Opinion: Was F1’s “Toughest” Race Too Dangerous?

As Formula One leaves Qatar, after a weekend that saw Max Verstappen dominate and take home his third World Championship title, many are questioning as to why the extremely hot weather conditions were deemed acceptable to race in, especially after several drivers were reported to be struggling with heat exhaustion and dehydration by the end of the racing day.

Throughout the weekend conditions were hot and humid, something we usually see at races such as Malaysia and Singapore. However, come Sunday evening, the wind had subsided but the temperature was still hot, despite nightfall. Logan Sargeant pulled out mid-race due to feeling generally unwell, and later, Esteban Ocon would confirm that he vomited under his visor in the early stages of the race. Fernando Alonso, reportedly, finished the race with burns on his body, and several drivers struggled to extract themselves from their cockpits, among other issues such as feelings of blacking out and poor vision. But why, when F1 frequently races in the desert, did drivers find this race "absolutley brutal?"

It's difficult to pinpoint the exact issue but with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees c and a high level of humidity, mixed with little wind and the heat coming from a Formula One car, there is no surprise that drivers, such as George Russell, Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda, were seen lifting up their visors while racing to get as much cool air as they could. As for the on-board drinks system, the surrounding mechanics of the car heat up the liquid to a point where it is no longer hydrating the driver, leading to a bout of dehydration. And, it's not only the conditions which could have played apart. The Lusail Circuit was primarily built for motorcycle racing, meaning nearly every corner is high-speed, giving the driver little time for a bit of rest and relaxation. There wasn't even any break with the tyres. A mandatory eighteen lap lifespan for each compound meant that tyre saving wasn't an issue and drivers were free to push. Even though drivers thoroughly prepare themselves for the warmer climates, did the Qatari heat and a circuit with little give take everyone by surprise? It was only the second time Formula One has ever raced there, and at a different time of year also.

In the days after the race, social media has been rife with Formula One fans calling for the FIA to look at the mistakes they made during the Qatar Grand Prix, with many believing health and safety wasn't of an importance over the course of the race weekend. Several drivers also haven't been afraid to voice their opinions.

“By far the most physical race I’ve ever competed in.”

- George Russell

“Today we probably found the limit. (...) On TV it probably doesn’t look that physical but when you have people who end up retiring it is too much; for the speeds we are doing it is too dangerous. It’s something we need to speak about because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

- Lando Norris

In response, the FIA confirmed that they will “provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions. (...) While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety.”

Despite this, comments have been made by well-known figures in the F1 community who believe that there was little to no problems with the Qatar Grand Prix.

"It’s races like Qatar and very rainy days which make F1 drivers look the heroes and athletes they are. Absolutely don’t buy into the weak view we shouldn’t put them through this kind of challenge. Check out Senna in Brazil, Stewart at rainy Nurburgring, Lauda post crash, etc etc" - Martin Brundle

Comments, such as these, haven't gone down particularly well with fans of F1. Many have argued that safety should be prioritised and good health shouldn't be seen as a "weak" attribute. One person tweeted: "Being exhausted and tested to the limit of human body is ok. Loss of consciousness and drive head on into the barriers at 300+ kph is not."

But what do I make of all this?

As someone who has been following Formula One for a relatively long time, I know that drivers prepare themselves to the max for hot and humid races, such as Singapore, for example. The different factors show us that the heat/humidity, although the main contributor, wasn't the sole cause of the health issues some drivers faced. With the combination of the heat, a high-speed circuit and complex cars prone to overheating, can we really be surprised at how physically demanding the Qatar Grand Prix was?

With the visual evidence that we have of how the drivers fared, this race was one limit that was pushed way over the line. I completely understand, to some extent, as to what Brundle has said (see above), but putting one's good-health first should not be seen as a sign of weakness. By all means, these are twenty elite-athletes who want to push themselves to the extremes, but there is a stark difference of pushing oneself to achieve something to pushing oneself that leads to health issues. The Qatar Grand Prix was just a dangerous reminder of how physically demanding this sport can be. I, for one, feel something like this shouldn't happen again.

Race Report: Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix 2023

As we slowly edge towards the end of the 2023 Formula One season, Qatar makes a return to the calendar after an absence in 2022. The return of Qatar also marks the fourth Sprint weekend out of six in the 2023 season, as well as the first opportunity for Red Bull's Max Verstappen to wrap up his third consecutive championship; adding the 26 year old to an elite list where only few have achieved this feat.

