The Miami Grand Prix was a memorable one for several drivers – not least of which race winner Lando Norris.
But beyond the top spot, emotions were high across the field, from Esteban Ocon holding onto Alpine’s first point of the season to Oscar Piastri being left with a bittersweet feeling as damage dropped him out of the points.
Here are some of the most interesting team radio snippets from the Miami International Autodrome.
Jump to:
Hamilton and Hulkenberg’s shared problem
Perez’s near-miss
Alonso’s phantom brake press
Ocon’s “perfectly timed” VSC
Magnussen misses out at restart
Piastri’s unplanned pit stop
“No time” for Ocon switch change
“Well done to Lando”
Hamilton and Hulkenberg’s shared problem
The minutes before the formation lap before the start of a race give drivers and their engineers their final opportunity to go over those crucial details before they are committed to the grand prix.
Nico Hulkenberg was unhappy with the state of his rear-view mirrors and politely pointed that out to race engineer Gary Gannon.
| Lap: 1/57 HUL: 1’40.159 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hulkenberg | You good on radio, Gary? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gannon | Loud and clear. Nico. Four minutes till we go. Track temp is bouncing between 44C and 48C, depending on the [unclear]. Four minutes till we go. Four minutes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hulkenberg | Four burnouts, yeah, you want? Four? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gannon | That’s correct, Nico. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hulkenberg | There is some shit on this mirror lens. It’s not clean. It’s patchy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hulkenberg | Haas mechanics begin wiping his left-hand mirror Like in the middle. |
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The driver one place ahead of Hulkenberg on the grid – Lewis Hamilton – had the same problem:
| Lap: 1/57 HAM: 1’39.924 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonnington | And Lewis, just got you. Radio check? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | Yeah, loud and clear. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonnington | Okay, thanks. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | There’s a lot of mediums around me.. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | Can you just clean my mirrors, please? Mirrors are dirty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Perez’s near-miss
At the start, Charles Leclerc did not get as good a start from second place as Max Verstappen ahead, or Carlos Sainz Jnr and Sergio Perez behind. However, Perez’s attempt to dive up the inside into turn one almost ended in disaster as he came within centimetres of hitting his team mate and pushed Sainz very wide in the process, allowing Leclerc to retain his second position through the first corners.
| Lap: 1/57 LEC: 1’35.697 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leclerc | Freaking hell, Perez… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marcos Padros | Yeah, copy that. We saw it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the opening laps, Hamilton and Hulkenberg put their freshly-cleaned mirrors to the test by battling each other over seventh place. Hamilton had held the position at the start but the Haas driver passed Hamilton with a bold move around the outside of the first corner on lap two.
Hamilton passed Hulkenberg into turn 10, but then locked up into the turn 17 hairpin and ran wide, handing the place back. The two drivers continued to spar for several laps, before Hamilton eventually got ahead on lap 10.
| Lap: 6/57 HAM: 1’33.679 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonnington | So 0.6 ahead, 1.7 behind. So 1.9 behind still. Turn 17 exit, maybe think about magic. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | Okay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 7/57 HAM: 1’34.466 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonnington | Think about strat mode ‘seven’ when you’re ready. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | Hamilton passes Hulkenberg into turn 11 We nearly just had a big crash there. |
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| Bonnington | Yeah, copy. We saw that. Hulkenberg 0.8 behind. You’ve got 3.5 ahead to Norris, still focus on that turn 17 exit. Hamilton runs wide under braking for turn 17 and loses position |
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| Lap: 8/57 HAM: 1’34.621 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamilton | Very poor grip on these tyres. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonnington | Copy that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alonso’s phantom brake press
The majority of the field were planning to complete a single pit stop during the race, which required them not to burn through their starting tyre sets so they would not be left with too much distance to complete the second and final stint. But some drivers were experiencing vibrations on their medium tyres.
One of these was Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, who had locked up his tyres early on. This had the unusual effect of causing vibrations in his brake pedal, so much so that Alonso’s telemetry led his team to incorrectly believe he was making small dabs on the brake pedal along the back straight approaching turn 17.
