(Motorsports news) Drivers are very fit athletes, so the state of some of them as they faced the media after walking directly from parc ferme told its own narrative. Others took care to return silently to their team hospitality buildings, gather their breath, change out of their soaked overalls, and shower. They then returned to their media duties, feeling a little better. Two people did not make it.
Logan Sargeant was forced to withdraw from the race, while his teammate Alex Albon was also taken to the medical center after stepping out of his car. Both were later given permission to travel home from the airport. They were far from alone in suffering in what turned out to be the most physically demanding race in recent memory.
“That was the hardest fought points that I’ve ever had to fight for,” Ocon stated. “I was feeling ill, and I was throwing up for two laps inside the cockpit on lap 15-16, and then I thought, ‘Shit, that’s going to be a long race. I tried to calm down, to remember that in sports, the mental side is the strongest part of your body, and I was able to get that under control and finish the race.”
“But, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting the race to be that difficult.” Even in Singapore, I can usually complete two race distances. I’m always fine in terms of muscle and cardio. “It was so hot that I wanted to open the visor in a straight line because I didn’t have any air, and I was also trying to guide some air into the helmet with my hand.”
“The more I breathed to try to get everything lower, the hotter it got inside the helmet.” It was truly horrible in there.” Valtteri Bottas, a man who enjoys sitting in a sauna, agreed that it was a difficult test. “I would say harder than Singapore,” the Finn added. “Just the temperature in the cockpit seems almost too high, as if it’s approaching the point where someone will suffer from heat stroke.”
“It feels like torture in the car.” Any hotter than this would be dangerous.” So, what made this race more severe than Singapore, and even more difficult than other renowned regional events like Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia? The general amount of heat and humidity was the clear and obvious key answer. There were strong reasons why the 2024 World Cup began on November 20.
It’s also worth noting that the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix was held on November 21, while the 2024 race is set for December 1. However, this year’s race was crammed into a hectic schedule in early October, and the time could have been better planned. Sunday’s conditions appeared to be the most extreme of the weekend, with little or no wind. It also felt more humid than the dry heat we generally encounter at other Middle Eastern F1 locations.
Dehydration is undoubtedly a significant component of the punishment drivers face, and it can impair concentration and focus. This made life more difficult at a track where track limitations and reaching the white line exactly every lap were such a big deal.
Finally, the fact that all but one of the drivers made it to the finish line speaks something about their physical and mental fortitude. “It’s not an option retiring, I was never going to do that,” Ocon stated with a grin. “You need to kill me to retire.”
Also read: Max Verstappen wins, Mercedes suffered a collision: Qatar GP