Before that can happen, we need a race. However, it's not Verstappen lining up on the front row for the Sprint. Instead those places have been reserved for the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Verstappen starts in third. With the Dutch driver only needing to score three points, it's more than likely he can seal the championship here, in the Sprint.

Engines fire up and Piastri leads everyone on their way around the formation lap. Back on the grid, the Williams of Logan Sargeant slots into the 20th and last spot. The five red lights disappear, and they are off.

Piastri leads the field into turn one, but the same can't be said for Norris and Verstappen who find themselves swamped by those who started on the softs. (Piastri, Norris and Verstappen started on the mediums). Further down the field there is dust everywhere as Liam Lawson spins his Alpha Tauri into the gravel, causing a Safety Car within the first few corners. Replays show us that he simply lost control of the car. By lap three, the safety car is in and the race is back on.

Fernando Alonso begins to challenge Norris who has dropped down the field. Both the Aston Martin and McLaren race wheel-to-wheel with the latter keeping his position and Alonso losing out to his former Alpine teammate; Esteban Ocon. Out front, Piastri goes wide, handing the lead over to George Russell in the process. The racing doesn't last for long as another car has found themselves in the gravel. This time it's Sargeant, and the safety car returns to the track one more.

There is worry at Ferrari when Carlos Sainz talks to his team about a "misfire issue." They go on to advise him that they are discussing what to do, despite his worries about losing positions. There is also a surge in team radio activity at McLaren with the team advising Piastri: "we know it will come to the medium." Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez, receive similar advice from Red Bull.

With the safety car in, Piastri finds himself coming under pressure into turn one from soft tyre runner, Sainz. They hold position. Further back, Alonso takes his seventh place back from Ocon, with the second Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, coming under attack from Perez, who finds himself in eleventh. Not where he wants to be. Going into turn two, Perez attempts an overtake, making it stick. Nico Hulkenberg, in the Haas, is his next target.

There is movement towards the front of the field with those on the medium tyre making up ground. Verstappen, who dropped to fifth during the opening lap, gets past Charles Leclerc for fourth, Norris follows him through, dropping Leclerc to sixth. Piastri finally retakes the lead from Russell, who is starting to struggle on the soft. But the yellow flag is out once again, with the duo of Perez and Ocon stuck in the gravel.

With the safety car out for a third time, it seems as if Ocon and Hulkenberg made contact during a battle and Perez was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although Hulkenberg continues around the track, he soon pits and retires due to extensive damage. With Perez also out of the race, Verstappen is all but confirmed as a triple World Champ.

Four laps remain and the safety car returns to the pits once again. At the restart Leclerc takes fifth back from Norris and Lewis Hamilton looses eighth to Gasly. Verstappen, now on a mission to win the race, gets past Russell for second with Piastri now in his sights. Further back, the Leclerc/Norris battle heats up with Norris getting back past the Ferrari. No, make that both Ferraris. He gets past Sainz aswell to take fourth.

Onto the last lap and Hamilton is flying. He makes it back past Gasly, as well as Alonso, Leclerc and Sainz. Verstappen is pushing in second to catch Piastri who still leads. But, there's no luck. The chequered flag is out with Piastri crossing the line to take his first win in Formula One. Verstappen finishes second and is confirmed as the 2023 World Drivers Champion, making it three in a row for the Dutchman. Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, Alexander Albon and Alonso make up the final point positions. Leclerc, who finished 7th, receives a five second penalty for track limits, dropping him out of the points completely.

Sunday. Race day. But, with a twist. Due to health and safety concerns surrounding the Pirelli tyres, it will now be a mandatory three stop race, with tyres not allowed to exceed a lifespan over eighteen laps. If teams ignore the regulation, it will be instant disqualification.

With the drivers lining up on the grid, Verstappen on pole, there is an evident gap in the midfield. Unfortunately for Sainz he won't be starting the race due to a mechanical failure. Perez, who qualified in a dismal thirteenth, will be starting from the pitlane after his clash with Ocon and Hulkenberg in the Sprint. Tyre blankets are removed and it's quickly noted that the mediums seem to be favourable starting tyre. However, during the formation lap, Hamilton, who is starting on softs, seems to be concerned with the choices made. "I'm a sitting duck to all these guys," he tells the Mercedes team. At the front of the field, Verstappen leads everyone to their grid boxes. The race is a go.

