Alex Albon slams Martin Brundle for overlooking heat exhaustion complaints at Qatar GP, insists drivers are ‘not being divas’

Martin Brundle claimed that the heat exhaustion is weak view from drivers.

Alex Albon slams Martin Brundle for overlooking heat exhaustion complaints at Qatar GP, insists drivers are ‘not being divas’

Alex Albon (Via IMAGO)

The recent Qatar GP was a difficult and demanding race for all the racers. The area around the track was extremely hot. This caused heat strokes, dizziness, and other problems for the racers during the race. This GP was considered a huge safety concern, and many requested the race be shifted to December [when it is Winter in Qatar].

Ex-racer and current commentator Martin Brundle gave his opinion on the complaints made by the racers via X and pointed out that it’s a weak view from the drivers. 

It’s races like Qatar and very rainy days that make F1 drivers look like the heroes and athletes they are. Absolutely don’t buy into the weak view; we shouldn’t put them through this kind of challenge.

Alex Albon was one of the many racers who faced difficulty in the race. He was seen struggling to get out of his car and was immediately rushed to the medical center. When Albon was questioned about the comments from Brundle comments, he was quick to give a strong response. The Thai racer said that, despite his acquaintance with high heat and humidity, he himself faced difficulties within the race. He also said that the racers ‘are not being divas’.

It’s not fitness-related; it’s pure heat exhaustion. Everyone’s passing out on the floor, trying to strip off their clothes after the race. I would be one of the better people at it because of my ethnicity and being used to the humidity. It was painful...I hope people just take our word for it and know that we’re not being divas
Albon said, as reported by WTF1.com.

How did other racers respond to the extreme weather conditions?

Even 42-year-old veteran Fernando Alonso said that he faced difficulties during the race. Alonso said he did not face issues in the free practice, maybe because of better winds. In lieu of the terrible weather conditions around the Los Angeles Circuit, Alonso debated about a ‘delay’ at the start of the race for future races.

Fernando Alonso and George Russell
Fernando Alonso and George Russell (Via IMAGO)

The rookie Logan Sargeant saw an early retirement from the race. Amid the high g-forces and scorching heat, Sargeant found it difficult to continue racing in the car. The team later concluded that early retirement from the race was the best decision for the betterment of the racer.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur added that the sport as a whole should ‘pay attention’ to these kinds of situations. Everyone was almost at their limits, as said by the principal. Although the race had a three-pit stop strategy, the race was still considered ‘extreme’ for the racers around the track.

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