Chapter Text
Qatar, Losail international circuit, sunday - race day.
As always it’s hot in Qatar, freaking boiling hot to be precise. The whole weekend was hot, temperatures always over 30°C even after 7 o’clock in the evening. Everybody was struggling with the heat and there was no wind, so it felt like being under a dome. Some drivers said, it is just like 2023 (which made my blood run cold, even if I wasn’t present at that weekend I know what happened).We medics had our hands full with work the whole weekend. Keeping up the constant hydration reminders, treating team members with heat exhaustion, heat stroke, burns and whatsoever. Additionally we also had to look after our drivers, help their trainers to keep them healthy and ready to race. Some drivers struggled more with the heat than others but no one was completely unbothered by the heat. So all the medical staff were always on their tiptoes, always ready for emergency, always on high alert standby from the moment the first driver passed the swipe gate into the paddock in the morning till the moment the last driver leaves the paddock. We FIA on grid medics were on call 24/7 during the weekend, as always, and there was not one single night from Thursday till Saturday where we got no call and a full 8 hours of sleep. I was used to it by now and it was nothing unusual the longer the season took. But this Sunday, I had a weird feeling deep down in my stomach like a bad foreboding.
The race started at 7 o’clock in the evening (local time) and the air temperature was still 36°C, track temp was 52°C. No wind, still the suffering feeling of being under a dome. Just like the drivers, both of us FIA on grid medics had to wear fireproofs, a racesuit, gloves, safety shoes and a helmet when we had to head out on the track. During the race, the gloves were shoved into our helmet (together with our balaclava) which was lying on a chair or shelf near us. I had my racesuit unzipped, hanging around my hips, the sleeves of the fireproofs pulled up halfway of my forearms. It did nothing to help with the heat, I was boiling in my clothes and I knew the drivers suffered even more. I was stationed at Ferrari this weekend, so during the race I was in their garage, had my place with my laptop, tablet and all the other stuff I used to keep track of the race, the drivers and their vitals.
Charles’ POV
I hate Qatar, I hate it here so much. I got the feeling the race conditions get worse every year. My race engineer Bryan and the whole team are really going on my nerves. I got the feeling I’m cooked alive and they constantly radio me and want me to do this and that. I just want them to shut up for once or at least support me, help me, recognize me and listen to me. If I’d tell them now how bad I am feeling, they either give me no answer or just the usual ‘we are checking’. It’s really getting to, especially today under these suffering conditions. And right on cue my radio is chiming. No, no, no, no, just shut up Bryan.
“Medical check Charles, can you give me a quick update on how you’re feeling please?”
It’s Alex, my medic and I’m really glad for her call. I know she listens to me, I can tell her that I’m feeling bad (well, she’ll probably already know it because of all the data she gets from our gloves) and I know she will try to help. So I answer her honestly and tell her about my current problems.
Alex’ POV
We are on lap 18 of 57 and the first driver's vitals are starting to worry me. It is Charles. I don’t like his medical stats at all so I open a semi private medical radio channel (so only the team can hear our conversation but not the media or fans) and do a quick check in with him.
“Medical check Charles, can you give me a quick update on how you’re feeling please?”
For a few seconds I can only hear him breathing heavily, but then he answers: “Uuhmm honestly I feel like being cooked alive in the car. It’s so unbelievably hot and I don’t think the cooling system is working at all.”
FUCK - not good.
“Okay Charles, understood. I will try to see if I can help you somehow. Is your drinking system working at least?”
“Yeah, positive, I got some warm water to drink.”
“Well it’s something, thanks, let me know if you feel worse.”
“Yep, understood”
Some more medical stats caught my attention and I decided to talk with the drivers. First one is Bortoleto, technically not my driver, but I shot a quick text message to my colleague with the most important facts to explain and open a semi open channel to Gabi.
“Medical check Gabi, it’s Alex. How are you doing and is your drinking system working?”
“Drinking tube is working but that’s it. The cooling system isn’t doing anything, I’m boiling.” “Copy understood Gabi, I see what I can do.”
Not good, not good at all.
Next one is Esteban.
“Medical check Estie, how are you doing?”
“Alex, got the feeling I’m being slow cooked here.”
“Understood, what about the drinking and cooling system, are they working?”
“Positive for drinking, negative for cooling.”
“Copy, thanks, I try to find a solution.”
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Not good at all. We are not even halfway through the race and it seems the first cooling systems stopped working. Exactly the problem I heard of from other racing series. Definitely a danger to the driver's health that needs to be addressed and fixed. Time to get in touch with race director Rui Marques.
I quickly open a medical channel to the FIA while texting my colleague the info about the situation.
“Medic Alex for race director Marques with an urgent matter.”
“This is Marques, what is it Alex?”
