Sergio Perez jokes he needs Lewis Hamilton’s ‘pills’ as F1 drivers battle jet lag ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix
While several drivers voiced their concerns about jet lag amid a demanding end-of-season schedule ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand P𝕴rix, Hamilton was a notable exception.
The seven-time♛ world champion insisted he felt “great” heading into the final two ev✱ents of a gruelling 22-race season.
“I personally haven’t found it [jet lag] a problem,” Hamilton said. “Still managed to keep the training up and I feel great a♋t this p🐓oint of the year.
“I saw the drivers complaining about the jet lag. Jet lag is probably something that can 🦩get all of us but I’ve not found it a problem since I’ve been he🍸re.
🤪“It is demanding but we know that en🔯tering the sport. We know what the season entails. The three back-to-backs were definitely tough but if it was easy everyone would do it.”
Hamilton’s answer prompted an amusing exchange with Red Bull🍌’s Sergio Perez, who joked: “I will ask Lewis for some of his pills, he seems to be the only one not suffering with it!
“But𝓀 no, for me, I’m used to it. I come from Mexico,🉐 so I spend so much time on the jet lag.”
Williams driver Alex Albon also admitted to struggling, joking he is “not as gif🧔ted as Lewis with the sleep”.
Perez’s teammate Max Verstap🅠pen𓄧 was among the harshest critics of F1’s scheduling.
“It’s already a 12-hour difference but also a completely different timezone because basically we live on a Japanese time schedule [in Vegas] but then almost on a different 🐻day,” the Dutchman said.
“I🎃 don’t really get that. That is very tiring. It’s the end of the season that we have to do this, it doesn’t really make a lot of🐼 sense.”
42-year-old Fernando Alonso was another who conceꦺded jet lag was a problem, though the Aston Martin driver insisted it shows F1 is a “tough sport”, unlike football.
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda joked: “I’m currently quite sleepy so for me it’༒s hitting a little bit.”
Like Hamilton, Pierre Gasly said he had no issues i💮n Las Vegas thanks to his preparation ahead of the event.
However, the French🍃man suggested next weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could 𓂃be a “big challenge”.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on ཧthe action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
