© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Mercedes Technical Director James Allison further explains the radio communication error that destroyed Mercedes’ race at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
The incident happened when both George Russell and Valtteri Bottas pitted under a Safety Car for a double-stack. Due to radio miscommunication Russell ended up with two of Bottas’ tyres, while the Finn had to have his old tyres fitted back on. James Allison explains the details.
“You have to start by understanding that the radios that the pit crew use can only hear one voice at a time,” says Allison in Mercedes’ race debrief.
“Although they are listening to more than one potential input source, they can only hear one input source at a time, not like a teleconference where you can have several people speaking at once.
“Right at the point where Ron was calling to the pit crew to do the double stack, George was also speaking on the radio.
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“For half of the people on George’s side of the garage, their radios, instead of hearing what Ron was saying the radio, had latched onto what George was saying instead.
“So, one tiny mistake, programming the radios in a way that they could override hearing this really important call from Ronnie Meadows on the pit wall is what caused all that mess.
“We are just lucky, of course, that this happened now, after a championship was settled, or maybe not in next season when everything was live and really counting in the middle of a championship fight,” concluded Allison.
