When F1 team radio goes wrong: Max Verstappen explains Mexican GP mess

F1 champion Max Verstappen has explained Red Bull’s team radio fiasco involving Gianpiero Lambiase during the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.

Strategy decisions usually take place behind the scenes in F1, but during last Sunday’s race those watching at home were let into Red Bull’s strategy deliberations when Lambiase made an error.

On Verstappen’s onboard footage, Lambiase’s voice emerged over team radio, where he asked: "What are we doing? Staying out Max."

Lambiase continued to discuss Verstappen’s race strategy, without realising the Dutchman could hear every word.

The race engineer then continued: "Yep so, are we on a one stop or a two stop at the moment? Right, okay," with the response in the Red Bull garage not heard over his microphone.

Once Lambiase had finished discussing Verstappen’s strategy, the champion made his voice heard, and said: "I can hear everything!"

Verstappen responds to F1 team radio mix up

Speaking to the media after the Mexican GP, Verstappen was asked about the team radio mix up, to which he laughed and dismissed the incident: "I think Lambiase was just hitting the wrong button. It wasn't meant for me."

During the race, Sky Sports F1 pundit and former strategist Bernie Collins remarked on the blunder, where she stated it was less than ideal to hear your team unsure on strategy as a driver, and revealed that she had a beep in her ear for when she had pressed the button which spoke to the driver so that she knew when she wasn't just talking to other team members.

For Verstappen however, the mix up had no broader implication on the champion’s race result, and he instead leapfrogged ahead of his rivals who decided to make a second pit stop.

During the closing stages of the Mexican GP, Verstappen was within DRS range of Charles Leclerc in second place but a late virtual safety car caused by Carlos Sainz prevented a last lap duel for the position.

Still, after Mexico, Verstappen is within 36 points of championship leader Lando Norris, with four rounds remaining in the 2025 title fight.

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