F1 boss admits mistakes with SECRET radio channels

F1 News & Gossip

F1 boss admits mistakes with SECRET radio channels

McLaren and their radio calls garnered a lot of attention in 2024

Originally written by Simmey Hannifin Donaldson. This version is a translation.

Monday 13 January 2025 18:30

Andrea Stella has admitted to making some mistakes with a SECRET radio channel on the Formula 1 pit wall.

A lot more pressure was heaped on the shoulders of Stella and his McLaren team last season when they were catapulted into championship contention, with increased scrutiny going hand in hand with the increased success.

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They did not always cope well with this, either, with every error or questionable call made by the pit wall magnified due to the intensity of fighting for a championship.

Take the Hungarian Grand Prix, for example, where the team were embroiled in a row over team radio with Lando Norris after they used him to undercut Oscar Piastri and then demanded he give the position back, or the Italian Grand Prix, where they were mocked for using the term 'papaya rules'.

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McLaren came in for heavy criticism after the Hungarian GP

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Andrea Stella admits McLaren mistake

In a YouTube video released by McLaren, Stella, Zak Brown and Randy Singh can be seen in discussion regarding the 2024 season, with one topic discussed being how things work out on the pit wall.

As it turns out, there are secret channels for certain individuals to talk to each other, with Zak Brown admitting: "When you hear all the channels, feels like the whole team’s on the pit wall with you, which is cool,"

"I can see you guys [Stella and Singh] talking on your double, triple top secret channel from time to time, always wonder what they’re talking about right now.”

Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have a private channel on the pit wall

Responding to this, Singh revealed that Brown and Stella also have their own private channel for discussions, with Stella admitting to a mistake he makes when using it.

"Sometimes I mix up [the channels], sometimes I want to talk secretly to Zak and I start talking to him, and then I see some faces [on the pit wall] and realise, oh, wrong channel!”

Stella and Brown both later added that their private channel is where they pin the blame: "That's why I use a private channel," Brown exclaimed.

"All the blame is on the private channel," Stella added.

Lewis Hamilton Formula 1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Andrea Stella