While running at excessive speeds, the racers also chat with their respective teams for tips and other information
Winning a Formula One race is never easy for any racer because there are several conditions to look at during the races. Out of all, communication between the racers and their teams is noteworthy because the teams sitting in the paddock send vital instruction to the racers related to their cars, their competitors, the track condition, pitstop notifications and accidents. Driving at excessive speeds, the racers are constantly in touch with their sides through a radio during the race because they discuss important details when required. However, the racers also share funny remarks to ease up the pressure. In this piece, we’ve gathered some hilarious radio chats shared between the teams and their drivers.
Lando Norris- When a session commences in F1, the racers and their teams share a routine conversation on the radio to check if both the parties can hear each other. It’s a standard radio checking procedure that is done in every racing session, so when in 2019, the engineer of McLaren asked Lando Norris about the transmission; Norris replied by saying, “I’m moving up and down, side to side, like a rollercoaster”.
Esteban Ocon- During an open practice run in Bahrain, Esteban Ocon’s run was obstructed because of Pascal Wehrlein, who was driving extremely slow as per the F1 standards. Ocon radioed his side to object and stated, “I don’t know what Wehrlein’s doing”. In return, the team replied, “Wehrlein doesn’t know what Wehrlein’s doing so don’t worry about him”.
Felipe Massa- Not funny but a controversial conversation in the F1 world took place in 2010. F1 teams are not allowed to order their drivers about who should be the one to cross the finish line early. To dodge a penalty and an inquiry, Ferrari found a way to dance with words. In the 2010 Grand Prix, Ferrari radioed to their first drive Felipe Massa and said, “Fernando is faster than you, can you confirm you understood that message?” In short, Ferrari asked Massa to slow down so that their other driver Alonso could secure the race.
Sebastian Vettel- In a free practice round, Sebastian Vettel radioed his Ferrari crew and said, “There’s something loose between my legs. Apart from the obvious. Something is flying around my feet. I’d be proud if it was what you think it is, but it’s not.” Later on, it was found that the object was a screw.
