"If the radio steals the show, it's because the race lacked interest": the drivers take a stand

Since 2006, conversations between drivers and teams on the radio have been broadcast to the general public at each race. Formula 1 has evolved a lot since its beginnings, especially since the arrival of social networks, thereby increasing the pressure of public opinion on the pilots.

The retransmission of communications sometimes gave rise to unusual exchanges, ridiculed on social networks and reflected in the image of the teams, as during the 2025 Australian Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc. " Is there a leak? " asks the Monegasque to his engineer Bryan Bozzi: " A leak where ? » replies the Italian. “ My seat is full of water " retorted pilot No. 16. " It must be the water " explains the engineer. Amused but not surprised, the pilot Ferrari concluded ironically: " Let's add that to the list of words of wisdom. "Apart from these entertaining scenes, the pilots – already under a lot of adrenaline – must, however, moderate their comments in the cockpit.

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Are radio stations played too much during races?

Interviewed in press conference on the sidelines of the United States Grand Prix on the pressure generated by the systematic broadcasting of radios, Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto and Fernando Alonso share the same opinion. The excessive radio broadcasting in Formula 1 only marginally enriches the race. If a footballer or other sportsman had a microphone and his words could be broadcast, the points of view would be very different, illustrates Oliver Bearman, using a comparison that comes up regularly. With the amount of adrenaline and pressure we're under in this sport, when you turn on the radio and want to share your frustration or feelings with your engineer, you don't think about the whole world population that could hear you. So it's a shame that this is being broadcast and it should be a little more controlled."

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"When the radio steals the show, it's often because the race lacked interest."

Franco Colapinto, for his part, confirms his colleague's statements. “ It's sometimes difficult to measure what we say. I think it's a very different sport from others. We have to deal with a lot of external things. (including the crowd before the race, editor's note), explains the Argentinian. The fact that radio is accessible to the whole world is sometimes difficult to manage, he continues. We We must weigh our words too carefully. Should we also weigh what television shows and what it doesn't? Sometimes what we say can seem a little exuberant"

The experienced Fernando Alonso agrees with his colleagues. For the driver Aston Martin, radio messages in Formula 1 are " sometimes useless, poorly disseminated and poorly chosen. They are misunderstood 99,9% of the time.” underlines the double world champion, who distinguished himself in the exercise in Singapore by chaining together radio messages tinged with his usual irony against Isack Hadjar, of Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer. “These are private conversations with your engineer or your team. […] When the radio steals the show, it's often because the race lacked interest. This is something we need to improve. »

While radio broadcasting sometimes limits the frankness of exchanges in Formula 1, it can nevertheless offer the public a better understanding of team strategy and, in some cases, serve to deliberately disrupt rivals.