Berger lashes out: 'F1 drivers complain when it's too hot'

Ex-Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger has lashed out at the current grid of Formula 1 drivers for their range of complaints.

Berger, who secured 10 Grand Prix victories during his F1 career, competed in F1 throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The Austrian stated that visits to MotoGP opened his eyes to how vicious the two-wheel racing category is compared to F1.

"MotoGP is much more brutal and in it people are much more down to earth,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

“That has nothing to do with technology, but mainly with the fact that the atmosphere is much more relaxed and the fans can get much closer. F1 is much more distant in that respect.

"Everything is much more about perfection, everything is extremely pre-calculated.

“If an F1 driver sprains his finger, doctors and physiotherapists immediately swoop in and it's immediately a whole story.

“In MotoGP, on the other hand, someone breaks his shoulder in the morning and then just gets back on the bike in the afternoon.

“That's also how we envision superheroes.”

Qatar criticism

Berger also criticised the drivers' reaction to the Qatar Grand Prix, which took place in difficult conditions last year.

The race saw Logan Sargeant withdraw due to feeling ill while several others required medical attention after the chequered flag due to the extreme heat and fast pace of the race.

"You want to see them taming alien machines, but also see them biting their teeth when something hurts. F1 drivers complain when it's too hot in Qatar.

"But in my time we ran Grands Prix in Rio de Janeiro in the heat of 40 degrees Celsius and high humidity. And we were shifting manually. I don't want to say it was tougher back then, but it certainly wasn't any easier than it is now.

"Of course, there are limits to what you can do. Of course there are limits to the risks you have to be willing to take. For example, I was at the Isle of Man TT last year, but I left after one day.

Too many risks are taken there, the dangers are too great. F1 is the other extreme and is a bit behind in this. MotoGP represents the golden mean in this.”