Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Qatar, Sprint Day

FIA Introduces Changes to Qatar Grand Prix Amidst Tyre Concerns - @F1PaddockTalk

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QATAR
17TH RACE WEEKEND OF THE SEASON - 4TH SPRINT WEEKEND
OCTOBER

This weekend is getting stupid now.

The FIA's answer to issues with track limits between turns 12 and 13? Paint new lines on the track. That's not going to work well. We can't see the lines. That's why we rely on the feel of the track. Sure, we'll adjust our driving, take those turns tightly, but the ten bloody minutes they gave us to get used to it wasn't enough. And then there's the mandate of only twenty laps on any tyres if concerns persist. It's fucking ridiculous. They say it's all for safety, but they're not addressing the other big concern: the heat is part of what's causing this. We shouldn't be racing in bloody October, when its still clearly too hot for the fucking tyres—

I sigh, my nostrils likely flaring. Thankfully, I'm in the car, and my helmet will prevent anyone from being able to know my current state of mind.

Because my god, I can't begin to process the idiocy of the FIA.

I'm sent out behind a Ferrari, to begin the shootout. The changes to the schedule have delayed this session, but I don't think it'll make a difference. It's hot. The garages are no cooler than just sitting in some shade. And as I begin my flying lap, the car isn't any better for temperature control.

"We're still going for push as much as possible?"

"Confirm. Get those lap times in."

My first time isn't great. It doesn't feel fast enough. The track limits being brought in at the later part of the track are making me nervous about really punching for a good time. I could easily go over the limits because they haven't brought in a kerb for us to feel the impact of.

"Lap times being deleted..." Mateo's heavy sigh tells me he expects us to have to deal with that.

And we do. My third lap is deleted. For that damn turn: 13. I thought I had it right, but apparently not. Thankfully, my next lap throws me up high enough that I'm relatively safe. Still, I'm told to stay out and try to get another as with all the deletions, the others are pushing harder than they were in qualifying.

"This is like Austria all over again, isn't it?"

"Pretty much, dios mío... Another three laps. Watch the wind, it's getting those that aren't caught by thirteen."

I lose another lap to the track limits, but the call is made to pit, as we hope I'm high enough to be safe. From the garage, I watch the screens in front of my halo; Mick has lost fewer laps than me but he's still getting caught out. As are the bigger names. As for the turn 5 warning, it seems the cars that have been more wind-sensitive this year are suffering massively here.

But, thanks to pure chance, we're both into the second part of the shootout. Lance looks to be having a terrible time. He's out in the first section, just as he was yesterday. Everyone's been talking about his momentary outburst after yesterday's qualifying.

Now isn't the time to think about that, I tell myself. I'm getting distracted by things that right now, should not matter. I shake my head as if to shake away the thoughts, and get back into the moment. I have a sprint race to qualify for.

We did reasonably well. Mick was caught out again by those stupid track limit changes at turn 13, and so he's at P15 for the sprint. My car began to overheat, so the team made a call to accept a P10 start for me. It's not perfect, but it's better than other teams, who are doing worse than us.