A former Formula 1 team doctor has warned that the demanding final stretch of the 2026 calendar could take a significant toll on drivers and team personnel, regardless of their physical preparation. Dr Elina Haukipuro's concerns come after Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas both missed Thursday's media activities at the Mexican Grand Prix due to illness.

Former Mercedes F1 doctor explains why fitness is not enough

With nine Grands Prix scheduled across the final 11 weeks of the season, Formula 1 teams face an unusually intense period of travelling, racing and preparation.

The Mexican Grand Prix is the second event of the current triple-header, sandwiched between the United States Grand Prix in Austin and next weekend's race in São Paulo. Another three consecutive races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi will bring the championship to a close in December.

Haukipuro, who previously worked with Mercedes and Williams, believes that even drivers who follow carefully designed training and recovery programmes cannot entirely escape the consequences of such a schedule.

Speaking to PlanetF1.com, she explained: "Even if you are very fit, you've done all the correct preparation, it doesn't shield you entirely from feeling the effects of travelling, jet lag, heat, just performing constantly and not getting a break like that."

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Having also worked with drivers in junior racing categories, Haukipuro has observed how the physical demands of a championship can become more apparent as the season progresses.

"This is something I usually see as well; the more we go to the end part of the season, the more people start to get tired. There are more injuries. There are more people getting sick as well. So this is something that we're kind of anticipating, but we're trying to prevent as much as probably or as much as possible."

The former team doctor also highlighted the difficulty of allowing sufficient recovery time when races are scheduled so close together: "To get a plan where no one feels the effects of the nine weeks is impossible with this schedule."

She added that the paddock is "losing this window of actually having this proper time for recovery, like both physically and mentally as well."

F1 mechanics also face additional physical demands

Haukipuro's concerns extend beyond the drivers themselves. Mechanics and other team personnel must cope with long working hours, frequent travel and physically demanding responsibilities, often without the same level of individual support available to those behind the wheel.

She also pointed out that the resources available to staff can vary considerably depending on the financial strength of their teams: "If you look at the budget that the teams have at the top end of the paddock versus further down, it is a big difference."

High temperatures present another challenge, particularly at races held in hot and humid conditions. Drivers undertake specific heat-acclimatisation training, but Haukipuro warned that extreme environments can still place considerable stress on the body and affect performance and safety.

Antonelli and Bottas forced to miss Thursday commitments

The warning comes during a Mexican Grand Prix weekend already affected by illness in the paddock. Antonelli was unable to attend Thursday's media activities after contracting a viral illness. Mercedes indicated that the Italian was recovering and he's expected to return on Friday for the opening practice sessions.

Bottas was also absent, although Cadillac described the decision to keep him away from Thursday's commitments as precautionary. The team indicated that his participation in the remainder of the weekend is not expected to be affected.