Time is constant in F1. Every second, or millisecond, counts. Teams and drivers are working around the clock to shave as much time as possible, and their efforts can make the difference between finishing on the podium and finishing outside the points.
But teams and drivers face another time-related challenge at this week’s Australian Grand Prix.
Adapt your mind and body to a race on the other side of the world.
When the drivers take to the grid this weekend, they and all members of the Melbourne team will need to adjust to the time difference. It’s a process that takes some time and begins before the driver even gets on the plane heading Down Under.
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon said in his team preview for this week’s Australian Grand Prix: “One of the special elements in preparing for the race in Australia is to overcome jet lag and limit the time your body has to get used to the time difference. That’s what I do.”
“Coming from Europe, the difference is usually about 10 or 11 hours, but I work hard with my trainer. I’m waking up a little later,” Ocon added. “Then you need to strategize when to take a break on a particular flight to ensure you arrive at the correct time.”
In fact, last season, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. explained the process to fans I traveled to Australia this week and talked about getting used to the time difference. Sainz spoke at length on her own Instagram page about her trip to Australia and the time she spent preparing to leave as soon as possible once she arrived in Melbourne.
“You’ll need to be awake for your first flight, so here’s how jet lag protection works when traveling to Australia,” says Sainz wrote on Instagram story last season
“First Flight 7″ [hours] To Dubai: It’s tough. It’s 8am in Melbourne so it’s important not to fall asleep. Large amounts of caffeine are allowed, but the most important thing is adequate light exposure,” added the Ferrari driver. “Keeping a reading light on and entertaining yourself with a movie or going to a bar and having a little conversation with a colleague can also help. It’s currently 22:30 in Europe, so that won’t be easy. .”
Sainz was added later. Updated during stopover In Dubai.
“2 hour stopover in Dubai: You will be awake all night and probably in a zombie state. But it is important to keep trying, never sleep and bright with lots of sun and artificial light. Concentrate on staying where you are.” If you want to get your last shot of caffeine. [it] I will help. It will be 7am in Europe and 7pm in Melbourne. ”
Pierre Gasly, Ocon’s teammate at Alpine, has been traveling to Australia for quite some time. This allowed him to see some scenery and start adjusting to the time difference.
“Australia is one of the most difficult races on the calendar from a jet lag point of view. Overcoming jet lag is not easy. We have a strategy in place. We left a few days earlier than usual to visit Sydney before the race in Melbourne,” Gasly said at this week’s media preview from Alpine.
Drivers hope the extra time will help their bodies get used to the differences.
“It would be helpful to have a few extra days before getting into weekend work,” Guthrie said. “I like to stay active, keep my energy up and start fresh when everything goes well in Melbourne. I’m ready!”
Of course, this difficult time change affects not only the drivers but the entire team. It’s not just people who travel. Even for team members who may remain at the factory or team headquarters, time differences can present some logistical challenges.
Let’s take Mercedes. As the research team pointed out, there is an 11-hour time difference between Melbourne and the UK factory. “There is a significant time difference (11 hours) between Melbourne and the Brackley and Brixworth teams we support remotely, adding an additional challenge to the weekend,” the team said in a preview of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Ta.
Dig into the details and you’ll see how the schedule impacts not only team members on the truck, but also those working in the factory. For example, his second practice session this week begins at 4pm local time. It’s 6am in Brackley, England, where the factory and team headquarters are. Qualifying will be similar, starting at 4pm local time on Saturday.
Even tougher may be the first practice session, which begins at 12:30pm local time. We arrived back at Brackley at 2:30am.
This time difference was pointed out by Mercedes in its preview of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. The team also released a video featuring some of its key staff highlighting how the drivers, as well as team members back in the UK, have adapted to the time difference over the past season.
“From a scientific perspective, we’re looking at how to best adapt your sleep, nutrition, what you do, when to start eating, when to shift, and how much to change in time for Australian time. We have very good guidance on what to do.” Dominik Liefstaal, who is in charge of the team’s race support work at the factory.
And what about the driver?
Russell’s performance coach Aleix Casanovas added last year: We go to different continents and jet lag complicates things…Australia is a big time zone change for us. Start preparing in advance, change the way your body works a little, and then use a lot of light and darkness to adapt. ”
If all else fails, there are things drivers can rely on for help this week.
The energy of the crowd surrounding Albert Park.
“It’s not easy to manage, but the Australian fans are amazing and always give us energy,” Ocon exclaimed this week.
Time is always of the essence in F1.
But this week is important for a completely different reason.
