Qatar GP nightmare: Drivers suffered from dehydration, fainting and vomiting

“There were times when the vision was a bit blurry,” admitted Lando Norris after the race at the Lusail circuit. The level of demand at the Qatar GP was too high. The drivers were subjected to temperatures of over 40 degrees and humidity of over 70 per cent. The teams had to cool the cars with synthetic ice before starting the race, but to little avail.

On lap 27, Fernando Alonso asked over the radio for “water or something” when he passed through the pits, because his seat was “burning”. “I tried, but it’s something that’s not allowed,” he admitted afterwards. It was a request that grabbed attention, but it wasn’t enough to get a sense of the extreme conditions they were experiencing.

Dehydration, fainting, vomiting?

The first to really set off the alarm bells was Logan Sargeant. The rookie alerted his team by telling them he wasn’t feeling well. Quickly, Williams’ boss, James Vowles, told him he could retire: “It’s your decision. There’s no shame in stopping if you feel unwell”. Not finishing a race is always tough for a driver, however, at times like this safety must come before pride.

With difficulty, the American managed to reach his pit box. There, the team had to help him out of the car, as he was totally exhausted. He was taken to the medical centre where he was assessed and released after suffering severe dehydration and weakening from flu-like symptoms earlier in the week. Although the riders carry water with them to drink during the race, it was probably boiling, plus it’s not much.

The rest of the grid (with the exception of Hamilton and Sainz who were not taking part) managed to finish the race, albeit with difficulty. When they parked their cars, most of them found it difficult to get out. Albon had to be helped and, like his team-mate, ended up at the medical centre for treatment for acute heat exposure. For his part, Ocon said he was vomiting for two laps.

“It was like being in a sauna and pushing your body to the limit. I wanted to go out, that’s how I felt from lap 20. With a bit more heat, I would have had to retire,” explained George Russell. The Briton needed an ice bath after the race. “We’ve reached the limits of the human body,” said Lando Norris, critical of the conditions they faced: “Some drivers have fainted in the medical centre, it shows how difficult our job is.