Berger: If you're in good shape, you don't get sick

The vomiting and exhausted driver saga that exploded, in the aftermath of the very hot and humid race at Lusail International Circuit, has divided the F1 fans and pundits.

With one sector showing sympathy and even outrage that drivers were subject to such gruelling conditions. The other sector showed little sympathy for the plight of the well-paid sportsmen living their dream and a string of wannabes who would've easily swapped seats with any of the ill-affected that Sunday night.

Those most affected was Logan Sargeant who was told to park his Williams and needed to be aided out of the car, having vomited in the process. Teammate Alex Albon was also very fragile after the race, as was Alpine driver Esteban Ocon who also admitted throwing up. Just about all the drivers put the race down to one of the toughest they have competed in, if not the toughest.

Berger, who competed in 211 GPs, raced in one of the toughest eras of the sport, the turbo era when cars were hitting 1400 bhp in qualifying trim, says it's all down to fitness.

Speaking to Servus TV after the weekend in Qatar, Berger said: "The same thing happened to us. This time the guys seem to have pushed themselves to the limit, but it's simply a question of physical fitness. If you're in good shape, you don't get sick."

The ten-time GP winner, pointed to the current era's top drivers, triple F1 World Champ Max Verstappen and 42-year-old Fernando Alonso and their fitness, and compared it to the times when he was Ayrton Senna's teammate at McLaren.

"It is a physical and circulatory problem," ventured Berger. "But if you ask a Verstappen or Alonso, they don't get sick even with those temperatures. Because it is a factor that you must have on the radar if you want to win. I often felt bad because I wasn't in shape, even less in shape than Senna.

"I was also on the limit many times, especially in the first half of my career. And I had to manage my limit. In a hot race in Adelaide, I had to reduce my speed in the final laps to avoid falling into a situation like the one we have seen now. And that's why I lost positions, of course," recalled Berger.

Nevertheless, modern times demand modern rules and appropriate action to avoid it happening again at F1 venues. Next year's Qatar race to be held in December is a sensible move. Perhaps FIA and F1 erred in not taking into account the heat in the region at this time of the year.

F1's governing body also announced: "The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperature and humidity during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the well being of the drivers. While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety.

"The safe operation of the cars is, at all times, the responsibility of the Competitors, however as with other matters relating to safety such as circuit infrastructure and car safety requirements, the FIA will take all reasonable measures to establish and communicate acceptable parameters in which Competitions are held.

"As such, the FIA has begun an analysis into the situation in Qatar to provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions. It should be noted that while next year’s edition of the Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled later in the year, when temperatures are expected to be lower, the FIA prefers to take material action now to avoid a repeat of this scenario.

"A number of measures will be discussed at the upcoming medical commission meeting in Paris. Measures may include guidance for competitors, research into modifications for more efficient airflow in the cockpit, and recommendations for changes to the calendar to align with acceptable climatic conditions, amongst others.

"Research from other series, such as cross-country events in extreme climates, will be examined for potential applications to circuit events. The FIA’s commitment to closer cooperation between technical, safety and medical departments under the leadership of the FIA President will facilitate this process," concludes the statement.