In Singapore, Jenson Button stole the show with his radio communications. Not to be outdone by his team-mate Fernando Alonso rose to the occasion in fine style at Honda's home race.
"Probably the best lap I ever did here. I can't do more than this."
Having driven the paint off his MP4-30 in Q2, Alonso makes it clear 14th was the absolute maximum he could achieve with the tools at his disposal.
"I'm being passed on the straights like GP2. Embarrassing. Very embarrassing... I'll do my best, mate."
Alonso watches Marcus Ericsson fly past him and gives McLaren a grim assessment of his chances for the rest of the race as his Honda engine continues to struggle with power deployment.
''GP2 engine! GP2! Aggh!'
Perhaps the radio soundbite of the season. Having seen Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso glide past down the main straight, Alonso sounds like a man ready to throw in the towel.
"What are the drivers we are racing with? Unbelievable ... Poor guys."
In the closing laps Alonso uses the plight of the cars behind him to emphasise his point further, suggesting he feels pity for cars which can't even challenge his McLaren for positions.
It wasn't just Alonso complaining about the state of his car though.
"I can't go fast!"
Max Verstappen gets frustrated with his Toro Rosso's lack of straight-line speed as he fails to find a way past Sauber's Felipe Nasr.
"I'm losing the brakes guys, again. On the last chicane, no brakes."
Daniil Kvyat starts to get antsy about the state of his Red Bull as the race enters the final five laps of the race.
"Not a lot more I could have done in that lap, sorry."
Sebastian Vettel apologises to Ferrari after being leapfrogged by Nico Rosberg's Mercedes at the second round of pit stops, who boxed one lap earlier.