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‘Stop telling me I’m racing people’: Familiar frustrations on Hamilton’s radio in finale

Autobayng News Team05 views

‘Stop telling me I’m racing people’: Familiar frustrations on Hamilton’s radio in finale

Lewis Hamilton and race engineer Ricardo Adami shared a laugh as the final race of 2025 came to an end.

But the communication between the pair throughout the race was not up to the same standard demonstrated by the three championship contenders, whose exchanges were notably calmer and more effective.

Hamilton at least managed to produce a face-saving recovery drive into the points positions following a spirit-crushing third consecutive elimination in the first round of qualifying. That ensured he was not out-scored by the driver who took his place when he left Mercedes at the end of last season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

He climbed eight places to eighth despite more of the testy exchanges with Adami which have characterised his 2025 campaign. Hamilton was particularly frustrated to receive his first instruction regarding track limits when he had already been given two ‘strikes’ by race control – four triggering a five-second time penalty – following which he reported a dozen instances of rival drivers committing the same infraction.

Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix radio messages

“Out-lap critical”
“Everything is looking peachy”
“I know I’m racing him”
“Pay attention track limits turn one”
“Do I need to overtake?”
“Stop confirming!”
“I’ll always fight for you guys. Grazie.”

Out-lap critical

Hamilton started the race on soft tyres and made an early pit stop.

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Lap: 1/58 HAM: 1’39.335
Adami K2 off. [unclear]
Lap: 2/58 HAM: 1’30.113
Adami DRS enabled.
Lap: 3/58 HAM: 1’30.883
Adami That’s P13. Bearman ahead 0.8.
Adami The Safety Car window is open.
Lap: 5/58 HAM: 1’30.254
Adami Suggest 100 metre lift-and-coast for brakes.
Adami We completed lap four.
Hamilton Understood. Rears starting to get hot.
Adami Understood.
Lap: 7/58 HAM: 1’30.539
Adami Early entry 15 for better tyre saving and tyre phase update when you can.
Hamilton Tyres okay, a little bit hot.
Lap: 8/58 HAM: 1’32.249
Adami And let me know for front wing.
Hamilton Balance feels pretty good, it’s just rears getting quite hot.
Adami Understood.
Adami Box, Lewis, box. Pit confirm and box.
Lap: 9/58 HAM: 1’48.500
Adami Torque map four.
Adami Out-lap critical and SOC four.
Adami Hulkenberg approaching. And go SOC four, Hulkenberg 0.9 behind, out-lap critical.
Adami Hulkenberg 0.8 behind.
Lap: 10/58 HAM: 1’28.517
Adami And SOC six and status three.
Adami Car ahead 12 seconds. And target lap time 29.4. Currently P18.

“Everything is looking peachy”

Hamilton’s early visit to the pits meant he was able to enjoy some time in clear air, which helped him to gain ground on others ahead.

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Lap: 11/58 HAM: 1’29.022
Adami And diff entry five suggested. Don’t trail the brakes into nine.
Hamilton How’s this pace?
Adami It’s very good. No one responded to us, so everything is looking peachy. Good lap times.
Lap: 12/58 HAM: 1’29.598
Adami Little more management for tyres in three, [unclear] speed.
Lap: 13/58 HAM: 1’29.473
Adami And Verstappen race leader lapping in 29.5 started with some graining. Also for Norris. On medium.
Lap: 14/58 HAM: 1’29.276
Adami And target lap time update: twenty nine five.
Hamilton Tyres not feeling great.
Adami Copy that.
Hamilton Getting a snap going into turn five [unclear].
Adami Taking a look.
Lap: 15/58 HAM: 1’29.574
Adami For turn five tighter line and gentle throttle application. Racing Russell out of the pits.
Lap: 16/58 HAM: 1’29.461
Adami You’re good on tyre management.
Hamilton Hard to get much faster [unclear].
Lap: 17/58 HAM: 1’29.299
Adami We’re still on our target lap times.

“I know I’m racing him”

Hamilton told Adami more than once he did not need so many reminders which cars he was in competition with.

