“We could be P1”: 2017 Singapore GP practice team radio highlights

2017 Singapore Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso aimed another barb at Honda on the radio shortly before McLaren announced their split from the engine manufacturer.

Here’s the highlights of what the drivers had to say during practice.

First practice

The track was still drying out from an afternoon thunderstorm when the first session began.

To Hamilton: “You were on target with the start.”

“Low grip at turns one two.”
Hamilton: “Track is still damp in many places.”
“Let us know if it’s too damp to get a run.”

Sean Gelael had his first run in an official F1 practice session with Toro Rosso.

To Gelael: “De-activate DRS 50 metres earlier manually. Do it manually.”

Singapore Grand Prix practice in pictures
Hamilton: “It’s relatively tricky conditions. It’s dry but there’s patches everywhere. Just running to get laps it’s fine.”

Wehrlein: “The tyres are ice cold.”
“Understood.”

To Hulkenberg: “OK Nico we need fail B12 on, please, it’s urgent.”

To Massa: “We need an important switch change: Multifunction A flow 13.”

To Vandoorne: “Yellow G10 and purple C12 position two.”

“Comments on balance?”
Palmer: “Understeer on entry, bit of understeer at the last corner, and oversteer on traction, especially turn ten.”

“Are you OK.”
Palmer: “Yeah I lost the brake pedal for a second there.”

“Temperatures are good to keep pushing if you wish.”
Ricciardo: “I’ll do a cool-down.”

Stroll: “I have a problem with the engine.”

Bottas: “The tyres are gone.”
“OK.”

To Hamilton: “Lewis we need to take a cool-down lap. Front calipers are too hot. Cool down then box.”

Fernando Alonso took note of how his Renault-powered rivals were doing.

“Fernando we suggest doing an out-lap and a warm-up lap to keep the pack charging. You have Raikkonen plus 11 on a flying lap. Verstappen plus 13 on a flying lap.”
Alonso: “Oh my god. Really?”

“Looks like the pack’s coming up OK so we can do a flying lap in G3 and we’ll save the G1 lap for later.”
Alonso: “It’s OK we do whatever. We need to do more important test than the G3 lap, so it’s OK.”
“OK understood.”

“I would suggest definitely a cool-down lap. Currently you are quickest on a 42.4. Quickest in sectors two and three. Do you want to do another lap, question?”
Ricciardo: “I’ll start it and see.”

“Would you like another attempt?”
Alonso: “No, please no.”
“For info you are currently P7 on the times sheets.”
Alonso: “For info, we could be P1…”

To Bottas: “We think you need to be going more forwards on brake balance in the last sector.”

“Let us know your tag level.”
Hamilton: “I don’t know what this tag level is.”

Bottas: “The rear end is just un-driveable, it’s moving around so much.”
“OK, might be worth trying a cool-down lap.”

“On the back-up radio now, radio check.”
Hamilton: “Copy.”

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Second practice

Carlos Sainz Jnr went off at turn 18 at the beginning of the session and again at the end.

“All OK with the car, Carlos?”
Sainz: “Yeah give me one second. I went straight, had to reverse.”

Verstappen: “Gears are the same?”
“Correct. Focus on your exit of 21, give away a little bit on the entry to 20, more speed through 22/23.”

Kvyat: “Oh it was a bit [censored by FOM] exit of last corner with Kimi.”
“Yeah it wasn’t nice.”

Lance Stroll had another new track to get to grips with.

“OK Lance that’s three green sectors again. So we do have fuel to do one more slow and a push if we can still learn anything, which three green sectors would suggest so.”
Stroll: “Yeah we’ll keep going.”
“Copy that.”

To Stroll: “Braking point for ten looks good, come off the brakes earlier and carry the minimum through ten.”

To Stroll: “And then brake slightly later for turn 11.”

Several drivers made contact with Singapore’s unforgiving barriers while others, such as Romain Grosjean, had spins.

Palmer: “I just kissed the wall on the left-hand side.”
“OK. Tyre pressures are looking good.”

Grosjean: “Well I don’t know what to say, mate, I don’t know what to say.”

