Why Esteban Ocon fears the health of F1 drivers is at risk ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix

Esteban Ocon has expressed concern for Formula 1 drivers’ health amid the latest triple header at the end of the 2024 season.

It is the third triple header of the season and already it is taking its toll on some drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg forced to miss media day with a cold ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Ocon himself was struck down with a bad lung virus during the off-season in 2023, which forced him to be below the peak fitness level that is required of F1 drivers before they participate in a race for six weeks.

With the increased travel and use of aeroplanes to arrive at long-haul destinations, it means the possibility of drivers picking up viral viruses is increased.

Ocon has expressed concern for driver health going forward when speaking to Motorsport-Total on Qatar GP media day.

Esteban Ocon expresses concern for driver health amid expanding calendar

Ocon highlighted the jet lag and having to readjust to different time zones as putting a lot of pressure on himself and members of the team, who work longer hours than the drivers at tracks.

“I have almost settled in again, which is very nice,” said Ocon. But not everyone in the team is like that: “I travelled here with the team from Vegas and tried to help some of the guys wake up at the right time.”

This did not always work out, because some were simply “so tired” according to Ocon, or some would therefore have slept “for 15 hours”, which did not help with the acclimatization in the Qatar time zone.

The last triple header of the year is simply “super hard”, said Ocon, who emphasizes: “I hope that not too many people in the paddock get sick. That’s the main thing. We have to stay healthy by the end of the year.”

F1 rejigs calendar for 2026 to bring races closer by region

A couple of changes have been made to the calendar that will come into effect in 2026 which will see more races grouped based on region.

F1 has moved the Canadian GP data from 2026 to help reduce its carbon footprint, with the race now being shifted from June to either the third or fourth weekend of May.

The Monaco GP has also been moved to early June, which means that it will no longer clash with the iconic Indy 500 at the end of May.

This means there will be races in the Americas closer together earlier in the season, along with races in Asia and Oceana.