Pit-to-car radios were introduced in the 1980s, but it was only after the turn of the century that the messages were made available for broadcast. This gave Formula One coverage a new edge, with drivers cribbing, being sarcastic and at times even dismissive of the instructions given.
Jenson Button’s typically dry British humour is often on air, while the radio messages of Kimi Raikkonen are part of F1 folklore, like his famous rant to his race engineer — “Leave me alone. I know what I am doing” — on route to winning the Abu Dhabi race in 2012 for Lotus. The team even made t-shirts out of it.
As much as these conversations have enlivened broadcasts, very little is known about the men/women talking to the driver. The Hindu sat down with one of the most experienced race engineers in the sport, Mark Slade, to discover what’s behind the voice in the earpiece.
Slade has been in F1 25 years and worked with the best — Michael Schumacher (at Mercedes), Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso (at McLaren), and Raikkonen (at McLaren and Lotus). He is currently Chief Engineer at Renault Sport Formula One Team.
“The race engineer is basically the technical liaison between the factory design department and the driver and the other engineers of the operational team that runs the car,” says Slade.
“The race engineer will pass driver’s comments and results of track running to the design office who can then adapt as needed.”
One of the key requirements of the job is being a jack of all trades. “It is difficult for the race engineer at times because they haven’t driven the car,” he says, “but at the same time they have a good understanding of the aerodynamic, mechanical performance of the car. The person needs to have a wide knowledge and a good overall idea so that the specialists can then do their work.”
Race engineers and drivers often strike up close relationships. Alonso and Andrea Stella, Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley — both at Ferrari — and even Slade and Raikkonen are instances of successful tight-knit partnerships. In the case of the first two pairs, both engineers even moved teams with the drivers.
Is the engineer-driver relationship underpinned by a strong personal bond? “I think it varies,” says Slade. “Some drivers have stronger relationships depending on their needs. But it is important to communicate well and relate to each other. He must understand what the driver wants but also explain to the driver what the limitations are in a constructive way.”
In recent times there has been a growing cynicism about the role of the driver and his capabilities, with criticism that drivers are coached by their race engineers. This resulted in a back-and-forth on what could be said on the radio until recently when it was decided to free up communications once again.
No substitute for the driverCan an engineer actually coach a driver to victory? “In a race environment, it is overstated,” says Slade.
“We can give info about tyres and brakes and stuff like if they are too hot or not. But it still requires the driver to do the right things and manage the situations. So I don’t agree when people say drivers are not driving the cars anymore.
“You can’t coach a driver to become great. We just guide them.
“But at the end of the day, it is the driver who has to filter the information and get the best out of the car.”
The one time race engineers can make a significant contribution is when guiding young drivers. Slade says, “With a young driver, you have to make up for the lack of experience.
“It is just a quicker way of learning for the driver than to make mistakes and learn from it.
“For example, we can explain certain characteristics of the tyres and how it is different from the different types of racing he has done previously and why one way of driving might not work.”
Telling the differenceHaving worked with four world champions, Slade is incredibly well-positioned to analyse what separates the good from the great.
“Individually, they had different traits,” he says. “For example, Michael was very methodical in his whole approach while Mika had an incredible talent and a natural flair for driving the car.
“Kimi in my opinion was one of the best test drivers I have worked with in terms of feedback, which is not what some people think and Fernando had incredible determination.”
“But what set them apart is the ability to deal with difficult situations and deliver under pressure.
“There are many drivers who can drive quickly but to maintain that level of performance through lots of different circumstances and do it consistently for a period is what makes a great driver.”
