F1 drivers have voiced concerns that racing in extreme conditions at the Qatar Grand Prix was torturous and bordering on the limit, as the FIA launches an analysis.
At least four drivers visited medical centers after the F1 Qatar GP, some of whom had difficulty even getting out of their cars at parc fermé. Williams driver Logan Sargent was forced to retire due to dehydration, much to the concern of many.
Almost all riders needed a break after finishing, and the top three also relaxed in the cool-down room. The heat and humidity in Qatar was so extreme and there was no wind that F1 drivers had to open their eyelids and raise their hands to get some air.
The FIA has accepted this concern and has begun analyzing the F1 Grand Prix. This Grand Prix was also marred by problems with curbs, leading to the governing body and Pirelli to impose mandatory laps for safety reasons. This was one mistake. off.
This issue will be discussed at the FIA meeting in Paris. Next year’s Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled to be held on December 1, when it will be cooler, but the governing body wants to avoid a scenario where multiple measures are being discussed, even if they adopt solutions from other championships. ing.
FIA: “The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperatures and humidity during the 2023 FIA F1 Qatar Grand Prix are affecting the health of drivers. They are elite athletes. However, participants should not be expected to compete in conditions that may endanger their health or safety. The safe operation of the vehicle is always the participant’s responsibility. As with other safety-related matters such as safety requirements, the FIA will take all reasonable steps to establish and communicate acceptable parameters when organizing competitions.
“For this reason, the FIA has begun an analysis of the situation in Qatar with a view to making recommendations for future extreme weather situations.” Next year’s Grand Prix will be held at the end of the year, when temperatures are expected to be lower. However, the FIA wants to take serious steps now to prevent a repeat of this scenario. A number of measures will be discussed at the next meeting of the Medical Commission in Paris.
“Measures include guidance to competitors, research into modifications to provide more efficient airflow within the cockpit, and recommendations for calendar changes to accommodate acceptable climate conditions. Research from other series including, but not limited to: Possible applications to the investigated circuit events will be discussed as cross-country skiing events in extreme climates. This process will be facilitated by the FIA’s commitment to close collaboration between the technical, safety and medical sectors, led by the FIA President. ”
This is what an F1 driver said –
Lando Norris: “I think we’ve probably found our limit. I think it’s a shame that we had to search like this. It’s not a good situation at all, and I ended up in the hospital. Some people even faint or pass out. So it’s quite a dangerous thing. But that’s not the point you can just go to, drivers need to be more trained or one of those things. We’re in an enclosed car that gets very hot during a very intense race. And it’s frustrating. I think it probably doesn’t look very physical on TV, but if you have people retiring or people not feeling well, obviously it’s too much for the speed that we’re going at. It’s too dangerous. I know this race will be late in the season next year and it will be pretty cool in a few months, but it’s something to think about and it shouldn’t be “that” so I’m sure we’ll talk about it. think. “That never happened.”
Max Verstappen: “Yes, when I looked at the weather before coming here, I wasn’t expecting it. It’s just too warm and like Lando said, no more. It has nothing to do with training or anything like that. I think some of the players who struggled today are very healthy, probably even healthier than me, but they don’t want to be walking around in a sauna all day. Of course the humidity increases at night.The race is quite long, but it’s not just there. There are several such places. I think Singapore is almost like a 2 hour race. And it’s very, very warm. I think that’s close to the limit that should be allowed. So there are a few things to consider. But it was definitely too hot. The atmosphere inside the car was definitely very, very warmer than in Singapore. Yeah, I think that wasn’t good.