| Lap: 4/57 ALO: 1’34.022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | As Alonso exits turn 16 So, Fernando, last lap you touched the brake pedal. You’re resting your foot on the brake pedal down here. So just keep your brake pedal foot completely off when you don’t need it. |
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| Lap: 6/57 ALO: 1’34.060 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Left toggle off, please. Left toggle off. And just so you know, you are touching the brake very slightly when you open DRS, both straights. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | No. Negative. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Okay understood. We’re just seeing a little bit of brake pressure, but we’ll find out what that is. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 8/57 ALO: 1’33.751 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Fernando we think one click rearward brake balance is good. One click rearwards from where you are now. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 9/57 ALO: 1’34.006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Albon behind has lost DRS. If you can, avoid the exit kerb of eight, that is good for the tyres. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 11/57 ALO: 1’35.199 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Can consider down one click diff high-speed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 13/57 ALO: 1’34.657 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | Deployment is strange on the back straight, I think. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | …brake pressure noise we can see. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 14/57 ALO: 1’34.618 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | Well… got a sensor fault or something? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | Yeah, yeah. We’re trying mate, we’re trying. There’s not anything we can do it just yet. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | It’s only there, or there are more places? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | It’s only there and a little bit before 11, a little bit before 11. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | Do you want me to press energy? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | No, negative. Can you just try holding the brake pressure, holding the brake pedal by point… Like two bar, three bar, just to stop it bouncing? The brake pedal’s bouncing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 15/57 ALO: 1’34.350 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | So that was a lot better Fernando. So if you could just hold your foot on the brake pedal just a little bit like that, 0.2 bar, 0.3 bar. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | Only there isn’t it? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | So you can do a little bit, we need it at the end of this straight. So at the end of this straight, for the last 200 metres, two bar on the brake pressure, that’ll be good. This straight is not as bad as the other straight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cronin | So that’s good. That’s good. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 17/57 ALO: 1’34.260 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alonso | Yeah, obviously not super happy with these tyres so think about strategy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ocon’s “perfectly timed” VSC
On lap 22, Max Verstappen had a twitch of oversteer heading into the chicane, which sent him across the kerb, striking the bollard as he went. The dislodged marker ended up being carried by the Red Bull around turn 16 before falling off and coming to a rest in the middle of the track at the start of the long back straight.
The Virtual Safety Car was eventually deployed and 10th-placed Esteban Ocon was able to take advantage of the opportunity to pit and lose less time as a result. This meant he lost only three places by pitting which would have likely been more under green flag conditions.
| Lap: 21/57 OCO: 1’33.867 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | We’ve got a ‘track surface slippery’ warning, back straight. That could be debris. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ocon | Ocon passes bollard out of turn 16 Yeah, the bollard is in the middle of the track. |
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| Peckett | Understood. Safety Car windows are open, Esteban. Safety Car windows are open – both. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 22/57 OCO: 1’42.357 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | So, Esteban I think that bollard is on the Racing line on the right hand side. You can get past it staying to the very far right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Stick with It. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | ‘The Virtual Safety Car is deployed as Ocon exits turn 17 VSC! Box, box. VSC – box, box. |
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| Ocon | Esteban in. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Okay mate, it’s going to be a busy pit lane. Watch the lights, watch the lights. Hard tyre, one turn down. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 23/57 OCO: 1’51.928 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Ocon leaves pit box Okay, good. Okay, Esteban. Just positive on the delta. VSC ending – perfectly timed! Okay, let’s get ready for the restart. |
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A handful of laps later, Kevin Magnussen collided with Logan Sargeant at turn three, pitching the Williams into the wall and putting him out of the grand prix. Soon after, the full Safety Car was deployed, benefitting all of those who had not yet pitted, just like leader Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda, running in seventh, who was able to pit for hard tyres without losing any places.
There were no radio messages broadcast between Sargeant and his race engineer following the crash – perhaps reflecting the frustration of the Williams driver to be taken out of his home grand prix.
| Lap: 28/57 TSU: 1’47.670 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spini | Safety Car is deployed while Tsunoda exits turn 16 Safety Car. Safety Car. Follow the reference. |
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| Tsunoda | It’s good timing, no? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spini | It’s good timing. So stay close to zero and we are boxing. Box, box, Yuki. Box, box, box. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Magnussen misses out at restart
After colliding with Sargeant, Magnussen had to pit for a new front wing. He was then struck with a ten-second time penalty by the stewards for being “wholly to blame” for the clash. Haas chose to take the penalty under the Safety Car, but the race went green at the end of the next lap. Magnussen pushed to catch the pack, but was too late to reach the rear of the field before the race resumed.
| Lap: 28/57 MAG: 2’26.123 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade | You’ve got front wing damage, Kev, you’ve got front wing damage. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 30/57 MAG: 1’43.269 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade | Track clear turns two and three. The problem we’ve got is Norris is well ahead of all the rest of the cars, so everyone’s going fast. So you’re still 22 seconds behind Bottas, he’s now seven seconds behind Stroll. Norris has just caught the Safety Car so the pack is going to start closing up shortly. And we have a 10-second time penalty. Mode ‘push’, Kev, mode ‘push’ to catch up with the pack. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 31/57 MAG: 1’40.373 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade | Box, box, box. We’re taking the penalty, Kev, we’re taking the penalty. So it’s a 10-second penalty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 32/57 MAG: 1’55.086 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade | Magnussen leaves the pits after serving his penalty We’re 30 seconds behind the pack and they are restarting at the end of this lap. Pack’s 21 seconds ahead. Norris is dropping back from the Safety Car. Gap is 16 seconds. Okay, you’re not going to catch them, they’re going. Gap ahead is 14 seconds. |
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Piastri’s unplanned pit stop
Oscar Piastri ran strongly throughout the race but a relatively late pit stop just before the Safety Car allowed his team mate to jump ahead of him into the lead. Piastri dropped to fourth between the two Ferraris.
