Esteban Ocon reveals he threw up in his helmet during the 2023 F1 Qatar GP as Alpine driver flags extreme conditions

The 2023 F1 Qatar Grand Prix took a massive toll on all the drivers, including Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman revealed how he threw up in his helmet during the early stages of the race and spoke about the extreme conditions drivers had to contend with.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Ocon disclosed that he was already throwing up by lap 15 or 16 but knew he had to maintain his focus for the rest of the race. He said:

"I was throwing up by lap 15, 16, for two laps, I think. I was doing that and thinking, "S***, it's going to be a long one'. Get it under control just mentally, and just focus on what I've got to try and do."

Ocon, who has always trained to do two race distances in the car, said the cockpit wasn't sealed well enough, allowing extreme heat to enter. he added that he was glad next year's Qatar GP will be held in December when temperatures are cooler.

"I've never had that in the past. I've always been able to do two race distances in the car; that's what I've always been training for, but today it was just the hot air and how hot the engine is from behind the car. I don't think we particularly sealed the cockpit too well. It must have been like 80 degrees inside the car," he said. "I'm glad that next year we come back here in December."

Not only Esteban Ocon, but drivers like Logan Sargeant, Fernando Alonso, and others were heard on their team radios complaining about how hot it was inside the cockpit.

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Esteban Ocon on Alpine's power unit woes at Monza

At the Italian GP last month, Esteban Ocon admitted that Alpine's power unit is not the strongest on the grid. He was also not happy with the balance of the car. Speaking to Race Fans, he said:

“It’s never one thing in Formula 1. It’s [power unit] obviously not our strongest area either. But we were struggling quite a lot in corners as well, not being happy with either the balance of the car or how it felt. The good thing, in a way, from that weekend, is how much we’ve learned."

Ocon is currently 12th in the drivers' championship, two points behind his teammate, Pierre Gasly.