Verstappen gets a decent enough start but he has both Mercedes right on his tail. But, it's not for long. Going into the first corner, both Hamilton and Russell make contact, sending Hamilton spinning into the gravel. *Spain 2016 flashbacks.* The safety car is quickly deployed. Russell, who seemed to have gotten away with major damage, is limping back to the pits. He receives a new front wing and a fresh set of rubber.

In the midst of the Mercedes carnage, Piastri has climbed from sixth to second. Alonso is in third. The stewards make a decision to investigate the Mercedes incident after the race. But, replays show us that Hamilton squeezed Russell, the latter with no where to go. Russell tells his team; "so sorry guys. I wasn't even looking, I was just focused ahead and he just came from nowhere." Also being investigated is Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas for a starting in the wrong position. He should have started in the grid box behind the empty one of Sainz. Did he go one grid box too far?

There is activity in the pits with several drivers at the back of the field making their first stop. Zhou Guanyu, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen change their tyres and head back onto the track just as the safety car period is ending. Verstappen gets a good restart, sprinting clear from second place man, Piastri. However, at the back of the field, Russell comes close to a clash with Perez as he tries to find a way past the Red Bull driver. But, going into turns four and five, he makes the move stick, moving into thirteenth, as he recovers from his earlier clash with Hamilton. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg is slapped with a ten second penalty for starting in the wrong position.

Piastri, clear from any DRS threat from Alonso, sets the new fastest lap of the race. This is quickly beaten by Verstappen. More pitstops start to take place with visits for Yuki Tsunoda, Ocon, Alonso, Gasly, Piastri and Leclerc. Lawson is the first driver to be shown the black and white flag for track limits.

Despite finding himself at the back of the field a few laps back, Russell now runs in second place, thanks to everyone's pitstops. However, he decides that it's time for a second stop, plunging him back down the order. Verstappen, still leading, is yet to pit. As we close in on lap eighteen, he will need to do it sooner rather than later. He sets another fastest lap of the race on lap sixteen before diving in the pits on his next tour around. This leads Albon out front - a Williams leading the race. He then pits on lap eighteen, giving the lead back to Verstappen who leads over seven seconds from Piastri.

Another track limit warning, but this time for Albon. One more and it will be a penalty. And, it's not just Albon, Perez, who is trying to save his weekend, also gets shown the black and white flag, before being handed a five second penalty. Not what he wanted, or needed. Piastri comes into the pits for his next stop. Ocon and Leclerc also come in, fitting the hard tyres. Alonso is on to his team, complaining of a hot seat. He requests that the team throw water into his cockpit at his next stop. He comes in almost immediately. But, instead of receiving cold water, he gets a fresh set of tyres.

With pitstops in full swing, Norris also comes in. He's been battling Alonso on-track for some time. The undercut works. He comes out behind Zhou, but ahead of his main challenger. With the help of DRS, Norris is quickly past Zhou. Further down the field, there is another black and white flag. The Alpine of Gasly is the unlucky recipient of this one. To make matters worse, he has also reported problems with his car, telling his team that he "cannot fight." Perez, currently running in third, pits for new tyres. His serves his five second penalty, gets fitted with used mediums, and returns to the track in twelfth. Russell also comes in for a third time, but with over eighteen laps until the chequered flag, he'll need to pit for a fourth time.

A relatively quiet race, in terms of incidents, a yellow flag makes a sudden appearance at turn two. It's for Alonso who takes a bumpy trip through the gravel. He looses a place to Russell and slots back in ahead, but dangerously close, to Leclerc. He gets noted for rejoining unsafely. There are also problems at Williams. "I'm not feeling well at all," Sargeant informs his team. They give the American the option to retire. However, he chooses to carry on.

With eighteen laps left to run, the final pitstop window is fast approaching. Verstappen still leads ahead of the McLarens of Piastri and Norris. Perez receives a second five second penalty for more track limit violations. His race engineer frustratingly tells him; "that's another five second penalty for track limits. This is hurting our race." Stroll and Gasly are next to get a penalty.

Sargeant is back on the radio, telling his team; "I don't feel well man. I need to stop." He returns to the pits and is wheeled back into the garage. At the front, however, the battle is heating up between the McLarens. Piastri pits from second, returning to the track in fourth. Norris pits a lap later and comes out alongside his teammate. He has to back off into turn one, letting Piastri take the position. Gasly's day is going from bad to worse. He gets another five second penalty. That's ten seconds that he will need to take at this next stop. Perez, who is also having a nightmare, is lapped by his teammate.

