New on-board radio between Wolff and FIA successful experiment: 'For the viewers'.

F1 News

10 May 2021 at 08:28
  • GPblog.com

During the Spanish Grand Prix there was a first for the public. For the first time radio communication between the teams and the FIA was broadcasted live. The scoop was given by Toto Wolff who expressed his dissatisfaction with Nikita Mazepin and the blue flags. Lewis Hamilton was chasing Max Verstappen at that moment and the Haas driver didn't move fast enough.

To The Race Michel Masi, F1's race director, explains that this new addition has been in development for some time. "It actually came up during a consultation with the F1 committee last year, so that viewers can hear what the communication is like between the pit wall and the teams, as that is something we do very often.

FIA board radios to be heard more often?

"Yesterday was then for the first time that we really started doing it." Masi acknowledges that the teams already knew and were informed that this could happen. "The team that does the broadcast has been testing with it a lot recently to see how it's going to look."

So in Barcelona, it was the first time we saw the FIA logo accompanying the animation of an on-board radio, but it certainly won't be the last. The new addition was well received by fans and is seen as an additional addition to further enhance the fan experience.