The transcript of the radio conversations between the Renault F1 Team pit-wall and its drivers during the decisive 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Where required, explanations of events have been provided.
FB: Flavio Briatore
PS: Pat Symonds
SN: Steve Nielsen, Sporting Manager
RN: Rod Nelson, Chassis Race Engineer to Alonso
AP: Alan Permane, Chassis Race Engineer to Fisichella
RT: Rémi Taffin, Engine Race Engineer to Alonso
FL: Fabrice Lom, Engine Race Engineer to Fisichella
Other: General team members on the radio
At 13:59, one minute before the formation lap, the engines of both cars are fired up. The team removes the tyre warmers, and the cars remain stationary on the uphill slope of the Interlagos grid, until the final set of red lights is extinguished.
SN: Remember the fifteen second rule [NB: no mechanics can touch the car less than 15s before the start].
RN: Muy buena suerte.
RN: 20 seconds… 15 seconds… 10 seconds…
The drivers make their practice starts, and complete the formation lap.
AP: Giancarlo, that practice start was perfect, same again please.
PS: Gavin [Hudson, race team chief mechanic]. There is a lot of rubbish on the circuit, paper bags and the like. Please be aware of duct cleaning at the pit-stops.
GH: OK Pat.
RN: Fernando, your start settings are fine. Remember to go to fuel mixture 5 and revs 7. [NB: the drivers adjust fuel mixture and rev settings throughout the race according to the strategic situation]
AP: Revs 8 please, revs 8.
The race starts and both drivers make a clean get-away. Fernando is running fourth behind Massa, Raikkonen and Trulli. Giancarlo crosses the line sixth, behind Barrichello, but passes the Brazilian on the brakes into turn 1.
AP: Beautiful mate, beautiful. There is a yellow flag somewhere, I will let you know where.
Nico Rosberg has just destroyed his Williams against the barrier in turn 14, leaving debris all over the circuit. There may also be debris in turn 4 after a collision between the two Williams.
AP: There is a Williams off somewhere, there may be debris on the track. We don’t know where yet.
ALO: Safety Car?
AP: Safety Car! Safety Car! Mixture 1 please.
RN: Safety car is out. We are not in the window, do not pit.
RN: There is a lot of debris about, we are not sure where it is though… (Pause) It’s in turn 14, turn 14.
ALO: OK.
RN: OK mate, I think this will be quite a long one. Michael is in P6 just behind Fisi. Race order is MAS RAI TRU ALO FIS MSC BAR RSC.
On the pit-crew channel, a radio check is conducted to make sure that all the mechanics can hear the instructions that are given to them during the race.
Graham Tingey: Pit crew, show of hands please.
RN: Fernando, you are doing a nice job of keeping the rear pressures high, keep it up.
The lights on top of the Safety Car go out on lap 6.
RN: Safety Car is in this lap.
AP: Safety car in this lap. Try and get some temperature in the rear tyres please.
RN: Mix 5 and Revs 7 for the restart.
AP: OK Giancarlo, Mix 5 and inhibit cruise at the restart. Revs 8. Michael is right behind you mate, so think about Turn 12 as well.
FIS: OK.
Giancarlo keeps the charging Schumacher behind for as long as possible, but the German dives round the outside of the Renault into Turn 1 at the start of lap 9 – after crossing the line just 0.010s ahead of Fisico. Into Turn 2, it becomes apparent that the Ferrari has a left-rear puncture.
RN: Fernando, Michael is now behind you. [Rod has not yet seen Michael is slowing]
AP: Revs 6 please Giancarlo. Michael has a puncture, you need to push as hard as you can.
RN: Revs 4 please. [The engine is turned down as soon as the team spots Michael’s puncture]
RN: Michael is going very slowly, very slowly indeed. He has a flat tyre, he’s changing the tyre, he will switch to one stop now.
ALO: Where is Michael?
RN: He’s P19, P19 at the moment. He has done his stop, and he’s going to lap 53. He is 63 seconds behind you.
The first stint unfolds without incident. The drivers consolidate their position, and try to maintain close to the cars in front ahead of the upcoming pit-stops.
AP: Giancarlo, tell me about the car. How is it?
