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Stroll: I was losing consciousness in extreme Qatar GP

Many drivers struggled with the conditions in Qatar, with Lance Stroll stating he was passing out due to the heat.

Stroll Qatar
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Lance Stroll has revealed that the heat was so severe inside the cockpit during the Qatar Grand Prix that he was losing consciousness.

Conditions at the Lusail International Circuit have been blistering hot all weekend, with the temperature often peaking well above the 35 degrees Celsius mark.

The track is renowned for its high, sustained levels of G-force, peaking around 5g for drivers, with high air temperatures coupled with a flat-out pace after the FIA imposed an 18-lap maximum stint length mid concerns over the Pirelli tyres.

Multiple drivers struggled, including race winner Max Verstappen and Logan Sargeant who retired with dehydration.

Stroll would eventually cross the line in ninth place but was demoted out of the points after being handed a duo of five-second time penalties for track limit infringements, but revealed how he was almost passing out behind the wheel.

Stroll's danger

" finished ninth and then I think we got two track limit penalties," Stroll told media including RacingNews365.

"But I was passing out in the car, and they painted the kerbs and made the track narrower so you can't even feel the kerbs.

"You're just trying to see it. But the problem is, you can't see where you're going because you're passing out. I was fully fading out."

"It was with 20 laps to go [when my condition started to worsen.]"

F1 2023 Qatar Grand Prix RN365 News dossier

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