Verstappen: “Rear tyres are already gone second lap.”

Verstappen: “I brushed the wall. Should be OK.”

Vettel: “I brushed the wall exit of ten. Check the car.”

“OK let’s try and put some front temp in.”
Stroll: “I’m doing everything I can.”

Sainz: “Quite of a lot of understeer, just to let you know. Not very good feeling to start with.”
To Sainz: “Understood. if you need a flap adjust we are not shy so we can do a flap adjust in front of the garage.”

To Raikkonen: “Engine temperatures are all fine as We discussed before.”

To Hulkenberg: “OK Nico we’re going to box this lap. We’ve got a small issue. Cool the car on the way in, please.”

2017 Singapore Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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24 comments on ““We could be P1”: 2017 Singapore GP practice team radio highlights”

  1. He could also be P1 if he gets his team mate to crash for him again…

    1. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
      15th September 2017, 17:46

      Hahahaa Tom you are right. I guess that’s why the best teams don’t want a guy who claimed to know nothing when Renault cheated, yet he had all the info about Spygate and used it to get acquitted.

      1. used it to get acquitted.

        ?

        1. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
          15th September 2017, 19:51

          @davidnotcoulthard to be considered blameless. How long did he know before the blackmailing on Dennis?

          1. @omarr-pepper Whoops I thought you meant SG 2008 instead of spygate

    2. What about the 2nd Safety car Tom when Lewis in the much faster McLaren was bunched up behind him?

  2. I expect to be even more entertained by Alonso now that McL and Honda parted ways.

    1. You can call it entertaining, but I think it’s a bit disrespectful. If I were a teamowner I would put someone else in the car after that answer. If he hates to drive for the team, find someone else.

      1. Toto’s comments about him justified million times. His comments past their funny phase a long time ago, he is all out damaging reputations and brand recognition!

        I expect from him the “my carts are faster” comment after this split is officially confirmed…

      2. Fortunately I am not the team owner

      3. Alonso is a crybaby. Always moaning about this and that and so on. Nasty towards teammates when he’s beaten. No respect for the team. He’s always a liability, always looking around for a better deal at other teams.
        Useless.

      4. He is out of contract in 2 months. So presumably nobody will employ him right?

  3. I really don’t like Fernando. Never have. Great driver. But disrespectful of anyone and everyone.

    1. @magon4 I thought it was just me being a cantankerous old f4rt, but I get the same impression of Alonso. One of the greatest drivers in F1, but a tad on the shady side to say the least (re. @omarr-pepper above).

  4. This looser if he has a car worthy of champs, it is his teammate who is at fault, if his car isnt worthy, his engine supplier is at fault, he is always the best man and everyone around are just bunch of losers… well well well… like he said KARMA!

    1. I would have loved him to go to Redbull and then have his ass whipped by DR so badly that he left F1 for good ,this guy is such a primadona ,starting to remind me of Montoya just before he left McLaren .Zac must be out of his mind to keep him on board for 2018

      1. I understand Alonso’s frustration. McLaren Honda approached him, made lots of promises about being great again etc…. but have failed to deliver…

      2. problem is, i doubt he would get his ass whipped by Dan!

        1. You’re kidding right ,DR , HAM or even Vettel ( whom I personally don’t rank that high) would have Alonso for lunch in the same car .Alonso is a self promoting train wreck for any team moving forward , 33 mill pounds for what ,a whinger and a bitcher that demoralises teams ( yes if he hadn’t left Ferrari they would have thrown him out eventually)
          If Renault thinks that The abuse from R’Bull was bad wait till they hook with this primadona .

  5. Nothing wrong with what he said. Macca’s chassis must be fantastic; hence the frustration over the power of the engine.

  6. I’d take Max over Crysonso any time. what a donkeyhole.

    1. Max’s contract is still with RB. Think before posting please

      1. We have seen that with Sainz, are you Horner? Think yourself.

  7. At the fast approaching end of the season when Alonso is out of contract. McLaren’s rich owners and management will inform us what they think of Alonso

Comments are closed.