Fernando Alonso advises F1 to mandate race delays in case of extreme weather conditions

Racing conditions at the recent Qatar GP were termed ‘very extreme’ for the F1 drivers.

Fernando Alonso advises F1 to mandate race delays in case of extreme weather conditions

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll (Via IMAGO)

At the Qatar GP held recently, drivers faced extreme physical issues because of the conditions in and around the track. Due to severe weather conditions, drivers faced problems like vomiting, nausea, and even almost passing out. And even the dusty conditions around the track caused issues with the driver’s performance in the race. Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has proposed a solution to stop it from repeating.

In lieu of the problems racers face this year, officials have confirmed that next year’s Qatar GP will be held in December to help alleviate heat issues. This heat caused problems for racers like Esteban Ocon [who allegedly ‘threw up’ in his helmet] and even Lance Stroll, who found it difficult to balance after getting out of his car.

YouTube video

Alonso pointed out the temperature wasn’t an issue during the free-practice session was relatively easier for him. As reported by motorsport.com, he said, “It was not that bad in free practice,” he also said that they might have ‘missed’ the winds that day, “Maybe it was windy or something, and today we missed that wind and that ventilation.”

FS Video

He said that they [FIA] could delay the race start on the same day rather than shifting the entire race week to another month as proposed by many personnel in the racing community. “We need to see if in the future there is any solution, and in some extreme conditions we can agree on delaying the start or whatever.”

Discover: F1 pundit reveals the reasons for Sergio Perez’s ‘severely inadequate’ results compared to Max Verstappen at Red Bull

What did the others around the paddock say about the Qatar GP’s ‘extreme conditions’?

Valtteri Bottas, racing for Alfa Romeo, currently says that in 2021, when the race was held in a cooler environment, it was much ‘less extreme’. He said it would be ‘unhealthy and risky’ if the driver continued the race in these conditions. And he also said that he wouldn’t go to any temperature ‘hotter’ than this.

Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris
Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (Via IMAGO)

Ferrari team principal Fredric Vasseur also commented on the conditions and said that the sport as a whole should ‘pay attention’ to the situation during the race day. And he also claimed that everyone was either at their limit’ or very close to their limits. Even with the mandated shorter stints and three pit stops, the race was still ‘extreme’ for the racers.

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin also requested ‘better’ conditions for the race the following year. He said the air blown on drivers didn’t have a cooling effect because the air was a bit lower at the Qatar GP. He also claimed that the ‘extra humidity’ at the Qatar GP made it difficult for the racers. He claimed that moving the race to December is the ‘biggest thing’ they can do to help.

Explore more: