Do F1 drivers listen to music during a race and what do Team Radio instructions mean? Hamilton explains pre-race ritual to deal with nerves while other motor-race terms explained

Joe Brophy

Mar 2

The new Formula 1 season starts this weekend and one of the most frequent pictures will be the drivers listening to music on the grid.

A return to Bahrain will also see more iconic Martin Brundle grid walks in which the F1 reporter will hope to greet drivers before a race.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted music is the key to remaining calm on the track

But one star who won't be looking to be distracted by his antics in 2023 is former McLaren and now Red Bull reserve Daniel Ricciardo.

The Australian previously explained: "[Music is] A good way to just like shut switch off and shut out the noise, the hustle, and bustle of the grid.

"Yeah, everyone just kind of wants to grab you, and that's the time to just zone in on the race."

Ricciardo added: "The last song I play, I'll maybe try and put it on repeat so I hear it two or three times so it's in my head.

"So then, it lasts; the formation lap I'm still kind of singing it, so when we're on the grid ready to go, I've still got it, and then I'm ready for the first lap which is the most intense."

So what would happen if a driver refused to take out his earphones and is that even allowed? talkSPORT.com takes a look...

Hamilton revealed he has a track playing in his head when he first gets in the car

Do F1 drivers listen to music during a race?

Put simply, no they don't.

Interestingly it is not actually banned in the official rules but it is not done by any driver due to the safety risks surrounding it.

F1 cars can accelerate from 0–60mph in just 2.6 seconds so listening to music would distract them from driving at such high speeds.

Max Verstappen and co also need to be able to hear essential radio instructions from their team as well as any noises from their car.

It is true that listening to music remains a huge part of drivers' pre-race rituals, with Lewis Hamilton admitting it helps calm his nerves.

He told Ritz Carlton: "When I get into the car, because I've been listening to music just before, I usually have a track in my head.

"There are all these nerves that you have, and [music] really helps me keep that out."

Music is part of Verstappen's pre-race ritual but he has insisted it is not essential

What do Team Radio instructions mean?

Just as the uninitiated to football would be confused by terms such as clean sheet and hat-trick, F1 has it's own unique jargon.

Here are the most commonly used phrases over the team radio and by commentators explained:

Backmarker - The drivers at the back of the grid that will most likely be lapped by the race leaders
Blistering - The tyres have holes in the middle due to a temperature imbalance between the hot inner bit and the cold outer surface
Bottoming - The underside of the car hits the track
Box Box - Drivers need to enter the pit lane for a pit stop
DRS - Drag Reduction System
Flatspot - When the driver locks his front brakes and causes a flattened part of the tyre
Oversteer - The rear wheels loose grip during cornering causing the back end to step out
Understeer - The opposite to oversteer where the front wheels lose grip and the car doesn't turn enough during cornering
Undercut - Pitting earlier than a rival for fresh tyres to hopefully end up ahead of that car when they come in to pit
Virtual safety car - For smaller track incidents like debris or a single car off track that sees the FIA set a delta time that drivers will have to slow down and adhere to until the problem is resolved