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Formula 1 and the FIA are putting solutions in place to avoid a repeat of the toll suffered by many personnel involved at the end of the past campaign.
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix proved to be brutal, initially for coming off the back of a triple-header that took in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo.
Faced with a challenging eight- and nine-hour time difference to the UK and Europe respectively, the night-time schedule of midnight qualifying and a 10pm race start only added to the upheaval.
Off the back of that race, F1 then faced a 12-hour time swing for the final event of the season in Abu Dhabi where fatigue played a part, even with the finishing line in sight.
It has prompted calls for changes to be made to the Las Vegas schedule for next year, but also to the calendar for 2025 given the race at Sin City is followed immediately after by events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, even if there is just over a two-week gap that follows a repeat of the Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo triple-header.
“It was a pretty brutal regime,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “It’s something that’s been raised with Formula 1 and the FIA. Their personnel felt it as well.
“I think solutions are being put in place for the future to take into account the toll that it does take, on not just the staff, but all the travelling circus that is associated with Formula 1.”
McLaren counterpart Andrea Stella feels there is a bigger picture to consider regarding the long-term well-being of team personnel.
“There are some takeaways, even for us as a team, for instance, in terms of what we can adjust to cope with this kind of fatigue,” said Stella.
“At the same time, we need to have a dialogue with F1 to make sure that what can be improved, is improved. Certainly, we will keep talking about the timetable, if possible, specifically for the race in Vegas.
“But it’s clear that sustainability from a human performance point of view has become a key topic in Formula 1 nowadays, so even the way teams approach performance needs to change, needs to evolve.
“Certainly, this is something we are taking quite seriously at McLaren.”
Aston Martin boss Mike Krack has conceded to being “surprised” that what unfolded in Las Vegas became “such a big topic at the end of the day”.
“There have been a lot of talks about the Vegas schedule,” said Krack. “We knew it before because we had the timeline before. It’s something that, as a team, you need to prepare for. not only the drivers but also the engineers and mechanics.
“I have to say our team coped really well with these difficult conditions.
“But, all in all, if it is (a big topic), then there should be adjustments for the future, and the way it was discussed up and down the pit lane, I think there will be some adjustments for the future.”
