Gerhard Berger thinks that Formula 1 drivers complain too much compared to those in MotoGP

If Formula 1 is used to going to countries with high temperatures like Singapore or the Middle East, its races take place at night to avoid the extreme heat. However, despite these precautions, the Qatar Grand Prix 2023 was very difficult to endure for many drivers. The temperature in the Qatari air was 32 °C with a humidity level of 73%.

As there were only 16 laps left out of the 57 on the Losail circuit, Logan Sargeant, who was in 14th place at that moment, decided to retire due to the stifling heat. The American was supported by his team, who told him that there was no shame in giving up if he didn’t feel well. He was taken care of by his team members and transported to the medical center to quickly treat his dehydration.

At the end of the race, Lance Stroll exits his Aston Martin with great difficulty and goes directly towards an ambulance. Alexander Albon joined the Canadian and his teammate at the medical center a few moments later.

After the race, Charles Leclerc, sweating and wearing a wet towel around his neck, denounces the climatic conditions in which the race took place. “It’s not because of the physical conditions, because we’re not even muscled tired. It’s just that we can’t hydrate ourselves. We lose so much water in this intense heat,” explained the Ferrari driver.

The MotoGP is more brutal and the people there are more down-to-earth.

If, for a large part of the F1 world, the complaints of the drivers are justified, Gerhard Berger does not share this opinion. In the eyes of the Austrian, current drivers complain about race conditions that were no worse than in the 80s-90s.

« You want to see them tame extraterrestrial machines, but also see them grimace when something hurts them. Formula 1 drivers complain when it’s too hot in Qatar. But in my time, we raced Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro under a heat of 40°C and high humidity. And we moved manually. I don’t mean to say it was more difficult back then, but it certainly wasn’t easier than today », says Gerhard Berger to the media Auto Motor und Sport.

If an F1 driver sprains a finger, doctors and physiotherapists immediately intervene and it becomes a whole story. In MotoGP, on the other hand, someone breaks their shoulder in the morning and gets back on the bike in the afternoon. That’s also how we view superheroes, compares the Austrian.

The MotoGP is much more brutal and people are much more down to earth. It has nothing to do with technology, but rather with the fact that the atmosphere is much more relaxed and fans can get closer. The F1 is much more distant in this regard. Everything is much more focused on perfection, everything is extremely precalculated, explains the sexagenarian.

Of course, there are limits to what you can do. There are limits to the risks you must be willing to take. For example, I was at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy last year, but I left after one day. Too many risks are taken there and the dangers are too great. Formula 1 is the other extreme and is a bit behind in this area. MotoGP represents the middle ground in this field, concludes Gerhard Berger.