Gary GannonMax ChiltonMax, we need some fuel saving. A little hard coasting and we’ll see where we are.
25Valtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsRears are starting to go, so be ready.
25Valtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsI would like to box now if possible.
25Jonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasCopy, we’re boxing now. So box now, Valtteri.
26Mark TempleKevin MagnussenAnd Kevin box this lap. Box this lap, confirm.
26Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoRicciardo is challenging Raikkonen for tenth
OK, think about using ‘overtake’, exit 13 and exit 14. Use ‘overtake’ in both places.
27Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaPerez has passed Hulkenberg after his team mate failed to pass m
OK, expecting Massa in, Checo. Let’s get by him.
27Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceHe didn’t leave a space there. He just pushed me right off.
28Jenson ButtonDave RobsonDRS is not working. DRS is not working.
28Dave RobsonJenson ButtonOK Jenson, understood. We’re going to manual mode. So ‘X-0-1’, please. ‘X-0-1’ and use DRS at the line.
28Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceDid you copy that with Massa?
28Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergYeah, we copy that Nico. There’s not a lot we can do about it now. We’ll talk to Charlie…
28Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceInterrupting
Talk to Charlie. It’s pretty obvious!
28Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergYeah, we’re doing that. You concentrate on driving, mate.
28Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceJust give me some feedback. Don’t leave me alone here!
28Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergOK, so Massa will be pitting shortly we believe. At the moment, we’re in P5.
29Gianpiero LambiaseSergio PerezPerez has passed Massa
Excellent job, Checo. Let’s break his DRS – use the ‘overtake’ button in a straight line.
29Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, so relatively speaking, sector one is the weakest.
29Gary GannonMax ChiltonIn now Max. Clutch-8, torque-2.
30Tony RossNico RosbergSo Nico the pace of the [medium] and the [soft] is different than we expected.
30Craig GardinerEsteban GutierrezKobayashi in front is most likely two-stopping – you’ll have to overtake him on track.
31Valtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsBottas has to take avoiding action to prevent running into Raikkonen in turn one
What was he doing?
31Jonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasI don’t know, did he push you off the track? Let me know what he did, we’ll get straight on to Charlie.
32Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceRears are going away now. Starting to drop quite a bit.
32Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergCopy that, Nico. Keep pushing for the temperatures. Keep pushing.
33Max ChiltonGary GannonThe right-hand side of the cockpit’s getting pretty toasty.
33Gary GannonMax ChiltonUnderstood Max. Engine temps are OK, so it must just be the insulation. Engine temps OK.
34Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGood job, Sebastian. Hang in there. We need a few more laps to make sure our last stint is not too long.
34Gianpiero LambiaseSergio PerezBox and pit confirm, Checo.
35Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, we’re safe on fuel. So no more lift and coast.
35Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI heard you, man! I’m looking after my tyres.
35Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinI’m just starting to lose a lot of time now. Drop the front wing – minus eight.
35Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelBox, box, box. Torque map one and box.
36Mark TempleKevin MagnussenOK Kevin, we’re racing Maldonado in front for position. Remember, use overtake button.
36Marcus EricssonAngel BaenaI’m losing power!
36Angel BaenaMarcus EricssonStop the car, stop the car now! Stop the car. Go to P-1, disconnect auxillery battery and then P-0. Car is safe, car is safe.
37Felipe MassaAndrew MurdochCan’t understand.
There’s a problem with the [?] again. But we still got a better strategy [?]
37Gary GannonMax ChiltonNo fuel saving, push to get him.
38Tony RossNico RosbergSo will be rich-6 as the end of this lap. Still if you can find more time it’s helpful.
38Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoMagnussen is on ten lap old Softs. Magnussen is three-stopping, he’ll need to stop again.
39Jenson ButtonDave RobsonHow are we looking on fuel?
39Dave RobsonJenson ButtonYou’re doing a good job, JB. We need fuel-5 to the end, but we’re OK.
