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F1 drivers and teams face a big time challenge with this week’s Australian Grand Prix
Time is a constant in Formula 1. Every second, or millisecond, matters. Teams and drivers work around the clock to shave off every bit of time they can and those efforts could make the difference between a podium finish, and a finish outside the points.
But for this week’s Australian Grand Prix, there is another time-related challenge facing the teams and the drivers.
Adjusting your mind and body to a race on the other side of the world.
As the drivers take to the grid this weekend they, and all the team members in Melbourne, will need to adjust to the time difference. This is a process that does take some time, and begins for the drivers before they even board the plane to head Down Under.
“One of the special factors when preparing to race in Australia is overcoming jetlag and limiting the time it takes your body to acclimatise to the time difference,” said Alpine driver Esteban Ocon in the team’s preview of the Australian Grand Prix this week.
“Coming from Europe, it’s usually around 10- or 11-hours difference and it’s something I work super hard with my trainer on. It already starts in the few days running up to the flight and shifting your sleep patterns and wake-up times slightly later,” added Ocon. “Then you need a strategy for when to rest on particular flights to make sure you arrive in sync with the correct time of day.”
Last season Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. actually walked fans through the process of getting acclimated to the time change this week, as he traveled to Australia. On his Instagram page, Sainz talked at length about the trip to Australia, and the lengths he took to be ready to hit the ground running as quickly as possible once he reached Melbourne.
“I have to stay awake during this 1st flight so I’m going to explain how a good jet lag plan works when you travel to Australia,” Sainz wrote on his Instagram stories last season
“1st flight 7 [hours] to Dubai: tough one, it’s 8am in Melbourne so it’s important NOT to sleep. Plenty of caffeine is allowed but most importantly, plenty of light exposure,” the Ferrari driver added. “Keep the reading lights on, watch a film and entertain yourself, quick visits to the bar to have a few conversations with your colleagues work also. It’s 22.30 in Europe so it will not be easy.”
Sainz added a later update during a stopover in Dubai.
“2h stopover in Dubai: probably in a zombie state after staying awake all night but it’s important to keep making an effort, never sleep and focus on staying in bright places with plenty of sun or artificial light. Have your last bit of caffeine if [it] helps. It will be 7am in Europe, afternoon in Melbourne.”
Ocon’s teammate at Alpine, Pierre Gasly, traveled to Australia well in advance. That allowed him to take in some sights, and start to adjust to the time difference.
“Australia is one the more challenging races on the calendar from a jet lag perspective. It’s not easy to get over and everyone has various strategies in place to reduce the effects of jet lag. I flew out a few days earlier than normal to visit Sydney before the race in Melbourne,” said Gasly in this week’s media preview from Alpine.
The driver is hoping the extra time will help his body acclimate to the difference.
“Hopefully a few extra days will help out before we get into the business of the weekend,” said Gasly. “I just like to stay active, keep the energy going and then start with a fresh piece of mind when everything gets going in Melbourne. I’m feeling ready!”
Of course, the challenging time change impacts not only the drivers, but the entire teams. And not just those making the trip. Even those team members who might stay back at the factory or at team headquarters, the time difference will pose some logistical challenges.
Take Mercedes. As the team noted, there is an 11-hour time difference between Melbourne, and their factory in the United Kingdom. “There is a considerable time difference (11 hours) between Melbourne and the team back at Brackley and Brixworth supporting remotely, adding another level of challenge to the weekend,” stated the team in their preview for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
Diving into the details you can see how the schedule will impact not just the team members at the track, but those working at the factory. For example, the second practice session this week begins at 4:00 p.m. local time. That is 6:00 a.m. in Brackley, United Kingdom, where their factory and team headquarters are located. The same goes for qualifying, which begins at 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday.
Tougher still might be the first practice session, which begins at 12:30 p.m. local time. That is 2:30 a.m. back in Brackley.
The time difference is something that Mercedes noted in their preview for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. The team also released a video last season featuring some of their key personnel highlighting how the drivers, and even the team members staying back in the United Kingdom, adjust to the time difference:
“We have very good guidance from a scientific point of view, especially on sleep, nutrition, on how to best adapt what to do, when to start eating, when to shift and by how much in order to get onto Australian time,” explained Dominique Riefstahl, who runs the team’s Race Support Operations at the factory.
And what about the drivers?
Aleix Casanovas, Performance Coach for Russell, added this insight last year: “Every race is different. We go to different continents and jet lag makes it complex… Australia is a big time zone shift for us. We start preparing beforehand, we change the body work a little bit and then use light and darkness a lot to adapt.”
If all else fails, there is something the drivers can turn to to aid them this week.
The energy of the crowds around Albert Park.
“It’s not easy to manage, but the fans in Australia are amazing and always fuel us with energy,” exclaimed Ocon this week.
Time always matters in F1.
This week, however, it matters for a completely different reason.
