We got lucky Carlos couldn’t start that race today. We got lucky his team discovered the fuel leak—caused by damage from dangerous track kerbs unfit for their sport—before his car erupted in flames.
We got lucky Lewis took himself out on Lap 1 instead of passing out at the wheel on Lap 57, foot the accelerator, crashing into a wall at 60+ Gs.
We got lucky all of the 18 drivers who did compete today are still alive after racing in those conditions, escaping with only heat exhaustion instead of heat stroke.
Formula 1 must suspend its 10-year contract with the the Qatar Lusail Grand Prix until a commitment is made to fully renovating the track to be suitable for the sport and to holding the race later on the calendar.
(And—better yet—until the host country improves its human rights record).
"Struggling quite a bit with the balance, rear was very, very loose...When the track temperature dropped this afternoon, I just couldn't find any grip out there...so I'm not surprised to be out of Q3."
GEORGE: I felt sick, I thought at one point i was gonna faint, I was truly overheating. (...) People who go in the sauna, whenever they get to their limit, you want to get out, your body can't cope anymore. That's how I felt from maybe lap 20. Counting down the laps, my body was tingling, everything was a real, real struggle. (...) It's part of the challenge, I'm smiling about it now, but at the time I definitely wasn't.