39Antonio SpagnoloKimi RaikkonenTo go to the end we need 20 gram less every lap. Twenty less every lap.
40Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelAlright Sebastian the expectation is at the end you’ll be under press from three-stoppers.
40Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeWe need to stop too. I have no more rear tyres.
40Tony RossNico RosbergSo braking later into turn 11 for earlier apex and better exit.
42Esteban GutierrezCraig GardinerThe Safety Car is deployed as Maldondo pitches Gutierrez into a roll
Woah! What was that?
42Craig GardinerEsteban GutierrezAre you OK?
42Esteban GutierrezCraig GardinerI’m OK… I think I’m OK. I will not go out of the car.
42Craig GardinerEsteban GutierrezThumbs up Esteban.
42Craig GardinerEsteban GutierrezJust put the thumbs up if you’re OK, otherwise you wait.
42Pastor MaldonadoMark SladeWe broke something in the front.
43Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanOK brake temperatures are both lower, both front and rears.
43Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI’ve got a lot of push at the apex of corners, but I don’t want to go back on my rear- on my brake bias cause I seem to be locking rears.
43Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis if you go diff init three. Diff init three. Then we’ve got two HPP switch adjust. So will be HPP-11 to one. HPP-2 to mode one.
43Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonIs Nico on new tyres?
43Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonAfrim, Lewis. Nico behind on the Soft tyre.
43Nico RosbergTony RossShould I try and burn fuel behind the Safety Car?
43Tony RossNico RosbergYou can use low gear, high revs to burn fuel. Tyre temperatures are… ten front and ten rear currently. Brake temperatures are even and OK.
44Kevin MagnussenMark TempleMagnussen has retired
OK, gearbox has gone… gearbox has gone.
44Mark TempleKevin MagnussenOK, understoood. Pull over. Pull over where it’s safe and then switch the car off completely.
46Guillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelOK Sebastian, for reference, you’ll probably have one less lap of racing laps on these stint thanks to the Safety Car compared to your middle stint.
46Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonSo Lewis, obvious I know, but you’re good on fuel so there’s no need to lift and coast. We’re pushing to the flag.
46Paddy LoweLewis HamiltonLewis, it’s Paddy.
46Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonWhat’s up?
46Paddy LoweLewis HamiltonTen laps left to race, can we just make sure we bring both cars home.
46Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonLapped cars are allowed to overtake the Safety Car
Will the Safety Car let the others catch up?
46Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonThey will do, Lewis. They may release it early though.
46Paddy LoweNico RosbergNico, it’s Paddy here. There are about ten laps left to race. Can we make sure we just bring both cars home.
46Nico RosbergPaddy LoweOK.
46Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaOK, Safety Car will be in this lap. You can go back racing from exit turn 15.
47Dave RobsonJenson ButtonAs the race resumes Button is warned about the clutch problem which has already claimed his team mate and will eventually put him out of the race.
And Jenson, just be aware. Your shifts will be poor, I’m afraid. Shifts will be poor.
47Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoFuel is good to the end, fuel is good.
48Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonI’ve got no power!
48Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, we’re looking into it. All looks OK on the data.
48Romain GrosjeanAyao KomatsuI have no rear grip!
48Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanOK, that’s because tyre pressure is still low. It’s coming up.
48Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoNice job, mate. Let’s keep going.
48Paul DavisonJules BianchiLooks OK at the moment there. You’re doing a good job. Every straight lift.
49Tony RossNico RosbergWhen you’re ready to attack, it will be strat-6 and you can use the overtake. Battery is 80%.
49Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaOK good job, just keep the pressure on Ricciardo.
50Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergSo your energy store is low so you only need to use the ‘overtake’ button when you really need it.
51Sebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinI’m really, really slow in the straights. Losing out on the tow, really losing a lot.
51Lewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonIs Nico on strat 6?
51Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonAffirm, we’re just mirroring what they’re doing.
51Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK, so let’s go back strat-3 when you can. We’re just going to mirror them.
51Nico HulkenbergBrad JoyceIt’s not obvious who Hulkenberg is referring to here. The last incident he was involved in on track was his unsuccessful attempt to pass his team mate at the restart on lap 46.
What an idiot.
52Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonRosberg is challenging Hamilton for the lead once again
So use ‘overtake’ where you need it.
53Jenson ButtonDave RobsonYou guys going to tell me whether I have DRS or not, or are you just going to keep quiet?
53Dave RobsonJenson ButtonOK Jenson. Default, ‘X-4-6’.
53Brad JoyceNico HulkenbergRed Bulls behind are fighting with each other. As you get further on, your Mediums will be better than theirs. So just keep it nice and tidy and just use your speed.
53Tony RossNico RosbergNico, strat-3 to charge the battery. You can still use overtake.
54Simon RennieDaniel RicciardoRicciardo has passed Hulkenberg for fourth
OK good job, mate. Let’s get after Perez now.
54Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis, you can use ‘overtake’ on the exit of corners now. Use ‘overtake’ where you need it.
55Ayao KomatsuRomain GrosjeanOK Romain, which corner did Kvyat go outside of the track limit?
55Romain GrosjeanAyao KomatsuHe did two times in 13, one time in turn two.
55Gianpiero LambiaseSergio PerezSo Checo, Ricciardo half a second faster – at that rate, he will not close on us. So this is an excellent job. Keep doing what you’re doing. Focus.
56Andrew MurdochFelipe MassaKeep using the ‘overtake’ button if you need to.
57Andrea StellaFernando AlonsoLast lap, Fernando. Last lap.
57Peter BonningtonLewis HamiltonOK Lewis. You’ve got the energy. Use ‘overtake’ everywhere now. Use ‘overtake’.
VLPeter BonningtonLewis HamiltonHamilton crosses the line to claim victory, ahead of Rosberg
Nice work there Lewis! You had us all going there for a minute, mate.
VLLewis HamiltonPeter BonningtonFantastic job this weekend, guys! We didn’t really have the pace on this side of the garage but we still held on to it. Let’s work on that. Thanks.
VLPaddy LoweLewis HamiltonFantastic job, Lewis. Fantastic. And really great racing, well done.
VLPaddy LoweLewis HamiltonFantastic job Nico, and best of all great racing. Very well done.
VLTony RossNico RosbergAnd then someone should tell me that the sport is boring…
VLGianpiero LambiaseSergio PerezWow! Wow! P3. Fantastic job, Checo. Thank you very much.
VLSergio PerezGianpiero LambiaseYeah guys! Thank you very much. Woah, that was a hard race! Thank you very much guys, amazing job.
VLSimon RennieDaniel RicciardoOK mate. Very, very good job today. Excellent. I reckon one more lap, you’d have done him mate. Good effort.
VLDaniel RicciardoSimon RennieYeah, true that big homie. Got close at the end. All right, cheers boys. Thank you. Good comeback.
VLSimon RennieDaniel RicciardoThat was very good racing that, mate.
VLBrad JoyceNico HulkenbergWell done Nico, P5. Well done.
VLGuillaume RocquelinSebastian VettelGood job, Sebastian. Good job.
VLSebastian VettelGuillaume RocquelinI did what I could. For some reason I was nowhere on the straights… absolutely nowhere.
VLChristian HornerSebastian VettelYou got everything you could out of it, so, all the points add up at the end of the year. Well done.
VLAndrew MurdochFelipe MassaOK Felipe. Good job from your side. P7.
VLJonathan EddolllsValtteri BottasGood race, Valtteri. So P8. Not our day today, unfortunately.
VLValtteri BottasJonathan EddolllsThanks guys, well done. Good points again, but… just need to have a look at ourselves. We could have done better today.
VLMarco MatassaDaniil KvyatP11, Daniil. P11. Good effort from you today, it was not easy.
VLGary GannonMax ChiltonOK Max, chequered flag. Chequered flag. Great job. You’re P13. Well done Max. So you beat Kobayashi and Bianchi and Maldonado as well.
VLMax ChiltonGary GannonGreat job guys, we did well at the end. The car was so much stronger in the last half, but we didn’t really be able to use it because of the saving. But yeah. The car balance was pretty good.
VLGary GannonMax ChiltonUnderstood Max. Good job buddy.
VLMark SladePastor MaldonadoOK Pastor, good job mate. Pace was good actually, that race. Shame about the incident at turn one, that’s really hurt us. But otherwise your pace was pretty good and we could’ve picked up some points there, potentially.
VLPaul DavisonJules BianchiVery tough race, mate. But we got through it. We’re classified. So we are P16. Kobayashi is P15, Maldonado P14 and Max is in P13.