FIS: It’s poor grip, and I have some understeer.
RN: Fernando, you are target +2 now mate. [The Safety Car has allowed Fernando to save fuel and he is now running 2 laps beyond his original pre-race target lap]
AP: Giancarlo, you need to get away from Barrichello. You are 2.4s in front, and he is lapping in 1:14.0.
RN: How is the car mate?
ALO: It’s OK, low overall grip, but OK.
AP: Revs 7, and push push Giancarlo. Barrichello is lapping in 1:13.6 now. [With the pit-stops approaching, the team increases the available revs to allow Fisico to build a cushion]
AP: Giancarlo, do you want more front aero at the pit-stop?
FIS: Yes, yes.
AP: [To the pit-crew] When Fisi stops, please go 1 turn up on each side of the front wing Fisi. [The team will increase the angle of the front wing by one turn, giving Fisico more front downforce to cure the understeer]
AP: In now please, in now [It is lap 21]
AP: [To the pit-crew] 30 seconds.
Nozzle check. [Before every stop, the team ensures the nozzle of the fuel rig is functioning correctly]
AP: 15 seconds guys, 15 seconds.
The pit-stop goes smoothly and Fisico rejoins the race ahead of Barrichello.
RN: Are you still OK with the balance Fernando?
ALO: Yes OK, OK.
AP: Revs 7 please Giancarlo. Keep pushing, this is looking good.
RN: Pit now please mate. 30 seconds. [It is lap 26]
ALO: OK.
Nozzle check.
RN: 15 seconds, that’s 15 seconds.
Fernando comes to a halt in the pit-lane.
RN: Brake and revs, brake and revs.
Fernando pulls away from the pit box after a successful stop.
RN: Limiter, limiter.
Fernando leaves the pit-lane.
RN: Remember the yellow line, remember the long yellow line.
RN: Mixture 6 please, mixture 6. We are 30s, three zero seconds, ahead of Michael. He is in P16.
Fernando has rejoined the race in P5, ahead of RAI who stopped five laps earlier in his McLaren. Fernando is behind the one-stopping De La Rosa who has not yet pitted, and Massa. It is lap 27.
RN: DLR is in in three laps, three laps. Oil bomb please, oil bomb. [It is lap 32]
ALO: OK.
RN: DLR in this lap mate. [It is lap 35] Mixture 5 please mate, mixture 5.
RN: OK mate, Michael is now in P8. He is 20 seconds behind us.
AP: Giancarlo, your second pit-stop is at target +3. You need to get away from Barrichelloa in this stint, you need to be 2 or 3 seconds in front and at the moment, the gap is 0.9s. Push, push.
RN: Fernando, you are target +7, target +7.
ALO: OK.
Both drivers have been fuelled longer than the original pre-race plan, based on the longer than expected first stints, the car’s pace and what rivals around them have done.
AP: Giancarlo, this is good. Keep it up, because it’s still really, really tight to Barrichello. Try and get down into the mid 13s.
ALO: Blue flags.
RN: OK mate. Fernando, race order is MAS, ALO, BUT, RAI, FIS, BAR. Michael is 7th, 15 seconds behind us.
On lap 46, Barrichello pits and Fisico has three crucial laps in which to build and conserve his track position over the Brazilian.
AP: Barrichello has just pitted, you need to push mate, come on!
RN: Oil bomb please mate.
ALO: OK.
On lap 49, Fisico is called in for his second stop.
AP: In now please mate, in now. 30 seconds guys.
Nozzle check.
AP: 15 seconds, 15 seconds.
The stop once again goes smoothly, and Fisico rejoins in front of Barrichello and Michael Schumacher.
AP: Revs 8 please, revs 8. Fisi, you are in front of Barrichelloa and Michael, in front of both of them.
As Button pits behind Fernando, the team turn up the revs of the RS26D to allow Fernando to build a cushion for his final stop. It is lap 50.
RN: Looks like BUT in this lap mate, Revs 5 please, revs 5. Mixture 6.
ALO: Which target do we have?
RN: Target plus 6 now, target plus 6.
ALO: OK.
AP: Revs 6 please, revs 6.
