Race winner Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing in parc ferme. 08.10.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Race Day.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen believe Formula 1 “found the limit” with the gruelling conditions the drivers were subjected to in Qatar.
The searing humidity at the Lusail circuit on Sunday evening saw many drivers struggle, with several declaring afterwards it had been the most challenging race of their careers.
The already unwell Logan Sargeant was forced to retire early, Esteban Ocon admitted he had thrown up inside the cockpit, while Lance Stroll worryingly claimed that he had been “passing out in the car” mid-race.
Aside from the stifling heat, the drivers’ problems were exasperated by the FIA’s decision to mandate maximum stint lengths of 18 laps amid safety concerns, resulting in the drivers pushing flat-out for longer.
Norris asserts that the situation at hand became “too dangerous”, adding that “it’s sad” the sport had to discover the threshold for acceptable racing conditions this way.
“I think today we probably found the limit,” he stated. “I think it’s sad we had to find it this way.
“It’s never a nice situation to be in, you know, some people ending up in the medical centre or passing out, things like that. So, pretty dangerous thing to have going on.
“But it’s not a point where you can just go, the drivers need to train more or do any of that, you know. We’re in a closed car that gets extremely hot in a very physical race.
“And it’s frustrating. I guess on TV, it probably doesn’t look very physical at all, but clearly, when you have people who end up retiring or in such a bad state, it’s too much, you know, for the speeds we’re doing.
“It is too dangerous. I know that this race next year is later on in the season, and it will be a lot cooler a few months later, but it’s something that needs to be thought of and I’m sure we’ll speak about it because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren in the post race FIA Press Conference. 08.10.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Race Day.
Race winner Max Verstappen agreed with Norris’ viewpoint, citing that there is nothing the drivers can do regarding preparation or training to prepare for such a climate.
“Yeah, when I saw the weather before coming here, I was not looking forward to it,” he conceded.
“It’s just too warm, and like Lando said it has nothing to do with more training or whatever.
“I think some of the guys who were struggling today are extremely fit, probably even fitter than me, but just the whole day it’s like you’re walking around in a sauna and, yeah, also then in the night the humidity goes up.
“The races are quite long. But it’s not the only place. There are a few places like that. I think Singapore is almost like a two-hour race. And it’s very, very warm.
“I think it’s also quite on the limit of what is what should be allowed. So there are a few things to look at. But this was definitely way too hot.”
Keyword: Norris and Verstappen: F1 ‘found the limit’ with Qatar conditions