Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll has voiced concerns about the soaring temperatures during the Qatar Grand Prix and called for Formula 1 to explore solutions for keeping drivers cool under such conditions.
Stroll’s race in Lusail was fraught with challenges, including a time penalty for track limit violations, pushing him from a ninth-place finish on the track to 11th in the official classification.
The Canadian driver endured a difficult weekend, having been eliminated in Q1 during Friday’s qualifying session.
He also drew negative media attention for a situation where he was seen pushing his trainer out of the way as they navigated the Aston Martin garage.
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Stroll expressed frustration over the changes made to track limits in response to issues with the Lusail kerbing.
He noted that the new, narrower track limits, marked solely by visual paint, posed a significant challenge, especially considering the sweltering heat. Stroll shared his post-race condition, saying, “Ill,” when asked how he felt after crossing the finish line.
He explained, “I finished ninth and then I think we got two track limit penalties, but I was passing out in the car.
“They painted the kerbs and made the track narrower, so you can’t even feel the kerbs.
“You’re just trying to see it, but the problem is you can’t see where you’re going because you’re passing out.”
When questioned about when he started feeling unwell during the race, Stroll responded, “[From] 20 laps to go.”
He criticised the penalties imposed for track limit violations, saying, “It’s a little bit of a joke that they’re giving penalties for this – they don’t understand what Formula 1 is and what they’re putting us through.
“They’re giving us track limit penalties and they’re making the track narrower.
“And you can’t go over the same kerbs because the tyres are failing if we do.
“I think the track limits thing is something I think just has to be addressed.”
Stroll emphasized the physical and mental toll the race took on drivers.
He remarked on the high temperatures inside the car, stating, “60 laps of concentration, 65-70 degree temperatures in the car with five to six and a half G, you know, that’s what the frustrating part is.”
Despite a strong effort during the race, finishing ninth on the track, Stroll ended up 11th with no points due to the penalties.
He expressed his frustration at not being able to capitalise on a promising performance.
Comparing the Qatar Grand Prix to the notoriously challenging Singapore GP, Stroll noted that the higher speeds in Lusail made the race even more demanding.
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He suggested exploring additional ventilation as an option for races held in hot conditions, saying, “Maybe there is some kind of ventilation system we have to look into for this kind of hot races like Singapore and here.”
Stroll concluded, “Maybe it’s just something we have to address, think about going softer on cars, some kind of ventilation system we bring to these kinds of races at these temperatures.
“And spend more time in the sauna, I guess!”