“Seems like we have a problem that is endangering the health and safety of the drivers. At least 3 drivers told me about a non-functioning cooling system.”
“Okay, I understand the problem, but I don’t see a solution right now. We can’t halt the race to fix this and I will not cancel the race.” He says in a slightly pissed voice.
“I know that, trust me. But this is serious and I do not want a repetition of Losail 2023. So we need to do something. What about a manual reset of the cooling system?”
“I also don’t want a second Losail 2023 but what do you mean by manual reset?”
“The system can be restarted manually. It doesn’t always work, but it’s an option. And it could be done during the race. So it could be worth a try.”
“What? I never heard of it before and what do you mean by doing it during the race?”
“It’s an information I got from other racing series already working with this cooling system for some years. They told me about the usual problems of the system and gave some solutions too. The reset could be done during a pit stop, sure it would take a little longer than usual, but just a few seconds longer than the exchange of a front wing.”
“Are you sure about that Alex?”
“Yes, I am sure.”
“Well, I guess we could offer it to the teams but does anyone know how to do this reset?”
“I don’t know if the teams know how to do it, but I know what to do. I had the chance to practice with the other racing series. Of course I will offer my help to all the teams.”
“Okay Alex, understood. I’ll have a quick talk with the teams and let you know about the decision.”
“Copy, but please hurry a bit, I think more and more drivers are getting trouble with the heat.”
Lap 23/57 now we got 6 drivers with alarming vitals. 3 more with concerning stats.
“Race director for medic Alex.”
Finally!
“Yeah it’s Alex, what’s your decision?”
“The teams do not know how to do the reset, but if you’re helping all the teams, I will allow you to do the reset as a pitstop procedure.”
“Of course all the teams will get my help. They shall let me know about a necessary reset and when the driver will do the pitstop so I’ll be there and do the reset.”
“Copy, I’ll inform the teams immediately."
“Understood, thanks”
A second later I hear the paddock wide official info about the possibility of the cooling system reset.
“This is an official announcement of race director Marques for all teams: in case the driver’s cooling system is not working, there is a possibility of a manual reset which can be done during a pitstop. Alex the medic knows how it’s done and she offered her help to all the teams. Just let her know about the necessary reset and when the stop will happen. Because of the current weather condition the FIA will allow this additional pitstop procedure.”
Immediately I send a message to the race engineers of Charles, Gabi, Estie and the other drivers with alarming medical stats to inform them about the necessity of the reset.
Lap 26/57
Charles is the first one to box. New tires and the reset. I pull down the sleeves of my shirt, pull up my racesuit and zip it up, put on my balaclava and helmet in record time as well as my gloves. I’m waiting between the pitcrew of the front right and rear right tires, electric screwdriver in my right hand. Charles is coming into the pitlane, slowing down and coming to a stop at the marked spot in front of the garage. The pitcrew is jumping into action to switch the tires and I quickly unscrew the bolts of the cover over the cooling system pump. Once the lid is open I reach in, find the little pump button on the underside of the pump blindly within milliseconds and push it three times to manually flush the water in the system and hopefully restart it. As fast as possible I close the lid, screw the bolts, shout “DONE” and jump back behind the yellow line one of the mechanics had shown me. They give Charles the green light and he is released into the race. The whole stop took 5.4 seconds - quite okay I guess since some of the mechanics pat my shoulder and say “well done” or “good job”.
But I got no time to enjoy it, since Stake calls me just in this second to tell me Gabi is coming in for a pitstop in 1 lap.
I let them know I’ll be there, leave the Ferrari garage, turn left and hurry down the pitlane to the Stake garage. They give me the electric screwdriver, I take my position between the pitcrew on the right side and then Gabi is already there. Same procedure as with Charles. Unscrew, open cover, find the button, push it 3 times, close the lid, screw the bolts, shout “DONE”, back behind the yellow line. Since there was a little problem with the left rear tire, I was done before the pitcrew. 2 seconds later Gabi was also released to the race. I return the tool they gave me and want to go back to Ferrari when my radio crackles to life.
“Haas for Alex, Esteban is coming in for pitstop and reset right now and is followed by Ollie.”
I turn around and can already see Esties car coming into the pitlane. Fuck. I start running to the Haas garage while I answer “copy, I’ll be there” via radio.
One of the Haas mechanics gives me the tool and I’m at my assigned place right on time. They switch the tires while I do the reset. It works smoothly and Estie got a good pitstop of 5.6 seconds. Esteban is followed immediately by Ollie and here we manage a smooth switch of tires and cooling system reset too.
I’m drenched in sweat and the fireproofs are sticking to my skin, but we made it. I return the tool, the team thanks me which I answer with “just trying to help and do my job” and Ayao gives me a thumbs up from the control console. I smile, wave goodbye and return to the Ferrari garage. On the way there my radio crackles again.