Nico Hülkenberg and company are ready for the challenges posed at the Qatar Grand Prix
The Formula 1 grid heads to the Lusail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate race weekend of the 2024 season.
As the grid heads to Qatar from Las Vegas, the teams and the drivers are getting ready for one of the season’s most physically demanding races.
The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix was the most demanding yet, as an issue with the tires forced Pirelli and F1 to mandate a maximum of 18 laps per stint, as the sport’s official tire supplier found after FP1 that there was some separation in the sidewalls due to the “pyramid kerbs” installed ahead of last year’s race. When you combine short stints that have the drivers pushing all out on each of the 18 laps, and the heat and humidity found in Qatar, you create a situation where many drivers were suffering from dehydration and heat-related illnesses.
The most notable example, beyond Logan Sargeant’s retirement mid-race as he dealt with heat exhaustion and the effects of the flu, was Esteban Ocon vomiting inside his helmet twice during the race.
While this year’s Qatar Grand Prix has been pushed back in the calendar — which should see slightly cooler temperatures — and both Pirelli and the circuit’s organizers have taken steps to mitigate last year’s tire issues, teams are still preparing for a difficult weekend.
Including Haas.
In the team’s pre-race preview Martin Poole, Nico Hülkenberg’s performance coach, outlined how the team is getting drivers ready, and what steps they will take in Qatar to keep their drivers performing at their best.
“Qatar is one of the most physically demanding tracks we visit,” began Poole. “The ambient temperature is very hot, which we saw last year, but as we’re returning a few weeks later hopefully it will be a bit cooler. It’s still going to pose a big physical challenge for the drivers; it’s physical anyway, but with the heat it’s very difficult.
“It’s going to be very important to stay very well hydrated and we’ll be using all the cooling methods that we have available to us, such as the traditional ice bath, iced towels, making sure he’s drinking lots of cool drinks and staying out of the heat whenever possible,” added Poole. “Moving from Vegas to Qatar timing-wise will be difficult, there’s no easy way to do it so we’ll do the best job we can to get into a good sleep pattern as soon as we get to Qatar. Nico’s quite good at sleeping well and finding time in the day to nap if he needs to, so I’m sure we’ll get through it.”
Both Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are anticipating a challenge this weekend.
“Qatar last year was the first race since coming back where I was feeling it afterwards, the heat and humidity were extreme by the end of the race. This season, we’re racing nearly two months later, so conditions will be better,” said Hülkenberg. “The sweeping nature of the track is a fun one with a nice flow and rhythm, and with it being the final Sprint of the season – we get two bites of the cherry.”
“Qatar is the hardest race of the year probably. It’s super high-speed, and very unique in the sense that it’s more like a motorbike track rather than a Formula 1 track,” said Magnussen. “It’s got very a very particular flow to it, you’re never really braking in a straight line, you’re more kind of sailing. It’s the final Sprint of the year, so that’s always another thing to think about, and the time zone change is going to be a challenge.
“Last year it was the opposite way around, we went from Qatar to America, and honestly it’s hard to figure it all out as it’s pretty hard to adjust, you can’t find a away around it, it just takes time, so we’re going to be jet-lagged!”
Haas will need the entire team at their best this weekend, as they hope to inch closer to locking down P6 in the Constructors’ Championship. At the moment Haas has a one-point advantage over Alpine in that fight, with Visa Cash App RB F1 team just four points behind them.
