Decoding the Mystery Behind Fake Radio Messages in Formula 1

Ever wondered about those seemingly suspicious radio transmissions during a Formula 1 race? From dummy pit calls to drivers expressing concerns about degrading tires, only to mean the opposite, these covert communications are part of the sport’s strategic arsenal. Teams employ these deceptive tactics to mislead their rivals, enticing them to alter their racing strategies.

The Art of Deception: Fake Radio Calls in Action

McLaren recently attempted a dummy call on Red Bull, but the ruse was quickly unmasked by Christian Horner and his team strategists. As anticipated, did not follow through with their feigned move. “It was evident that intended to pit Norris first as we approached the pit stops,” Horner explained to Sky Sports F1. “However, before that, they played a trick on Lando which made no sense to us because he would have emerged onto the track amid traffic. Consequently, we stuck to our plan and did not adjust our strategy in response to their maneuver.

In an interview with Bloomberg (embedded below), Brown shed light on the rationale behind these deceptive radio calls and provided an example of how to discern truth from falsehood during a race.

The Cat-and-Mouse Game: Identifying Deceptive Radio Messages

We ask genuine questions, but we also pose fake ones because all teams are permitted to listen to each other,” Brown explained. “It’s like the third base coach in a baseball game giving signs, but you know when he touches his hat, the next sign counts. Until he touches his hat… so we do that verbally.

For instance, if we ask Oscar, ‘Oscar, how are your tires?’ That is a genuine question. Anything we say after ‘tires,’ if we say anything at all, it’s a bogus question. ‘Oscar, how are your tires doing?'” Brown continued. “What we aim to achieve is a false response from Oscar. So, our competitors, who are trying to predict when we might make a pit stop, are thrown off. For example, if they hear, ‘Oscar, how are your tires doing?’ Bogus question. We want him to respond, ‘I don’t think I can last much longer.’ Then, the other teams speculate, ‘Oh, McLaren might be preparing for a pit stop,’ and they adjust their strategies accordingly.