After multiple laps of battling, Carlos Sainz Jnr passed the McLaren into the turn 17 hairpin but slid wide and clipped Piastri’s front wing, causing damage that forced the McLaren to pit.
| Lap: 40/57 PIA: 1’40.795 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Piastri | Sainz passes Piastri after contact There’s a massive vibration. |
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| Stallard | Copy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | We see front wing damage. We see front wing damage. So we think we should box and replace the front wing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Piastri | I feel like I have more than front wing damage but I have a massive vibration. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | So we’ll box this lap, Oscar. Box this lap. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Piastri | Copy, box. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 41/57 PIA: 1’53.723 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | And launch map. Launch map. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | So we’ve replaced the front wing. We removed some debris from the rear wing. Let’s see if the vibration’s cleared up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Piastri | Yeah, vibration’s gone now. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 43/57 PIA: 1’30.634 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | So Oscar that that was purple. Lando last lap 31.0. Magnussen four seconds. We don’t want to take any risks with contact on these cars you’re going to have to drive through. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Once the race restarted on lap 33, none of the 19 drivers intended to pit again before the end of the race. A few DRS trains formed throughout various points in the pack, but the biggest one was behind Alexander Albon in 13th.
Daniel Ricciardo was one of the cars behind the Williams and he struggled to be able to make progress due to the dirty air effect.
| Lap: 46/57 RIC: 1’32.845 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamelin | Okay, Daniel, where’s the limitations? How can we help you? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ricciardo | Mostly it’s just dirty air. Just the exits and the straight line’s a struggle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamelin | Okay. Copy. So others are able to run closer to each other and we are struggling on exit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ricciardo | Yeah so that’s the front. When I get really close, the front goes and I lose the rear on exit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamelin | Okay, use your switches please. Let’s try different things. Push toggle last corner. Let’s be proactive and try to find solutions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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“No time” for Ocon switch change
The final part of the race was a straightforward affair with only three position changes inside the top ten places across the final 25 laps of the race. One of these was Ocon losing ninth to Alonso.
Alpine tried to give Ocon more power on his power unit, but he was too concerned with watching out for Alonso in his mirrors to defend.
| Lap: 43/57 OCO: 1’32.280 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Okay mate, 14 laps to go at the end of this one. Fourteen laps. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 45/57 OCO: 1’33.348 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Alonso is stalking Ocon within DRS range Esteban, fail-B ‘0-0, OK’ – extra performance. |
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| Ocon | No time! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 46/57 OCO: 1’33.497 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ocon | When you can, fail-B ‘0-0 OK’. Extra performance. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 48/57 OCO: 1’33.946 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ocon | I’m running out of battery… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Okay, mate, stick with it. We need to watch for Hulkenberg, who is another 2.5 seconds behind Fernando as well. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Alonso passes Ocon Okay, let’s try and stick with Fernando’s DRS. Nine laps to go at the end of this one. |
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Although Ocon lost out to Alonso and was being caught by Hulkenberg, putting his and his team’s first point of the season in jeopardy, the Alpine driver managed to keep his pace up enough to lead the Haas to the line by just over a second.
| Lap: 55/57 OCO: 1’32.146 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Three laps to go. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 56/57 OCO: 1’32.136 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Two laps to go. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 57/57 OCO: 1’32.467 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Last lap. Last lap. Single press overtake available now and after [turn] 16. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chequered flag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | And that’s the chequered flag. Well done, mate. P10. First point. Let’s go to scenario-12, please and be saving fuel on the way around. Okay mate, well done. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Yeah, sorry. I need to take my breath. I know we should not be happy for P10, but yeah, we fought for that one. Yeah, yeah. Let’s go get some more. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peckett | Absolutely. Okay, so we’ll be driving off line all the way around, please. Okay and a drinks reminder as well. Hopefully it’s still cold… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“Well done to Lando”
The chequered flag at the end of the race saw Norris claim his first grand prix victory of his career and McLaren’s first win since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, while Piastri came home 14th on the road after his late pit stop. Amid the whooping and cheering on the McLaren pit wall, Piastri’s engineer Tom Stallard commiserated with his driver who had put in a strong performance across the weekend despite not having the same level of upgrades that his race winning team mate enjoyed.
| Chequered flag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | Okay, Oscar. P13. P13. Can I have recharge ‘on’, ACS ‘off’. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stallard | Sounds of cheering in background Mate, frustrating afternoon for you. You drove better than that result – much better than that result. The positive is that the stuff that went wrong isn’t on you. The other car won the race, drove away from Verstappen for the whole of the last stint – won by nearly eight seconds. And you’ve got that in Imola. |
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| Piastri | Yeah. Yeah, well done on the win, everyone. We really deserve that, so congratulations. Well done to Lando – first win. Very, very well done. Yep. Feel like we deserve a lot more. I hold my hand up – I’m sorry. It was a shit second half of the race. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2024 Miami Grand Prix
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