The Formulation 1 grid heads to the Lusail Worldwide Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate race weekend of the 2024 season.
Because the grid heads to Qatar from Las Vegas, the groups and the drivers are preparing for one of many season’s most bodily demanding races.
The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix was essentially the most demanding but, as a difficulty with the tires pressured Pirelli and F1 to mandate a most of 18 laps per stint, as the game’s official tire provider discovered after FP1 that there was some separation within the sidewalls as a result of “pyramid kerbs” put in forward of final yr’s race. While you mix brief stints which have the drivers pushing all out on every of the 18 laps, and the warmth and humidity present in Qatar, you create a scenario the place many drivers have been affected by dehydration and heat-related sicknesses.
Probably the most notable instance, past Logan Sargeant’s retirement mid-race as he handled warmth exhaustion and the results of the flu, was Esteban Ocon vomiting inside his helmet twice through the race.
Whereas this yr’s Qatar Grand Prix has been pushed again within the calendar — which ought to see barely cooler temperatures — and each Pirelli and the circuit’s organizers have taken steps to mitigate final yr’s tire points, groups are nonetheless making ready for a tough weekend.
Together with Haas.
Within the group’s pre-race preview Martin Poole, Nico Hülkenberg’s efficiency coach, outlined how the group is getting drivers prepared, and what steps they may soak up Qatar to maintain their drivers acting at their finest.
“Qatar is among the most bodily demanding tracks we go to,” started Poole. “The ambient temperature may be very scorching, which we noticed final yr, however as we’re returning a number of weeks later hopefully it is going to be a bit cooler. It’s nonetheless going to pose an enormous bodily problem for the drivers; it’s bodily anyway, however with the warmth it’s very tough.
“It’s going to be crucial to remain very properly hydrated and we’ll be utilizing all of the cooling strategies that we’ve out there to us, equivalent to the normal ice tub, iced towels, ensuring he’s ingesting a number of cool drinks and staying out of the warmth every time attainable,” added Poole. “Transferring from Vegas to Qatar timing-wise will likely be tough, there’s no simple method to do it so we’ll do the very best job we will to get into a very good sleep sample as quickly as we get to Qatar. Nico’s fairly good at sleeping properly and discovering time within the day to nap if he must, so I’m positive we’ll get by it.”
Each Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are anticipating a problem this weekend.
“Qatar final yr was the primary race since coming again the place I used to be feeling it afterwards, the warmth and humidity have been excessive by the tip of the race. This season, we’re racing practically two months later, so circumstances will likely be higher,” stated Hülkenberg. “The sweeping nature of the monitor is a enjoyable one with a pleasant movement and rhythm, and with it being the ultimate Dash of the season – we get two bites of the cherry.”
“Qatar is the toughest race of the yr in all probability. It’s tremendous high-speed, and really distinctive within the sense that it’s extra like a bike monitor relatively than a Formulation 1 monitor,” stated Magnussen. “It’s obtained very a really explicit movement to it, you’re by no means actually braking in a straight line, you’re extra form of crusing. It’s the ultimate Dash of the yr, in order that’s at all times one other factor to consider, and the time zone change goes to be a problem.
“Final yr it was the alternative approach round, we went from Qatar to America, and truthfully it’s exhausting to determine all of it out because it’s fairly exhausting to regulate, you may’t discover a away round it, it simply takes time, so we’re going to be jet-lagged!”
Haas will want the complete group at their finest this weekend, as they hope to inch nearer to locking down P6 within the Constructors’ Championship. In the mean time Haas has a one-point benefit over Alpine in that battle, with Visa Money App RB F1 group simply 4 factors behind them.