As Fernando continues to circulate towards his planned stop on lap 55, he begins to catch lapped traffic, with Liuzzi the first car in line. Not wanting to take any risk passing backmarkers or losing time, he warns the team on the radio.
ALO: I may catch traffic before my stop, be careful.
RN: OK mate, we’re on it already.
AP: Oil transfer please, oil.
ALO: I will arrive in the traffic soon!
RN: I know mate, we are going target plus 5 now, that should be OK for us.
On lap 54, one lap earlier than planned, the team calls Fernando into the pits.
RN: Pit now Fernando, thirty seconds.
ALO: OK.
Nozzle check.
RN: 15 seconds, 15 seconds.
RN: OK mate, brakes and revs, brake and revs.
RN: Limiter, limiter.
RN: Remember the long yellow line, remember the yellow line.
ALO: Where is Michael, where is he?
RN: He is in P6, stuck behind Fisi. He is 8 seconds behind you.
Schumacher will spend 12 crucial laps behind Fisichella, during which he loses the possibility of gaining enough time on Button and Alonso to finish second and take the constructors’ crown from Ferrari. It is a fabulous piece of defensive driving from Fisichella against a much faster opponent.
FIS: Blue flags, blue flags.
RN: Oil bomb please mate.
ALO: OK.
On lap 63, Schumacher finally passes Fisichella.
RN: Michael has just got past Fisi. Race order is: MAS ALO BUT RAI MSC 5th FIS 6th.
On lap 64, Heidfeld’s BMW crashes heavily into turn 1.
AP: Yellow flags in turn 1, there may be debris on the track.
RN: There is debris on the circuit in Turn 1, and a car is stopped outside. Yellow flags.
FIS: Blue flags.
AP: We’re on it mate.
RN: Yellow flag is clear. Raikkonen is keeping Michael behind him nicely now.
AP: Oil transfer please and mixture 6 please Giancarlo. And revs 5 please, revs 5.
On lap 69, Schumacher squeezes past Raikkonen into turn 1.
RN: Michael has passed Raikkonen, Michael has passed Raikkonen now mate and he’s flying, he’s in the 12s.
AP: Revs 3 please Giancarlo, revs 3 please.
Fernando crosses the line at the start of lap 71, with Schumacher back in P4.
ALO: Last lap?
RN: Yes mate, last lap.
SN: Last lap guys, last lap. [The words from Steve mean that both team cars are on their last lap and the team can begin to congregate on the pit-wall to welcome them home]
FB: Yes Fernando! Campeone del mondo ancora!
Over the radio, Fernando begins laughing and whooping with joy.
PS: Well done Fernando.
Giancarlo crosses the line in P6 – and the team has done the championship double.
AP: Well done mate, we’ve done it, we’ve done it.
PS: Well done Fernando, you’re a star. Well done Fisi.
ALO: Thank you guys.
FB: Bravo Fisi!
ALO: We have won both championships again, both champions. This is justice! This was the real championship guys. Very good, so very good.
RN: You were pretty good yourself mate. It’s been a fantastic, fantastic year, well done. Come on!
FIS: Fantastic job guys, well done!
AP: Great job from you, fantastic.
ALO: Thank you guys. Merci, merci à tous. Thank you. You have done a fantastic job all season, all season.
PS: Thank you Fernando.
ALO: This was the last race with you guys. It was the final race, and we have won both championships again. Thank your for all these years, it has been a pleasure for me to work with you with this success, and I wish you the best for the future.
PS: We wish you the best too Fernando.
ALO: As long as the car is not red, I wish you the best!
RN: Don’t worry, we’ll never paint it red mate! Absolutely fantastic, it has been a brilliant year, a brilliant year mate, well done.
RT: It you can make some noise arriving in the pit-lane, it would be good.
ALO: No, no! This engine has to survive, you have to put it in the museum in Viry.
RT: Don’t worry, we will anyway! Thank you, thank you.
RN: Looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor tonight mate!
FL: Fisi, well done!. You can make some noise in the pit-lane for the fans. Give it some high revs, some burns, just for fun, enjoy yourself! Thank you Fisi!
FIS: OK guys, just for fun!
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