Pilots are annoyed by jet lag and it shows in their dark circles

Jet lag is a real issue in Formula 1. The calendar is expanding, and new candidates are positioning themselves to host Grand Prix races. This season, all continents are represented. As a result, drivers and teams are constantly faced with this time difference.

In Las Vegas, the drivers will be racing at night for the Sunday race. Next week, they will have to travel to Abu Dhabi and change time zones in just a few days. The time difference is 12 hours between the two cities.

A perpetual challenge

The drivers are hit hard by these time differences. After a race on one continent on Sunday, it sometimes happens that the following Thursday, they already have to be in a new region of the world. When you’re here, it’s not really a problem, said Max Verstappen. But then, we have to take the plane to Abu Dhabi, where there’s already a 12-hour time difference, but also a completely different time zone. I don’t really understand that. I mean, it’s very tiring, and even at the end of the season, we are forced to go through this. It doesn’t really make sense.

The opinion is shared by several drivers in the paddock. The drivers are obliged to adapt as quickly as possible. For the last race of the season, the drivers will have to adapt in a few days to the biggest time difference of the season, after a marathon of 23 races. Some suffer more than others, explains Nico Hülkenberg. It is going to be a challenge, and maybe you won’t feel very fit on Friday or Saturday. But I think it’s the same for all of us, and we have to manage and cope as best as we can.

An adaptation too complicated

The drivers have an advantage compared to the other members of their team: comfort. As they are always traveling throughout the seasons, the comfort has improved. They almost only travel in first class or by private jet. However, the result remains the same: the adjustment time is too short. “No, it’s not good,” said Fernando Alonso. “But that’s how it is. It’s a difficult sport. It’s not like football…”

The context of the Las Vegas Grand Prix is going to be unprecedented. If it takes place at night, like the one in Singapore, almost all of the sessions in Nevada will also be held in darkness. Usually, when we have night races like in Singapore, it’s quite easy, Esteban Ocon said. In Singapore, we don’t change time zones, we simply stay on European time and live during the night. Here, it’s very different. It’s also later than in Singapore, so we don’t see daylight for four days. For the human body, it’s not great(…). I’ve been living with strange schedules for five weeks now, let’s put it that way. It’s probably the most difficult since I joined F1, I would say.

Actors equally affected

Not everyone is equal in terms of resistance and adaptation. While Formula 1 drivers are naturally very versatile, some are more so than others. That’s why George Russell hopes to take advantage of these very specific conditions. For everyone, arriving here has been quite a brutal change, the Mercedes driver testified. And I see this as an opportunity, because most people seem tired and are struggling, and they talk about it. But if you do a better job than your competitors, it gives you that advantage. This season has probably been a bit of a challenge, especially considering the consecutive confrontation between Singapore and Japan. The time difference was eight hours. The back and forth, from Miami to Europe, from Canada to Europe, from Australia back home, the body has been everywhere. So it’s definitely something I will focus on even more next year.

In addition to their morale, the drivers are also worried about their teams. The mechanics are facing complicated work and experiencing the same consequences, in harsher conditions. “Honestly, I am more concerned about the guys in the garage who work,” explained Ocon. “We take care of ourselves as a team, but there are more people taking care of me than some guys. That’s where it’s important to take care of each other a lot, because people are suffering in the paddock. Tom Clark (his physiotherapist) is currently doing his PhD on jet lag. So, we are quite strong in that area. But I have seen people struggling and almost falling asleep during meetings, because it’s not an easy thing.”

The FIA has worked on a more consistent calendar for the 2024 season. The goal is to limit back-and-forth travels between continents.