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.

Bahrain Grand Prix data

Image © Lotus/LAT

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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46 comments on “2014 Bahrain Grand Prix team radio transcript”

  1. Didn’t Kimi scold his engineer ??

    1. Yes he did, but the message wasn’t played on the main world feed broadcast or on the pit radio channel, which is where the messages above are from. It was played on the official F1 app and was noted on F1 Fanatic Live at the time:

      https://twitter.com/f1fanaticlive/status/452843580433113089

      Unfortunately I’ve not been able to find a means of playing it back and I didn’t want to include it without being certain of what he was saying. But he did sound pretty annoyed!

      1. Ok, thank you so much for clarifying.

      2. Wonder if Ferrari had veto on radio transmission too….

        1. No – all pit-to-car transmissions are unencrypted, and always available to FOM.

  2. Thanks a ton Will. Always look forward to the transcripts here, so much insight and good stuff to sink the teeth into!

  3. Kevin Magnussen really needs to be careful before he becomes another crasher like Maldenado.

    1. oh c’mon he is the new halmiton, besides has only crash twice out of three, plus mad-onado flips people around !

  4. <blockquoteWe broke something in the front.

    Pastor Maldonado is a legend

    1. yeah Pastor, it was a Sauber

      1. Guillermo Deutsch
        9th April 2014, 16:18

        +1000

      2. @keithedin

        That’s why I hate this guy . He rams someone , flips the other car and goes like
        ” I think I broke a little bit of front wing but the pace is good “.
        Total disregard for everything else. Sheesh what a personality!

    2. “We broke something in the front. ”

      No you didn’t…… you (Censored ) !!
      steamrolled something in front rather ..

    3. It’s funny cause he says “we broke” – no Pastor, you alone broke it, you clown.

      1. @andrewf1

        I think Pastor is using the royal we.

    4. I think last time someone flip cars around got a race break, most likely Mladonado is bribing someone corrupt in FIA

      1. The worrying thing about this is we have had 2 significant crashes with the low
        nose this year and now really worry about lifting the struck car.
        Something actually should be done.

  5. Gotta love Ricciardo “Yeah, true that big homie” ;)

  6. Since when did Rennie become big homie ?

  7. Shame about the incident at turn one, that’s really hurt us.

    Seems it’s not just Maldonado himself who needs a clip round the ear. What an arrogant, selfishly expedient thing to say.

    1. I disagree entirely. I think that’s him trying to be delicate about it to keep his driver happy. Which is, you know, part of his job.

  8. Was there every a replay of the Maldonado/Vergne incident on the opening lap? I don’t remember seeing anything about it throughout the whole race, other than Vergne being incredibly annoyed.

    1. Yeah I’d want to see that too

  9. From 3 races in Ferrari, Kimi looks to have the raw pace but Alonso is smarter. Alonso uses more fuel in the beginning of the race to gain places at the start but also to reduce up to 0.1s per lap and cruising by the end, also if safety car appearing then he doesnt have to save fuel anymore. Kimi had more stable lap times whilst Alonso is more fast-slow-fast-slow lap times. Kimi is also too careful with the opponent and mostly keeps his racing line rather try to block them.

  10. @keithcollantine
    Mistake:
    VL Paddy Lowe Lewis Hamilton Fantastic job Nico, and best of all great racing. Very well done.

    Should be:
    VL Paddy Lowe Nico Rosberg Fantastic job Nico, and best of all great racing. Very well done.

  11. Nguyen Phan Duy
    9th April 2014, 18:05

    Hi guys, I’ve found this site recently, it’s very cool to find out team radio transcripts… This is the first time I read a full team radio transcript and so it seems to have so many strange things to me, as the following ones. There’re quite a lot of terminology :d.

    (1) PR- Ham: What is the “yellow line” ?
    (2) PR-Ros: I dont get what the figures 8.5 and 9.5 are. Otherwise, the engineer said to him on the formation lap :” all the gears are learnt”. Im not sure, but I guess the drivers have to use everygear on formation lap to make sure these’re smooth, that’s why he said “learnt”. Is that correct ?
    (3) Does the phrase “Rolling bite-point” at the beginning of the race mean the drivers have to roll the rotary to the “BITE” point on their steering wheel ? Because I see on the wheel of a W05, there’s a “BITE” on the second place of the middle rotary. But on lap 21, Ros needed “bite point seven”. So what is the “seven” ?
    (4) Lap 28: for Hulk: He asked his engineer for copy something. I guess they wanted to complain something to Charlie. But it seemed having no collision between Hulk and Mas, so what made they needed to talk to Charlie.

    Can anyone explain ? Thanks a million !

    1. 1) The “yellow line” is a little yellow line next to the grid hatchings that the drivers use as reference to make sure they are in their grid slot correctly. You can see it at the back of this image.

      https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/merc-hami-bahr-2014-10.jpg

      2) 8.5 and 9.5 are the tyre temperatures I believe (so they where at 108.5 and 109.5 degrees Celsius ). By “learning the gears” I think they mean they have to synchronize all the gears in the gearbox by changing into them during the formation lap.