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Lap: 18/58 HAM: 1’29.700
Adami Improve entry speed in five, tighter line, suggested.
Hamilton Okay.
Adami And early entry turn six.
Lap: 19/58 HAM: 1’29.841
Adami We are P11.
Adami Exit speed last corner to improve.
Hamilton Info on car behind.
Adami Hulkenberg car behind, racing him, 0.9. Same strategy.
Hamilton I know I’m racing him, I know.
Lap: 20/58 HAM: 1’30.736
Adami And Antonelli lap time ahead of Russell, 31.1.
Lap: 21/58 HAM: 1’31.793
Adami And P10.
Adami Apex speed turn one to improve.
Lap: 22/58 HAM: 1’30.535
Hamilton These tyres, aren’t feeling great.
Adami Copy that.
Hamilton They’re still alive, but definitely sliding around behind me.
Adami Understood. Keep fighting, overtake those two cars.
Lap: 23/58 HAM: 1’30.076
Adami And go SOC six, energy available, overtake.
Adami Try to improve entry speed of one.
Adami Car behind is Alonso.
Lap: 24/58 HAM: 1’29.866
Adami No DRS for Antonelli.
Adami And good job out there.
Lap: 25/58 HAM: 1’29.810
Adami And Stroll lap time 30.0 ahead.
Adami And P8. Is Alonso car behind, 1.1 behind.
Hamilton Is he on fresh tyres?
Adami Yeah, he was lapping 29.4, previous lap.
Lap: 26/58 HAM: 1’29.644
Adami Car behind is now Antonelli. Alonso is nine laps old tyres.
Adami And Stroll again 29.9, lap time.

“Pay attention, track limits, turn one”

Track limits also became a bone of contention for Hamilton. He and several other drivers came close to collecting five-second time penalties for running wide. Hamilton made his second and final pit stop shortly after half-distance.

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Lap: 27/58 HAM: 1’30.144
Adami And pay attention track limits turn one, we had a second strike. Stroll lap time 29.8.
Hamilton Well let me know when I’ve got the first one, man, shit now.
Lap: 28/58 HAM: 1’29.918
Hamilton Stroll just went off last two laps, turn one.
Adami Understood, we are reporting it.
Lap: 29/58 HAM: 1’29.785
Hamilton Stroll was off again.
Adami Copy that. Entry speed of 12 to improve. Think about S2 for rotation, turn 12, if you need. Currently P8.
Lap: 30/58 HAM: 1’29.880
Hamilton Can get closer. General [unclear] car starting to understeer.
Lap: 31/58 HAM: 1’31.397
Hamilton Stroll’s off for a fifth time.
Adami Copy that. Let me know for front wing.
Hamilton Yeah I’ll take plus two mate.
Hamilton The DRS [unclear]
Adami And box Lewis box, pit confirm.
Lap: 32/58 HAM: 1’48.714
Adami Focusing on positioning the car.
Adami Good job. Out-lap normal.
Adami And be mindful of track limits, black and white flag.
Hamilton Let me know where I’ve had track limits, mate. [Unclear]. Surely there’s 10 other cars if they’re saying [unclear] it’s fucking bullshit.
Adami Five other cars with black-and-white flags. One more lap of half a second slow intro, this tyre
Lap: 33/58 HAM: 1’29.051
Adami Racing Tsunoda pit exit.
Adami We are ahead of Tsunoda. Tsunoda three seconds behind.
Hamilton How long to go?
Adami 27 laps.
Hamilton How did people’s mediums last?
Adami Verstappen did 23 laps at the start of the race. 28.5 target lap time.

“Do I need to overtake?”

Following his second pit stop, Hamilton picked off several slower cars, then caught a cluster of others running in a DRS train. After checking his race situation, he made it clear he didn’t want further reminders.