Oscar Piastri: “Yes, I’m very happy to be back again later next year. I think today was also probably more humid than the last few days, so that didn’t help I think Thursday was about 4-5 degrees warmer than today, so I’d say we were pretty much lucky in that regard, but it couldn’t have been worse. But it was definitely the hardest race I’ve ever done. And yes, of course some discussion is needed, I’m thinking a lot from this weekend. But certainly, it’s clearly not a good situation. ”
Charles Leclerc: “This was the toughest race of our career for F1 drivers. There are no exceptions for all of them. I don’t think so. I think so. A lot of things have piled up. Obviously the heat was very hot and it was a track with a lot of high speed corners. But the most important thing was the fact that we had to stop three times, which meant we couldn’t manage the tires at high speed, which meant qualifying lap after qualifying lap. I think if we find ourselves in the same situation next year, the drivers may need to talk to each other. We always look at each other when we sit down at the end of a race, but this time felt different. Some drivers felt really bad.
“The conditions were so tough that sometimes the drivers couldn’t see anything. This is something we might need to talk about, because at some point it’s not even about physical preparation. , because it’s just dehydration to the point where you and your eyesight are much worse. It was really, really difficult because your heart rate goes up and it’s very hard to control it all. You know how hard it is. It’s hard to explain in words, especially when it comes to G-forces. You can drink it if you are severely dehydrated, but since the temperature is over 60 degrees, it is more like a tea. So it’s very difficult to hydrate because you can’t even see the G-forces. ”
Fernando Alonso: “I think it was definitely one of the most difficult. What happened when we were racing in Sepang during the day in Malaysia was very extreme. I think the temperature in Bahrain in 2009 was around 41 degrees. It was very hot here. And this work will definitely be in the top three. To be honest, I was surprised because it wasn’t that bad in free practice. Maybe it was windy or maybe I missed that wind or something, that ventilation. So it was extreme. We need to see whether there is a solution in the future and whether we can agree on things like delaying launches under extreme circumstances. I think both Lance and I struggled a bit with the temperature in the seats on the right. I got burned in the first 15 laps, so I even radioed to ask if they could throw some water or something on me during the pit stop, but apparently that’s not allowed. ”
George Russell: “I was taking an ice bath and I was cold to the bone and now I’m suddenly shivering. It was a really tough race, one of the toughest I’ve ever been in. It was the most physically demanding race in the world.During this race, I almost passed out.I have never experienced anything like that, and I think it was beyond what is acceptable for driving. If over 50% of participants said they felt so sick they couldn’t drive and felt like they were going to pass out, you wouldn’t want to pass out driving 200 mph in a straight line. That’s my opinion. . If it had been hotter, my body might have given up and retreated. ”
Valtteri Bottas: “I think it’s tougher than Singapore. The temperature inside the cockpit is starting to rise considerably, and I think I’ve reached the limit of heat stroke. To be honest, It feels like being tortured inside.Each driver aims to complete the race.If you can still drive, don’t stop. But at some point it becomes unhealthy and dangerous. It certainly won’t get any hotter than this. It doesn’t get any hotter than this. ”
Esteban Ocon: “I didn’t expect the race to be so tough. Normally I can complete the race distance twice in Singapore. Physically, too. I’m always in good shape, both muscularly and cardiovascularly.During this race, the temperature inside the cockpit was exactly 80 degrees Celsius.We did our best to dissipate the heat within the driver’s cockpit, rather than letting it accumulate in the rear. I don’t think I’m doing my job well, and that’s probably why I felt so bad today. But yes. I’m glad I was able to finish the race. ”
Lance Stroll: “It was a lot harder than Singapore. I don’t know. Maybe they like it as part of the show, but yeah, it’s a combination of things. I think it’s done. It’s about route restrictions. You have to concentrate very much, and the temperature is too high during the season when you come here. Perhaps in hot races like Singapore and here we might need to look for some kind of ventilation system as the cars are getting harder and heavier. Although the track is slippery, you can feel the firmness of the car when going over curbs. I think that’s a big part of the physicality. It’s just a driving experience and it’s a real challenge because the car is so stiff and the g-forces are so high. Maybe we just need to look at that and think about a softer car or some sort of ventilation system to introduce racing in temperatures like this. And I think I’ll be spending more time in the sauna!
Kevin Magnussen: “It was definitely the most difficult race because it was so warm.”
Here is a detailed look at the F1 driver who visited the medical center, fainting and vomiting
Here’s how F1 Qatar GP panned out
