From tea breaks to Peter Bonnington’s good looks and the words that Lando Norris has always dreamed of hearing, Formula 1 produced some iconic radio messages during F1 2025.
PlanetF1.com looks back at our 10 favourite.
Bryan Bozzi’s ‘words of wisdom’ to Charles Leclerc
The opening race of the season in Melbourne was anything but predictable, as changing weather conditions made it tricky for the drivers.
For Charles Leclerc, there was an added “water” issue that led to a funny exchange with his race engineer Bryan Bozzi.
Leclerc: Is there a leakage?
Bozzi: A leakage where?
Leclerc: I have the seat full of water.
Bozzi: Must be the water.
Leclerc: Let’s add that to the words of wisdom.
Kimi Antonelli’s ‘looks’ land him Driver of the Day in China
Just two race weekends into his Formula 1 career, Kimi Antonelli earned his first accolade in the sport when he was voted ‘Driver of the Day’ by the fans.
But it wasn’t his charge to sixth that saw him come out on top with the fans, it was, according to Toto Wolff, his looks.
Wolff: Kimi, Driver of the Day, we just saw on the screen.
Antonelli: Me?
Wolff: Ja, interesting no?
Antonelli: Yeah, that’s weird.
Wolff: I think it’s your looks and your target group..
Peter Bonnington: Into the pit lane please mate. Toto’s a real charmer.
Wolff: And obviously the looks of your race engineer also.
Ferrari’s ‘tea break’ irked Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari didn’t go to plan with the driver’s season devolving at times into testy radio exchanges with his race engineer Riccardo Adami.
Hamilton finished eighth behind his teammate Charles Leclerc at the Miami Grand Prix and let vent over Ferrari’s tardiness in issuing team orders in his favour when he felt he had better pace.
Hamilton: You want me to just sit here the whole race?
Adami: I’ll come back to you.
Adami: Want to keep DRS to Charles. Go ahead like this.
Hamilton: Argh, you guys are… This is not good teamwork. That’s all I’m gonna say!
Hamilton: In China I got out of the way when you were on a different strategy.
Adami: We swap the cars… We swap.
Hamilton: Ah, have a tea break while you’re at it! Come on!
Hamilton: This is not good team work, that’s all I’m gonna say.
Leclerc and Hamilton swapped positions but with Hamilton unable to chase down Antonelli, he was told to give the position back to Leclerc.
Adami: We’re gonna swap the cars in T17.
Hamilton: So you don’t think I can catch up or what?
Adami: Yes.
Once again behind Leclerc, Hamilton had Sainz on his rear wing.
Adami: Sainz 1.4 behind.
Hamilton: You want me to let him pass as well?
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Lewis Hamilton left on read in Monaco
Hamilton’s terse radio exchanges with Adami continued in the first half of the season as the two adjusted to their new relationship.
It saw Hamilton seemingly left on read after a tense Monaco Grand Prix during which he and Adami appeared to butt heads several times on his way to fifth place.
Adami: It’s a P5. Lost a lot of time in traffic and then the rest we need to investigate.
Adami: And pick up please. Charge button on.
Hamilton: Tough result. Yeah. Big thank you to the boys, as I said, for fixing the car. It’s not been the easiest of weekends, but we live to fight another day, so yeah. Thanks.
Hamilton: Are you upset with me or something?
Adami did not respond.
When Max Verstappen ‘just crashed’ into George Russell
Max Verstappen and George Russell had a testy battle at the Spanish Grand Prix when the Red Bull driver was ordered to give a position back to Russell, only to seemingly turn in on him.
As the red mist descended, Verstappen drove into the side of Russell’s car in a move that the Mercedes driver told the media, including PlanetF1.com, “felt very deliberate”.
Gianpiero Lambiase: Max, can you let Russell through please? Let him through.
Verstappen: He just rammed me off the road!
Lambiase: But that’s the rules.
As for Russell’s part as the battle played out.
Russell: What the f***?
Marcus Dudley: Don’t know mate.
Russell: He just crashed into me.
That long-awaited first podium for Nico Hulkenberg
It only took Nico Hulkenberg 239 grand prix starts but he got there eventually, the Sauber driver recording his debut podium at a rain-affected British Grand Prix.
A perfect strategy from Sauber saw the German claim Sauber’s first podium in 13 years.
Hulkenberg: Ah f*** me, man. I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done. Oh my god.
Jonathan Wheatley: This has been the most overdue podium in Formula 1 history and you nailed it.
Hulkenberg: Thank you. Unbelievable, guys.”
Gabriel Bortoleto: Nico it’s Gabi, man, you don’t know how happy I am for you. You are a f***ing legend, honestly. Absolutely insane what you did today!
Everyone celebrated, even rival drivers.
Oscar Piastri: At least Hulkenberg got a podium. Not everything was bad today.
First ‘smooth operation’ for Carlos Sainz in Williams colours
Perhaps it was a omen as Carlos Sainz made his way to the grid for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while track-side marshals sang ‘Smooth Operator’.
51 laps later, it was Sainz singing “smooth operations” as he recorded his first podium as a Williams driver with a P3 result, the team’s first full-race podium since 2017.
🎧 Sainz’s radio : “My first smooth operation in Williams” #AzerbaijanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/u7p8TVTB23
— Radio Messages (@radiomessages) September 21, 2025
Fernando Alonso threatened to hit the mute button
From the man who brought us “GP2”, Fernando Alonso has at times had a go at FOM for broadcasting his more negative radio messages.
There was more of that at the Singapore Grand Prix when the Spaniard grew tired of his race engineer Andrew Vizard’s voice in his ear as he raced his way to seventh place.
Vizard: 34 to go.
Alonso: If you speak to me every lap, I will disconnect the radio.
The time George Russell had a McLaren ‘up my a**’
Running behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli at the Mexican Grand Prix, Russell wanted Mercedes to order Antonelli to move over for him as he had Piastri closing in fast.
However, all Russell received in response was Mercedes’ permission to race Antonelli for the position but without team intervention. Russell was not happy.
Russell: Do you want me to let this McLaren pass?
Dudley: No, thank you.
Russell: Ah, I was just checking.
Russell’s frustrations boiled over.
Russell: I’ve got a f**ing McLaren in my ass. A car much quicker than ours. I’m trying to hold position. I’ve got much more pace than Kimi here, and we can fight for a podium.
Russell: I’m happy to give the position back if I don’t achieve it, but my tyres are just getting f***ing sacked here.
Lando Norris, ‘you are the World Champion’
Lando Norris’ race engineer Will Joseph had the honour of being the first person to congratulate the McLaren driver as he clinched the World title by two points ahead of Max Verstappen.
It was a radio message that Norris will most likely never forget.
Joseph: That’s it, mate, you are the World Champion. World champion! Well done, mate, I am so proud.
Norris: Oh s***! Thank you guys. Oh my god, you made a kid’s dream come true. Thanks so much, I love you guys. Thanks for everything, you deserve it. I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad. Thanks for everything. I’m not crying.”
Joseph: Me neither. Mate, you made all our dreams come true. Well done, I’m so so happy. I hate to be a little bit boring, but no burnouts. Or don’t…”
Norris: Thanks, Will. Thanks, Jarv. Thanks, other Will. Oh, we did it, guys. You said you’d cry if we didn’t win, but I hope you cry because we did. Thank you, everyone. McLaren, I love you all. Everyone back in the factory, everyone here at the track. Seven years to achieve this. I love you so much. Thank you, guys.
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