Lando Norris has poked fun at Fernando Alonso’s struggles with jet lag ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, suggesting that the 42-year-old’s age may be contributing to his difficulties adjusting to the local time zones.
There is a five-hour time difference between Sao Paulo and Las Vegas, meaning drivers are feeling the effects of jet lag as they make their way to Sin City for what promises to be the most memorable event of the 2023 season.
Asked during Thursday’s press conference whether or not the jet lag was proving an issue for the drivers, Alonso replied: “No, it’s not OK, it’s not OK. But it’s the way it is. It’s a tough sport. This is not football.”
Norris then took the opportunity to poke fun at Alonso for his struggles with the jet lag, stating: “I think it’s always been in F1. Of course, it’s a big shift and stuff like that. But I’m alright. I’m still young, thankfully.
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“I’m a bit older now but compared to this guy right here [Fernando]… Maybe he struggles a little bit more than I do with not getting eight hours in. But yeah, we all have to do the same things.”
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz also backed up the jet lag worries, adding: “Yeah, I think once comes Friday, Saturday, Sunday, caffeine shots, espressos or adrenaline that is needed to drive an F1 car normally removes the jet lag. I struggle more these days, on long Thursdays. This is where I start to struggle a bit more.”
Alonso and Norris are fighting on multiple different fronts ahead of the penultimate round of the 2023 season. The two drivers are separated by just three points in the Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of Sunday’s race with the more experienced Spaniard just ahead.
However, momentum is very much on the side of Norris, who has stood on the podium at five of the last six Grands Prix, as well as seven of the last 11. Alonso, for comparison, was without a podium in any of his last six races prior to his last-lap heroics at Interlagos.
While the battle between the two drivers for P4 is still alive, the Constructors’ Championship battle between McLaren and Aston Martin is all but finished. The latter enjoyed their best weekend in months in Brazil, but the gap between them still stands at 21 points heading into the final two rounds of the campaign.
