Verstappen demands changes to “way too hot” Qatar: “It’s a bit silly…”
The sweltering conditions at the Losail International Circuit had an adverse effect on several drivers, most notably Logan Sargeant, who was forced to retire in the middle of the race.
Esteban Ocon revealed that he had vomited in the early stages of the grand prix, while Lance Stroll complained about a loss of vision in the closing stint.
It was fairly plain-sailing for Verstappen though, who secured his 14th victory of F1 2023 on a weekend where he had sewn up the title.
Reflecting on the race, while Verstappen was keen to point out it wasn’t the “toughest” of his career, he would like Qatar to be moved to later in the year.
“No, not my toughest,” he said. “It was tough, hot. Of course we expected that. This weekend was, in general, way too hot to drive.
“If we do this again we should bring this race later on in the year. When it’s 40 degrees during the day it’s a bit silly to be pushing like this.
“Especially with a forced three-stop, it’s almost like qualifying out there, pushing flat-out.
“It’s a bit extreme out there. When I was walking to the podium, they were laying out there!”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
