One of the major talking points of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend was about the sweltering heat and difficult weather conditions. Most drivers complained about how it was almost unbearable to cope with the heat, and some also ended up falling incredibly sick as a result. Consequently, there were discussions about whether the cooling systems will help the drivers. However, Dr. Chris Tyler has pointed out in the most recent episode of The Race F1 podcast that the same is unlikely to have a “meaningful impact” on the drivers.
Tyler is an expert when it comes to responding to extreme hot and cold environments. He has also worked with several F1 drivers such as Oscar Piastri to help them cope with races in hotter climates. When asked on the podcast if a cooling system can help the drivers, Tyler explained why the same is unlikely to help.
During the Qatar GP, Fernando Alonso felt the heat quite literally! The legend’s solution?
Fernando Alonso 🔊
“Throw me water or something!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/poYG7kajcT
— F1 Bulletin (@F1Bulletin) October 8, 2023
This became a topic of discussion after Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack explained that they could not use the cooling system for Fernando Alonso since it would mean that the side would have weight issues with the car. “You also don’t want active cooling because that adds weight,” explained the 51-year-old as per Dutch Formule1nieuws.
Why cooling systems are not the solution for the intense heat?
In the most recent episode of The Race F1 podcast, the experts began by discussing what steps can be taken to increase the safety of drivers when it comes to difficult weather conditions. They believe that a good starting point could be that the F1 calendar is revised in such a fashion that no race takes place in a city that is expected to have hot weather at the time.
After discussing about the same, Dr. Chris Tyler explained why cooling systems will not aid the drivers in a “meaningful” way. “One of the issues with that (cooling systems) potentially is the fact that the drivers are encapsulated in their fire suits and under suits, etc, meaning that the likelihood of anything such as that having a meaningful effect is quite minimal“, explained Tyler.
After stating the same, Tyler explained that F1 needs some kind of technology that is likely to actually help reduce the strain of the heat the drivers suffer from rather than just reduce the perception of how much heat they are suffering from. This is because Tyler believes that the way the cooling systems are designed, they do not help reduce the actual strain.
Hence, since cooling systems are unlikely to be a solution for the drivers, F1 has already taken the best step they can at the moment to avoid having a repeat of the situation witnessed in Qatar. That step is to reschedule the Qatar GP from October to a later point of the year when the conditions are less hot.
When will the 2024 F1 Qatar GP now take place?
As per the schedule released by F1 earlier in the year for next season, the 2024 Qatar GP will be the penultimate race of the campaign and will take place on December 1. Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi GP will continue to be the season finale in 2024 and will take place on December 8.
Considering the sweltering heat witnessed in the 2023 season of the Qatar GP, this was the best decision the organizers could take to avoid a repeat of a similar situation. Moreover, such a decision will also not avoid any additional costs.
