Broadcasting of radio traffic between FIA and teams is not appreciated

During the Spanish Grand Prix we got to hear radio contact with the FIA for the first time. Race director Michael Masi told Motorsport.com that the teams are using this connection less and less.

For years we have been able to listen to the conversations between drivers and their team, but never before have we heard the connection between a team and the FIA. A few weeks ago in Spain, the public could hear Toto Wolff's complaints about Nikita Mazepin on TV. In races after that, similar messages were broadcasted.

Broadcasting these messages is popular among the fans, but according to Michael Masi this is not the case with the teams themselves: "To be honest, I think every sports team is going to use the radio if they know it's there, and that's no different in F1. It's been around for years, but it's only been broadcast recently."

"Now that the teams know it's being broadcast, the radio traffic has actually decreased at the race control. If you look from the teams' perspective, you think twice before asking a question," Masi said.

Last week at the Styrian GP, the public could hear how McLaren contacted Masi following Valtteri Bottas' spin in the pits.