Both Williams drivers have been assessed and cleared by medical teams after needing treatment for heat-related issues following the Qatar Grand Prix.
While Esteban Ocon was sick in his helmet early in the race, that was only revealed after the checkered flag and so it was Logan Sargeant’s radio messages that highlighted the problems drivers were facing. Sargeant told his team he was feeling unwell but insisted he could continue before eventually retiring and needing to be helped from his car, and was visited by the FIA doctor for treatment.
“Following Logan’s retirement from the grand prix, he has been assessed and cleared by the medical team on-site after suffering from intense dehydration during the race weakened by having flu like symptoms earlier in the week,” Williams confirmed.
The end of the race saw multiple drivers needing help and to take time cooling their body temperatures, but Alex Albon and Lance Stroll were two who struggled to get out of their cars in parc ferme, with Albon needing to be taken to the medical center.
“Following the Qatar Grand Prix, Alex was taken to the medical centre to be treated for acute heat exposure,” Williams also said. “He has now been assessed and cleared by the medical team.”
Stroll nearly collapsed after climbing out of his car and stumbled to a nearby ambulance for aid, but was able to return to carry out media duties and told Sky Sports he was passing out in certain corners.
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“Frustrated — we finished ninth but then two track limit penalties put us 11th, so it’s annoying that such a hard race, physically and just grinding out there, we didn’t come out with any points,” Stroll said.
“It’s ridiculous. These temperatures… Everything goes blurry. The last 25-30 laps was just blurry in the high-speed corners, blood pressure dropping and just passing out basically in the car in the high-speed corners with high G-forces.
“And then the curbs now are painted because they were worried about punctures with these high-loaded G-force corners and the tires. They painted the curbs to make the track even narrower, so you’re reliant just on your visual references to be outside of the track and what that is. But the last 20-25 laps you can’t really see anything because you’re just fainting as you go through those corners.
“It’s really a shame with such a hard fought race we only got 11th, because we finished ninth, started 17th and the car felt good today. And I felt like we had good pace and drove a good race but just super hard.”