Should F1 continue to race in Qatar?
By Ryan Brolly
Formula One visited Qatar for the second edition of its 10 year deal with the nation in October. I have written previously about the moral objections to hosting a race in such a place given its record on human rights issues but alongside this it simply is not suitable for an F1 race.
On Sunday October 8th the Qatar Grand Prix took place; during the weekend we saw Max Verstappen clinch his third World Drivers Championship in a row, this happened during the Saturday ‘Sprint Race’. However, this accomplishment would be overshadowed by events that happened on Sunday. Formula One drivers are elite athletes that can lose up to three litres of sweat during a race in normal weather conditions which dehydrate them greatly. The Qatar race saw the temperature reach a scorching 30 degrees celsius which hit 50 degrees on track alongside high humidity which affected the drivers extremely putting them in danger.
The governing body of Formula One the FIA has recognised this fact putting out a statement the day after the Qatar Grand Prix stating that ‘While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety.’ Some drivers needed medical attention after the race to deal with the conditions they had to endure for a prolonged period of time, during the race too drivers reported the effects of the heat. Alpine driver Esteban Ocon said he vomited in his helmet mid race, British and Mercedes driver George Russell claimed he ‘felt close to fainting’, Alfa Romeo driver Valterri Bottas called the conditions ‘torture’, Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll claimed he was struggling to stay conscious toward the end of the race which could have had fatal consequences consdering the speeds in which they compete, and Williams driver Logan Sargeant could not complete the Qatar GP due to a heat related illness.
This should prompt discussion around Qatar’s place on the F1 calendar as forcing drivers to test their limits during a competitive race is downright foolish and will end in catastrophic fashion. However, with the FIA’s record of taking cash over doing what's right, such as taking bundles of cash to platform sportswashing projects when there is driver and fan opposition one shouldn’t hold their breath.
Ryan Brolly is the Scoop’s Sport Editor and a History and International Relations student at Queen’s University Belfast