What former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button has to say about the heat race in Qatar and what action he suggests the current drivers take
According to Ralf Schumacher, the Formula One race in Qatar was “over the limit” of what can be expected of racing drivers. The drivers themselves spoke of “hell” and of “torture” when they were asked about the conditions in the cockpit after the Grand Prix. And former world champion Jenson Button encourages his ex-colleagues to complain about the heat race.
Button’s thesis: “As long as the drivers don’t fight it, nothing will change.” Probably why some stakeholders are pushing for “solutions” for the future in Qatar and elsewhere. Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas, for example, says: “At a certain point it’s no longer healthy, it’s risky. I think it’s that kind of level now: it can’t be hotter than that.”
But the heat of over 30 degrees Celsius in the air is only aspect, Button stresses, saying, “I didn’t feel how hot it was, of course. But one of the bigger problems in Qatar is the high g-forces on this track, and for such a long time that you can’t breathe. You can’t get oxygen in your blood.”
George Russell at Mercedes and Lance Stroll at Aston Martin experienced first-hand what that can mean: After crossing the finish line, both spoke of almost fainting or even experiencing brief blackout moments.
Button can relate to this: “I remember once in Malaysia when we were racing and my water bottle broke. I had a lot of trouble in the race. Because you start shaking and you can’t see properly. Then it becomes dangerous. So I know how bad it can get.”
And it can’t get as bad as it did in Qatar, says Russell, as director of the Formula One Drivers’ Union (GPDA). The Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit was “over the limit” of what could be classed as “acceptable” “when over half the drivers say they felt unwell or were on the verge of blacking out”, Russell said.
