How departing F1 drivers signed off on their radios · RaceFans

After yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix some drivers said goodbye to F1 for good, some prepared to change teams – while others faced uncertain futures.

Here’s how each of them said goodbye.

F1 drivers’ farewell messages in Abu Dhabi

Sainz: “Smooth operator…”
Hulkenberg: “Arigato, boss”
Magnussen: “You got the fastest lap”
Bottas: “A shit ending”
Zhou (and Zehnder): “The drinks are on me!
Colapinto: “I’m sorry Franco”
Lawson: “Stop the car where you can”
Perez: “I lost drive”

Sainz: “Smooth operator…”

Carlos Sainz Jnr will be displaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton next year. Mercedes prepared a special tribute screen for Hamilton which he activated by selecting mode number 44, matching his race number, and Ferrari did the same for Sainz. They also appeared to play a recording of his signature song “Smooth Operator”:

Adami	And P2, P2. A solid race.
Sainz	Yeah good job, guys. We tried our best. Unfortunately, they were just one step quicker all weekend. But we tried our best.
Vasseur	Good job Carlos it was a good one, and thank you for this.
Adami	Driver default bravo 55, driver default bravo 55, and check your display.
Sainz	Haha! Legend! I like that. I like that.
Adami	And thanks for all your hard work in those years. It’s been quite a pleasure to work with you. Outstanding talent, commitment and passion for the sport. Thank you.
Sainz	Thank you Ricci. Thank you Ferrari. It’s been a pleasure driving for you guys. Forza Ferrari, sempre. Congrats to Charles he must have done a quite good race. I wish you the best for next year.
Adami	Thank you.
Adami	So behind Charles, P4 for Hamilton, then Russell P5 – and pick up, please, pick up – and Verstappen P6, Gasly P7, Hulkenberg P8, Alonso P9, Piastri 10th. And 14 points behind McLaren.
Sainz	(Laughs) Where is this coming from?
Sainz	Singing Smooth operator…
Adami	It was cool. You can go to the grid, board number two.

See Hamilton’s farewell messages here:

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Hulkenberg: “Arigato, boss”

Nico Hulkenberg is also switching teams next year, leaving Haas for Sauber. His race engineer Gary Gannon and team principal Ayao Komatsu came on the radio to give their thanks after the team failed to beat Alpine to seventh place in the constructors’ championship:

Gannon	Okay chequered flag, Nico, chequered flag. Charge on. And that’s P8, Nico, very good drive, just didn’t have the race pace today. Good job, though, one stop.
Hulkenberg	Yeah. Are you still there or?
Gannon	I’m still here. Yeah, it wasn’t too exciting today, but it’s been a great couple of years with you, Nico. We appreciate everything, all the racing you’ve done for us. Really a great time for us.
Hulkenberg	Yeah, likewise, dude. It’s been really amazing. Especially my comeback, I never thought it would be so successful. I really enjoyed two years together with you. Many highlights. So thanks a lot. Appreciate it too and wish you all the best. Keep doing what you’re doing, guys, you’re on the right track.
Gannon	Yeah, absolutely, Nico. We all believed in you when you arrived and we believe in you now.
Komatsu	Thanks, Nico, It’s been an amazing two seasons with you. Best of luck for the future and thank you for everything you’ve done for the team. We really enjoyed it.
Hulkenberg	Arigato, boss. A lovely return, that. Thank you.

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Magnussen: “You got the fastest lap”

Kevin Magnussen had a different race engineer for the final round of the championship, Dominic Haines taking over from Mark Slade. The team gave Magnussen’s wife Louise the chance to speak to him on his way back in:

Haines	That’s the chequered flag. Chequered flag. Amazing to work with you this weekend, mate. Really, really good build-up. I’m really sorry we didn’t get the result we wanted or deserved. The car was mega, you were mega… I don’t know. You got the fastest lap though, dude. I hope you enjoyed that last one. It’s been a pleasure, mate. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Charge on.
Magnussen	Yeah. Thanks, guys.
Komatsu	Thanks very much, Kev. It’s been an amazing seven seasons with you, Kev. Thank you.
Magnussen	Yeah, thanks mate. Magnussen’s wife speaks to him in Danish. He pauses a while before replying
Haines	You’re back to me I’m afraid mate.
Haines	Okay so when you come to a stop P1, wait a few seconds, P0.

