By Renault F1
December 6 2006

What follows is 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.

Transcript: Renault F1 Team race radio, 2006 Brazilian GP

 

Part 2.  (Continued from Part 1)

 

What follows is 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

...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!