Even the drivers have difficulty knowing what time it is in Las Vegas, for this Grand Prix with its unusual schedule and schedule. EL2 thus ended after 4 a.m. after the psychodrama that we know. As for the race, it will take place late Saturday evening in Nevada (Sunday morning in France).
But the worst is that F1 continues, directly afterwards, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, almost on the other side of the globe.
Isn’t that too much? Several pilots have already said it, like Alexander Albon or Yuki Tsunoda: they are disconcerted and exhausted after a grueling year…
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, puts things into perspective: yes, it all requires a lot of work for everyone, mechanics included… However, Vegas is worth it!
“It’s the same challenge for all drivers. It’s a great sport. This is a huge event. There is a lot of excitement. And a lot of fans want to meet the drivers, a lot of sponsors want to do marketing events. So it’s a sort of luxury challenge, so to speak. So, yes, it will be a lot, a lot of work for all of us. But it’s a big event. And you know, they’re all great athletes, so I’m sure they’ll do great. »
Frédéric Vasseur also puts things into perspective: the Ferrari drivers had prepared for this challenge and they are used to staying up late…
“My two drivers stayed in the USA before the race, so for them there is no time difference. And it’s not the first time they’ll go to bed after midnight, I’m not too afraid of that. As far as marketing benefits are concerned, for sure, we have a lot of them, but we have to take advantage of them. I remember before COVID we were looking for events and fans. We must take advantage of this momentum. »
“And like Zak said, it’s the same for everyone and I’m sure at 24 you can get back to the hotel at 2am. This is not a problem. »
While Frédéric Vasseur raises the question of the drivers, Toto Wolff has a thought for the mechanics, who certainly can’t stand this frenetic pace any longer.
“We are suffering a lot, OK. But if you’re talking about jet lag and stress, you’re talking about 80% of the team members flying economy, having a Monday-Friday job in the factory, working on the cars here overnight . We have 190 people here in Las Vegas, most of whom are in marketing. Some of them have been in Las Vegas for four weeks preparing everything. And I’m sure the majority of pilots will see it that way. »
“The mechanics have no one, no physiotherapist, who cajoles them before they go to bed and who prepares their granola in the morning. So I think many of them suffer more and drink espresso. »
For Williams and its boss James Vowles, F1 has a “rich man’s problem”: there are too many events, too many Grands Prix, too many marketing solicitations….
“It’s a very nice problem to have, as far as we’re healthy, the sport is very healthy. That’s why we have sponsors, partners and a big show here. Our pilots are in demand everywhere. But that’s a good thing. If you compare with the situation we were in in 2020, we were wondering if Formula 1 was going to continue to exist. Today it is an absolute pleasure to see that we are at least in a good financial situation. It’s just an optimization problem. »
“On the time difference, what we perhaps didn’t realize before arriving here is that we are no longer really on East Coast time, but rather on Tokyo time, in to a certain extent, with the schedules we apply. But this is just an optimization. Riders are incredibly good at working with their coaches, reorienting their eating habits and nutrition to get back into rhythm. »
2023-11-18 17:38:54
#Jet #lag #stress #sleep #Vegas