Bottas: “A shit ending”

Magnussen’s race was spoiled partly because he was hit by Valtteri Bottas. The contact ended the Sauber driver’s race early, and like Magnussen he has no contract for next year:

Bottas	The tyres were finished. I tried to defend but I just locked up. My bad.
Petrik	And the leaders are coming through now. Can you make it to the pit lane?
Bottas	Yeah.
Petrik	And looks like the front-right is broken.
Bottas	Well, that was a shit ending.
Petrik	Yeah. Really not the way we were hoping for it to go.

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Zhou (and Zehnder): “The drinks are on me!

Bottas’s Sauber team mate Zhou Guanyu is also without an F1 seat for 2025. He was joined on his radio by Sauber’s long-serving sporting director, who left his position after the last race. Zhou added to the celebrations by performing a few unauthorised doughnuts:

Benisi	That’s the chequered flag for us. Mode ‘end’. Take the pick-up. You are P14. So the race order is Norris. Sainz. Leclerc. Russell. Verstappen. Gasly. Alonso. Piastri P10. Followed by Albon, Stroll, Tsunoda, yourself, Doohan, Magnussen.
Zhou	Yeah. I mean, it was a difficult race after the first stop, when I was out of position and ended up in dirty air.
Benisi	Copy that.
Zhou	Anyway. Thank you, guys, thank you. Eventful season, ups and downs but learned a lot, enjoyed a lot, made some great friends. So thank you. All the best to the team for the future. I’m sure I will see you around next year as well.
Zehnder	So now, Beat to the whole team, it was a privilege and a pleasure and an honour to serve you for 31 years as a sporting director. You’re an incredible bunch of people, at the track and at home. Thank you very much.
Zhou	Yeah thanks. Beat enjoy your…
Zehnder	I’m not retired!
Zhou	I know, but you are getting old, man!
Zehnder	I know, I know that. The age is always a problem.
Zehnder	And the last one: The drinks are on me at the bar tonight, hotel bar. Zhou performs doughnuts
Benisi	And upshift. Mode ‘end’.
Zhou	[Unclear]
Benisi	Yeah. No more of that.
Zhou	Is enough, is enough!
Benisi	Still allowed to come to the free bar…

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Colapinto: “I’m sorry Franco”

Franco Colapinto was always going to be a temporary replacement for Logan Sargeant at Williams until Sainz arrived. His season ended with damage due to contact from Oscar Piastri and, finally, a power unit problem. Williams team principal James Vowles came on his radio to sympathise:

Jego	Okay, okay, slow down, slow down. PU cooling. Box box, we’re retiring, watch Norris three behind followed by Sainz. You can go offline, please. No full throttle, cool the car, cool the car, box box. Norris with you, Sainz just behind you, watch out. Go in, watching out Sainz with you and box box.
Vowles	I’m sorry Franco, this is not how I wanted your last race to be. We have a PU issue. It’s been a pleasure this year, thank you.
Jego	Just stop in front of the garage, retire the car, I’ll explain why outside.
Colapinto	Thank you guys for this opportunity.
Jego	Thank you, buddy. Speaking for everyone in the garage, thank you. It was a pleasure. Sorry about today that’s definitely not the most fun race, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Got some good laps, some clean air – and a damaged car, so good job.

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Lawson: “Stop the car where you can”

Officially, the only unconfirmed seat on the F1 grid for 2025 is Liam Lawson’s at RB. His race ended shortly before the end due to a brake problem.

Will he be back next year, and if so where? He has been tipped by many to take Sergio Perez’s place at Red Bull.

Hamelin	Okay Liam we need bigger lift-off. Bigger lift-off where you can, please. Okay back off on braking. Back off on braking.
Lawson	I have a problem.
Hamelin	Confirmed. Bring it in. Slow in. Slow in. Big lift off.
Lawson	Copy. It’s braking for me. It’s braking for me.
Hamelin	Okay Gasly coming. Stop the car where you can, find a gap, retire the car.
Lawson	Okay, copy.

Perez: “I lost drive”

Perez has endured an awful season and over the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend conceded there would be discussions about his future after the race. If he is indeed not on the grid next year, his retirement due to damage inflicted by Bottas on lap one brought a sad end to a career which included 281 starts and six wins:

Bird	Mode seven. Mode seven.
Perez	I lost drive. I lost drive.
Bird	Okay. Find a gap. Find a gap.
Perez	Yeah. Engine off.
Bird	Yeah. Just wait for me before you get out. So just wait for now, I’ll let you know when to go to P0. Stand by. Stand by. So P1. P0. P0 and you’re good to go. Cars at turn seven at the moment.

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