      3) “Bite Point” refers to the clutch bite point. The bite point adjusts how the clutch engages as the drivers release the paddle, so they can execute a perfect launch. As I understand it, they have 2 clutch paddles to use at the start. They hold both down and when the lights go green they release one fully and then release the other gradually to feed in the power properly to get the best start possible. They seem to have to find the bite point when they are rolling and standing still, and most steering wheels have a “BP” switch on them. The “7” probably just refers to the fact that they have multiple bite points available.

      4) When the drivers say “copy” on the radio they usually do it to say they have acknowledged an instruction. When Hulk said “did you copy that” he was probably just checking the team saw whatever bothered him so they could get on to Charlie if necessary.

  12. RE No. 27

    Nico says Lewis didn’t leave a space. Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t the rule that you have to leave a space in the braking zones when defending, and not as Nico is suggesting, to have to leave space all the time – otherwise what is the point in defending?

    1. @nick-uk According to Alonso “all the time you have to leave a space”. ;)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_sMZG0MLcc

    2. it was very much a “in the heat of the moment” comment @nick-uk, I think Rosberg himself mentioned after the race that it had been tough but fair racing all along.

  13. Interesting to note that Seb had absolutely no qualms about letting Dan through. Yeah I understand that it wasn’t for the lead of the race but it tells me one thing, Seb was unhappy about Mark ignoring orders and taking the fight to him at the Brazilian GP 2012 and that was probably the reason why Seb didn’t think twice before ignoring the orders.

    A lot had been said about Seb thinking of himself above the team and even fingers were pointed at Christian Horner for his lack of leadership to tame the German Bull but I really feel there was more to the Multi 21 saga than met the eye.

    1. Webber was weaker than Vettel so Vettel didn’t see the point, I think he respect Ricciardo much more as drives the cars faster than himself !

      1. I think the situation is very different. In Malaysia last year he was happy with the car, and probably quicker than his teammate. This year in Bahrain, he wasn’t happy with the car at all and not very quick either. So instead, he played the team game when there wasn’t anything he could gain by not allowing RIC to pass.

        1. @me4me I think it’s mainly because there was no strategic reason for him to be held behind Webber last year. He was faster, they were both in contention for the win and on their last stints, so he should have been allowed to go for it.

          This was a different situation entirely: it was early in the race and a purely strategic call to allow Ricciardo to use the pace advantage of his tyres, which Vettel should in theory have later redressed. It did not fundamentally compromise his race, whereas multi-21 blatantly did.

          He is compliant when there is reason to be essentially is the conclusion. In Malaysia he stole the win because he was the faster driver, quite simply.

  14. “Seb was unhappy about Mark ignoring orders and taking the fight to him at the Brazilian GP 2012”

    Yeah, and Mark was probably unhappy about having is brand new front wing ripped off his car and put on his championship rival and teammates car right in the middle of a tight season.

    Not bad for a number 2 and all that…. Redbull created the problems themselves :]

    1. For starters, Mark never wanted the front wing as seen from the FP sessions and thus it’d make sense to give it to Vettel who was on pole as well… making himself out to be some victim since he doesn’t have the ability to beat Vettel in a straight fight and you know that. Even in 2010, it was Vettel who bore the brunt of reliability issues, most notably Australia and Korea where he should have won but retired through issues beyond his control.

      1. To be fair to Mark, even though he didn’t have a massive opinion on the wing he still wanted it on his car, Seb liked the feel yes, but as far as I know the entire team knew it was worth time (hence the reason for having it). It was also before qualifying that it was swapped over.

        Your better argument would be to ignore Mark and Seb in the situation and just go with the “whoevers ahead in the championship gets the priority on parts if there isn’t enough to go around”. It’s a reasonable position, so no need to knock Mark to try and make your point.

  15. Nothing from Kobayashi? Very disappointing. Kamui’s every sentence is filled with wisdom and humour but all that is listed are inanities from all of the other drivers. One can only assume that this is a CONSPIRACY!!!

  16. Homie ! lmao

  17. I dont understand what the “diff swithes” is, on lap 11. Can anyone explain ?

    1. They are the settings for the differential. The cars all have switches for “entry” “mid” “hi-speed” and “exit” to adjust the effect of the diff at different stages of the corners.

      http://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/news/2014/2014-tech-guide-steering-wheel/

  18. There were much radio between Alonso and his engineer…. or are they not sharing it?

    1. apparently Italian TV have more Ferrari radio broadcasts than the FOM release.

  19. I am crazy about this and was wondering about that Lotus guy.. Thanks a lot for providing the chat between them.. I am really enjoying reading all this stuff..!!!

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