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Lap: 35/58 HAM: 1’28.514
Adami And Gasly next, 1.8 ahead, multi-red KC8. And Gasly lap time 30.1.
Lap: 36/58 HAM: 1’28.094
Adami And good job out there, P14. Next is Hadjar 2.6 ahead.
Lap: 37/58 HAM: 1’28.549
Adami And same pace for Hadjar, 30.2.
Lap: 38/58 HAM: 1’28.141
Hamilton Hadjar off at turn one.
Adami Copy that. His lap time 29.4.
Hamilton passes Hadjar
Adami Car ahead 3.5.
Lap: 39/58 HAM: 1’28.528
Hamilton How’s the pace?
Adami Recommend diff mid three to help turn five.
Hamilton This train of cars ahead of me, do I need to overtake?
Adami Yeah, you need to overtake.
Hamilton How many cars are there?
Adami Six cars.
Hamilton They all on older tyres or what?
Adami All on used hard.
Lap: 40/58 HAM: 1’29.048
Adami Sainz is lapping 30.3.
Lap: 41/58 HAM: 1’28.693
Adami Hamilton passes Sainz
Nice one, P12, Hulkenberg next, 1.4 ahead.
Lap: 42/58 HAM: 1’28.873
Adami Hulkenberg 30.2.
Hamilton Hulkenberg off turn one.
Adami Copy that, we’re reporting.
Adami Racing Bortoleto ahead.
Hamilton Yeah [unclear]. Stop telling me I’m racing people, I know I’m racing them, man. Just leave me to it. I’m racing everyone ahead of me.

“Stop confirming!”

While Hamilton continued to alert Ferrari to potential track limits infringements by his rivals, he told Adami he didn’t need an acknowledgement every time.

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Lap: 43/58 HAM: 1’28.464
Adami Understood.
Hamilton Bortoleto off turn one.
Adami Copy that.
Adami Yeah, track limits there Bortoleto.
Hamilton Yeah, yeah, okay.
Hamilton passes Bortoleto
Lap: 44/58 HAM: 1’28.949
Hamilton [Unclear]
Adami Repeat the last message.
Hamilton Whoever’s ahead of me just went off turn one.
Adami Okay, reporting.
Hamilton I don’t need you to… just don’t, confirm please. Just telling you.
Adami Understood.
Hamilton Stop confirming!
Lap: 45/58 HAM: 1’28.758
Adami And recommend SOC eight.
Lap: 46/58 HAM: 1’29.240
Adami Alonso P6 two-and-a-half ahead.
Adami Can improve apex speed at turn three. And Safety Car window is open.
Lap: 47/58 HAM: 1’28.997
Hamilton Rears are going off.
Adami And go back to SOC six. 11 laps to go.
Lap: 48/58 HAM: 1’28.979
Hamilton Car ahead went off.
Adami Russell lap time 29.2, 29.1.
Lap: 49/58 HAM: 1’29.186
Adami And think about diff mid four.
Hamilton Car went off ahead.
Adami Try to improve entry speed of five.
Lap: 50/58 HAM: 1’28.978
Adami Suggest don’t trail the brakes into nine.
Lap: 51/58 HAM: 1’28.937
Hamilton Car went off again.
Lap: 52/58 HAM: 1’29.625
Adami Seven to go.
Lap: 54/58 HAM: 1’28.731
Adami We recommend SOC seven, keep using overtake.
Lap: 55/58 HAM: 1’28.796
Adami And four laps to go.
Adami Driver default delta zero on.
Lap: 56/58 HAM: 1’29.623
Hamilton Car went off ahead. I’ve got massive de-rating.
Adami And go back SOC six.

“I’ll always fight for you guys. Grazie.”

Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari clearly didn’t go as well as he intended. The team failed to win a single grand prix, and though Hamilton took a sprint race victory, he never scored a podium finish on a Sunday.

He sent a message of thanks to his team at the end of the year, and though his exchanges with Adami had been strained at times during this race and earlier in the season, the pair were still able to share a laugh. Nonetheless he will surely expect a smoother race-day operation when he returns to action in 2026.

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Lap: 57/58 HAM: 1’29.022
Adami And two laps to go.
Adami And go SOC five.
Lap: 58/58 HAM: 1’29.511
Adami Last lap.
Chequered flag
Adami That’s a P8. Was a pretty good job out there. Well done and pick up please. Very good comeback and charge button on. Okay, you are in it.
Hamilton Been a long season, guys. Grazie a tutti. Thank you for your kindness. I’m grateful for all your hard work. I’ll always fight for you guys, always. Grazie.
Hamilton Did you get that message? The one time you don’t reply…
Adami [Laughs] … yeah, we are talking. Thank you very much was awesome working with you. And grazie mille.

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