Ocon Says He Threw Up During Qatar GP As F1 Drivers Express Safety Concerns Over Heat

Posted on October 8, 2023 | by Charley Williams Our stomachs are turning just writing this! ???? After a very hot and demanding race in Qatar, Esteban Ocon revealed at the end of the race that he was actually sick in his helmet on lap 15 of the 58-lap race. Bless him.  Our minds reflect back on the infamous 2007 moment with Mark Webber at the Japanese GP, where he also threw up in his helmet whilst racing after suffering from food poisoning. However, the somewhat visceral admission reflects something more serious here in Qatar – the intense heat. As the chequered flag waved, Ocon spoke to his team on the radio and said: “I threw up by lap 15.” His team responded, “OK. Nice and steady on the way in. Sargeant stopped actually for feeling unwell as well.” Earlier in the race, Logan Sargeant told his team he wasn’t feeling well, and the Williams team offered him the chance to retire the car, but Logan insisted he would continue. Later in the race, Logan was heard again telling the team he was unwell, and they assured him there was no shame in retiring. He decided to head into the pits and withdraw from the race. TV images seemed to show him struggling to get out of the car. Following Logan’s retirement from the grand prix, Williams confirmed he had been assessed and cleared by the medical team after suffering from intense dehydration during the race, weakened by having flu-like symptoms earlier in the week. Fernando Alonso was also heard during the race asking the team if there was anything they could do to cool him down during the pit stop, he said: “The seat is burning, mate! Anything we can do at the pitstop? Throw me water or something?” Again, George Russell was seen stretching his arms out of his cockpit and opening and closing his visor just to catch the odd bit of air. After the race, he admitted to Sky Sports F1: “To be honest, there were points that I thought I was going to faint.” Lance Stroll was seen struggling to get out of his car, and reportedly, he and Alex Albon went straight to the FIA medical centre to be seen. Valtteri Bottas told the media, including The Race, that the race conditions were “torture” and on the limit of being acceptable. The race air temperature was around 33 degrees, whilst temperatures in the day soared to about 38 degrees. But it’s worth remembering that the track surface easily reaches over 10 degrees hotter. Next year, the race is set later on the calendar – we hope that improves the conditions!