Mercedes used secret code to help Antonelli time crucial VSC pit stop – Kimi Antonelli needed a slice of luck to turn the Madrid race into a victory, but Mercedes had already prepared for exactly the kind of opportunity that eventually came his way. The team used a race-specific coded radio message to alert Antonelli to the possibility of a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car (VSC), allowing him to react immediately when the situation developed.
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin has explained how the team’s preparation helped Antonelli take advantage of the crucial VSC timing. The Italian driver was able to slow down at exactly the right moment before the race was neutralised, giving Mercedes enough time to assess whether a pit stop would become possible.
Mercedes prepares coded messages for every race
Teams regularly discuss potential Safety Car and VSC scenarios with their drivers before a Grand Prix. However, Mercedes takes the process a step further by using coded radio messages.
The codes are changed for every race, preventing rival teams from easily understanding what Mercedes is communicating if they are monitoring the team’s radio traffic.
The messages can be used to alert drivers when they are approaching what Mercedes considers a potential Safety Car window, allowing them to adjust their driving if a neutralisation appears possible.
That preparation became important in Madrid when Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin, resulting in yellow flags around Turns 19 and 20.
Antonelli was told to slow down immediately
Antonelli’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, immediately instructed him to lift heavily when the yellow flags appeared.
Bonnington then told the Mercedes driver that he was within the Safety Car window. Antonelli subsequently slowed more than several of the cars around him and waited longer before accelerating after passing through the affected sector.
The decision cost Antonelli some time on track, but it gave Mercedes an additional second to determine whether race control was about to neutralise the race.
Shovlin confirmed that Antonelli’s reaction was important to the eventual outcome.
“Kimi did indeed slow down a bit and bought himself another second that way. He might have made it without it, but it certainly made it possible.”
There was a 35-second gap between the first yellow flag appearing and the VSC being announced. Antonelli reached the Mercedes pit box approximately 15 seconds after the VSC was deployed, with his mechanics already prepared for the stop.
Lando Norris had already passed the pit entry
The timing was particularly important because race leader Lando Norris had already passed the pit entrance when the VSC was announced.
Antonelli, meanwhile, was close enough to dive into the pits and take advantage of the reduced-speed conditions.
That meant Mercedes could execute the stop without needing to wait for another opportunity. The preparation, combined with Antonelli’s positioning on the circuit, turned a potentially ordinary VSC period into a major strategic advantage.
The coded message itself did not cause the VSC to appear. Instead, it ensured that Mercedes was ready to act if race control did decide to neutralise the race.
Preparation turned a lucky break into a victory
Shovlin explained that these scenarios are routinely discussed between Mercedes’ engineers and drivers before races. The key difference in Madrid was the speed with which the team executed the plan once the opportunity appeared.
Bonnington delivered the instruction, Antonelli reacted immediately and the pit crew was ready when the VSC arrived.
That combination meant Mercedes did not have to lose valuable time discussing what to do after the neutralisation was announced.
Antonelli’s Madrid victory therefore involved both circumstances outside Mercedes’ control and preparation within it. The VSC was a fortunate break, but the team’s ability to recognise the opportunity and act immediately ensured that the young Italian was in position to benefit.
Mercedes’ explanation highlights one of the less visible aspects of Formula 1 strategy: sometimes the decisive advantage comes not from predicting exactly what will happen, but from having a plan ready for several different possibilities before the race even begins.
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