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A beginner’s guide to... F1 cliches
“What is it about Spa that makes it such a great drivers’ track?” “Are you looking forward to racing in front of your home crowd?” “When are we going to know about your plans for next season?” “What were the conditions like out there today?” F1 drivers aren’t just some of the fastest racers on the planet – they’re soundbite machines, too, trained to withstand a barrage of questions like these throughout a Grand Prix weekend.
That often means that an F1 driver has to resort to trotting out cliches in answer to journalists’ enquiries – if only to protect their own sanity. So to help you work out what Hamilton, Vettel et al really (okay possibly) mean when they speak to the press, we’ve provided you with a handy translation guide for the most over-used phrases in F1...
“We just weren’t fast enough out there”
When you’ll hear it: From a driver after a less-than-sparkling performance during practice, qualifying or the race
What it means: “I just wasn’t fast enough out there”
“We win as a team and we lose as a team”
When you’ll hear it: After a driver has suffered a crushing defeat
What it means: “It wasn’t my fault”
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“For sure”
When you’ll hear it: Pretty much every driver interview, and probably more than once
What it means: “Of course”
“The team did a great job all weekend”
When you’ll hear it: From a driver basking in the afterglow of a Grand Prix victory
What it means: “I did a great job all weekend”
“We struggled a bit with the balance”
When you’ll hear it: Post-session, when a driver’s found themselves woefully off the pace
What it means: “The car is a jalopy”
“We’re still evaluating our options for next year”
When you’ll hear it: When a team principal is asked about their driver line-up for the following season
What it means: “I’d advise one or both of our current drivers to start looking for a new job, sharpish”
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“I’ll hopefully be in a position to announce my plans for next year soon”
When you’ll hear it: From a driver, with a wry, media-friendly chuckle, after being asked for the 700th time that weekend about who they’ll be driving for the following season
What it means: “Please, pleeeeasse stop asking me questions about my ****ing plans for next year!”
“Tomorrow is a long race”
When you’ll hear it: After a disappointing qualifying
What it means: “Tomorrow is a normal-length race, but given how fast everyone else is, it will seem long”
“Honestly, I’m just taking it one race at a time”
When you’ll hear it: When the championship leader is asked whether they’ve started thinking about the title
What it means: “I have already chosen the name of the boat that I will buy with my championship bonus”
“I just try and focus on doing the best job I can”
When you’ll hear it: When a driver has been asked about their team’s impending bankruptcy/the rumours they’re about to be fired/problems with the squad’s senior management
What it means: “Oh ****. I think I need to call my agent...”
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“I respect the stewards’ decision”
When you’ll hear it: After a driver’s received a penalty
What it means: “The stewards are wrong and they’ve just made an enemy for life"
“We’ll come back stronger at the next race”
When you’ll hear it: From a driver desperately trying to salvage some optimism after a dismal race
What it means: “It appears my championship hopes have just gone down the toilet”
“That’s racing sometimes”
When you’ll hear it: After a driver’s been taken out in a first corner shunt that wasn’t their fault
What it means: “I can’t believe I just flew half way around the world to race for eight seconds before getting wiped out by that spatial awareness-less moron. I’m off to the bar...”
“Obviously we’re not where we want to be right now”
When you’ll hear it: From a driver or team principal midway through an annus horribilis
What it means: “Someone’s going to get fired”
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“We’ve got a lot of work to do tonight”
When you’ll hear it: On Friday evening, after a disappointing Free Practice 1 and 2
What it means: “My engineers have got a lot of work to do tonight. Me, I’m off for a massage and some Netflix”
“I’m excited about exploring other racing options”
When you’ll hear it: After a driver’s contract hasn’t been renewed, and they find themselves out of F1
What it means: Basically, all the words from Adele’s Hello
This article originally appeared on F1.com on March 5 2019
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