McLaren make the decision to hold position until the end of the race, infuriating Norris who believes he is quicker. He proves this by setting the new fastest lap. Six laps to go and Russell pits for one last time. He throws on the softs and comes out in fourth. Verstappen is also in, and with a slow stop. He is so far ahead of the McLarens, he maintains his lead comfortably.

There is a battle ongoing between Stroll and Gasly for the final point. Gasly makes a move on Stroll, going off the track in the process. He does not concede the place. Perez also joins in on the battle, but as Gasly attempts to give Stroll the place back, Perez takes advantage, squeezing past the Alpine also. But, despite getting his place back, it's bad news for Stroll who receives his second five second penalty. Perez has dropped back, only slightly, from Stroll into the clutches of Gasly. De ja vu, Gasly passes off the track again, refusing to hand the place back, earning himself another track limit penalty.

But at the front it's Verstappen putting in the fastest laps. He crosses the finish line and wins the Qatar Grand Prix. A nearly perfect weekend for the newly crowned three time World Champion. The McLarens of Piastri and Norris hold on to finish second and third, respectively. Russell, despite his first lap incident, is fourth with Leclerc and Alonso in fifth and sixth. Ocon, Bottas, Zhou and Perez - who received ANOTHER five second penalty, round out the points.

What an entertaining and interesting race. It's just a shame that a lot of the hard work the drivers put in was rewarded with heat exhaustion and dehydration - with several making visits to the medical centre. All have since been cleared.

So, what is your opinion on the mandatory pitstops for that race? Did you enjoy it, or would you rather see more different strategies playing out? Let me know!

Next up - Austin! Yee-haw!

Let's Talk: Should Williams Replace Logan Sargeant for 2024?

We see the same thing year after year - Formula Two front runners being passed over in favour of drivers with, say a little bit more cash, when it comes to seats in Formula One. And again, year after year, these drivers don't perform as well as expected and they quickly disappear from the grid. Things are no different in 2023, with Williams gaining increasing pressure from within the Formula One community to drop their driver, Logan Sargeant, after numerous disappointing performances, most recently in Japan and throughout the course of the season. And, with his seat being the only one that's not yet locked into a contract, will we potentially be seeing someone else step into his shoes for 2024?

It's no secret that Sargeant has had it tough in 2023, especially as he's racing alongside the more experienced and highly acclaimed, Alex Albon. And, although his car is not up to standards compared to some of the other teams, it's still not an ideal excuse for his numerous crashes and clashes, and lack of points on the board. However, as easy as it is to criticise the young American driver, we sometimes seem to forget that he is just a rookie, in his first season of Formula One. But rookie or not, as someone who tops the 2023 list of highest cost of damage accumulated (to the car), is it really worth the hassle for the Williams team if they continued with Sargeant into 2024?

Despite this, there are reasons as to why Williams may want Sargeant for next season, with the first and foremost being money. With the reported millions that the American brings, they can continue to develop the car with the resources that they desire. However, one must ask, is this the case with all those crashes? But then again, there's the fact that he's only a rookie and Williams may feel like he needs more time to grow as a Formula One driver. At the end of the day, they're the only ones who can decide where their future stands.

As fans of the sport, from an outsider POV, it's easy to say that Sargeant may not have a future in F1 and even the driver, himself, has recognised that he needs to improve to have any hope in saving his F1 career. And, with only six races of the season remaining, time is slowly but surely running out.

So, if Sargeant was to go, who would replace him? If rumours are to be believed, five other drivers are currently in the running - Liam Lawson, Mick Schumacher, Felipe Drugovich, Frederik Vesti and, quite surprisingly - Sauber protegee; Theo Pourchaire. And, with all five of these drivers making their mark in motorsport, one way or another; Williams would seemingly have no shortage of talent with any of these drivers lined up against Albon.

That leaves us with the question - "What should Williams do?"

It's a tough one to answer. But, if Sargeant doesn't improve during the remaining races of the season, he could very well be shown the door, especially with the talent lining up ready to pounce into his seat. He seems to have shown that he doesn't cope well under the pressures of Formula One. Could the pressure of losing his seat add to this, or will it improve his performance? Only time will tell.