F1 should “set limits” concerning the health of the drivers according to James Vowles
Despite being organized at night, the Qatar Grand Prix was particularly grueling for the drivers due to extreme heat, jeopardizing their health. If the FIA has already announced that measures will be taken, James Vowles, head of the Williams team, has insisted on the subject.
Logan Sargeant was forced to abandon, Esteban Ocon vomited in his helmet and several drivers had to be taken care of by the medical team at the end of the race. Disturbing scenes that arouse the anger of the paddock.
An in-depth analysis of the race in Qatar was initiated by the FIA and F1, so that such a situation does not happen again in the future. On the sidelines of the Qatari weekend, James Vowles, team principal of Williams, pointed out the need to define boundaries to protect the safety of drivers.
Starting by discussing the health status of his driver, Logan Sargeant, he explained that he had « been sick the previous week and a little before Friday. This weakened his immune system enough for him to become easily dehydrated. »
According to him, the three stops imposed by the FIA to protect the tires are also one of the reasons that pushed the drivers to their limits. « The circumstances in Qatar were very different. The rule introduced for safety provided that a three-stop race was incredibly easy to manage for the tires, forcing the drivers to push all out from start to finish. It was actually four full-throttle sprint races, which was different and unusual for the drivers. »
« There are elements that we must understand and, as a sport, improve »
If the single-seaters are already equipped with some elements to improve the comfort of the pilots, this remains insufficient to ensure their safety, particularly during the races that take place under high heat.
« They have a drink system on board, but it only holds a few liters and it’s not terribly fresh when you’re 20 or 30 laps into the race, so there are probably elements that we can improve », James Vowles has said.
« We are a sport that pushes high-level athletes to the absolute limit, so what we need to do now is define limits to ensure they reach the end safely. »
