Fatigue a major factor after gruelling F1 season concludes at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

“We’re all burnt out massively,” said Williams driver Alex Albon ahead of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – the finale of what had been the most stacked Formula One season ever.

This year’s F1 calendar featured 23 races for the first time, starting in Bahrain in early March and concluding on Sunday at Yas Marina Circuit.

The last three months have been particularly gruelling for everyone involved in the sport. The schedule took the drivers from the Netherlands at the end of August, to Italy, Singapore, Japan then Qatar before a triple-header in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. That was followed by a double-header in Las Vegas and finally Abu Dhabi.

Next year won’t be any easier. In fact, the 2024 calendar will feature a record-breaking 24 races as the Chinese Grand Prix returns for the first time since 2019. The season will finish with a triple-header that will see back-to-back races in Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi.

Some changes have been made to allow for smarter travel between races; Japan, for example, has been moved from September to April to be slotted between Australia and China. But there are still several pockets in the calendar that make for some dizzying back-and-forths across the globe, and drivers and teams are understandably concerned about the toll this is taking on their bodies.

Arriving in Abu Dhabi straight from the inaugural Las Vegas race, most drivers spent a good portion of their press conferences discussing jetlag and sleep schedules. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon didn’t even turn up to media day because he fell ill.

“It's a bit tough to understand what time zone that you're in,” said triple world champion Max Verstappen, who completed his record-breaking season with victory in Abu Dhabi – his 19th win of the