06/06/2015
NEWS STORY
After days of speculation, courtesy of the official F1 website, new light has been shed on the radio communications between driver and team prior to strategic nightmare.
In the wake of mounting speculation and rumour, and though all parties concerned might want to "move on", the transcript reveals that Hamilton wasn't entirely blameless in terms of that fateful stop, believing that teammate Nico Rosberg had pitted - though the team clearly got its sums wrong.
The transcript, detailing the communications between Hamilton and his engineer Pete Bonnington in the aftermath of Max Verstappen's accident which saw the Virtual Safety Car activated, is as follows:
Pete Bonnington: "So, just a reminder, you are in your Safety Car... Virtual Safety Car. Virtual Safety Car. So look at your dash, look at the boards. Keep positive. Stay positive. And you are staying out."
PB: "So we are staying out and you are just staying positive."
PB: "Okay, Lewis, a Safety Car has been deployed."
Lewis Hamilton: "Are you sure it's the best thing to stay out?"
PB: "Nope, we will be boxing the end of the lap. Boxing the end of the lap. So just stay positive. Stay positive. We are going to go +1 ½ turns for the option tyre unless you tell us different."
PB: "Okay Lewis, just give us pit confirm."
PB: "Okay, so we are now staying out. Staying out. Staying out. Just confirm on the radio."
LH: "Guys, that's not good. These tyres have lost all their temperature. Everyone is going to be on options now."
PB: "Okay. Copy, copy. Box, box. Box, box."
PB: "So, cancel brake magic. Cancel the brake magic."
PB: "Caution on pit entry."
PB: "RS modes. RS modes."
PB: "So, cancel RS. Watch the line on pit exit."
LH: "What's happened guys? Guys, what's happened?"
PB: "Okay, Lewis, so we got caught behind. So we're just getting a look now, just having a look now. Just reviewing the video. So stick the brake warming on, let's get some temperature into these brakes."
PB: "Okay, Lewis. So we have lost the marshalling system so we may need to do something to override DRS."
LH: "I've lost this race, haven't I?"
PB: "Not if they lose all their tyre temp. They're on the prime tyre. You've got very good options on the car at the moment."
LH: "How many laps left?"
PB: "We've got 13 laps remaining."