The Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix exposed a significant problem for the health and well-being of Formula 1 drivers. The high humidity and temperatures resulted in almost unbearable heat inside the cockpits, which caused some drivers to feel unwell and exhausted at the end of the race. This issue will now be discussed in the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
The meeting will take place on October 31st, after the Mexican Grand Prix, according to Motorsport.com. It brings together the FIA, the technical directors of the ten teams, and also the F1 technical director, Pat Symonds. Future rules are on the table, as is usual in this debating body.
Immediately after the Losail race, the FIA had promised a thorough investigation of the events and their consequences. Adding cooling equipment would be a challenge due to the added weight – whether incorporated into the car’s equipment or the driver’s.
Symonds explained: ‘We will discuss this in the next TAC. The FIA is doing some work on this, and I will do some work on this. It is not entirely simple.’
The IndyCar has different ventilation arrangements at different times. They use cooling suits, which I think weigh a few kilograms, it’s not the end of the world. You decide what performance you get from the weight. So, if you’re talking about a few kilograms for a cooling suit, you can understand what it costs you in physics. You can’t exactly understand what you gain with the driver, but there will be a moment where you say the driver will actually need a bottle.’
