F1 breaks new ground at Spanish Grand Prix as Toto Wolff’s radio moan about Nikita Mazepin to race director Michael Masi is broadcast live to TV audience
- The Austrian addressed race director Michael Masi directly during the F1 race
- Wolff said ‘Blue flags, Michael’ as Haas’ Nikita Mazepin delayed Lewis Hamilton
- Masi said broadcasting messages involving race control was a new innovation
Formula One broke new ground on Sunday when a radio message from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to race control during the Spanish Grand Prix was broadcast to television audiences.
Wolff addressed race director Michael Masi directly when Haas’s Russian rookie Nikita Mazepin delayed Mercedes’ seven-time world champion and eventual winner Lewis Hamilton on lap 26.
‘Blue flags, Michael,’ viewers heard the Austrian say. ‘This guy makes us lose the position.’
F1 broke new ground at the Spanish Grand Prix with the broadcast of a message to race control
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff addressed race director Michael Masi directly during the F1 race
Masi said the broadcasting of messages involving race control was an innovation agreed between Formula One and the governing FIA.
Viewers have previously heard only communications between teams and drivers over team radio.
‘It actually came about through a discussion at an F1 Commission meeting last year so they (the fans) could hear, as part of the broadcast, the communications between the pit wall and the teams,’ he said.
Masi said revealing messages involving race control so fans could hear was a new innovation
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the race in Barcelona to extend his championship lead
‘The F1 Group, through their broadcast, has been doing some trials in the background… and all the teams were advised and this weekend’s the first time it’s gone live to air.’
Hamilton eventually triumphed in Barcelona, his third victory in four races this campaign, after a superb drive to catch Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen overtook the Brit at the first corner but Hamilton later fought back from a 23-point deficit in just 18 laps, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 14 points.
