Following the Friday sessions at Suzuka, the Formula 1 drivers convened for a meeting of the GPDA, or the drivers’ union. During these meetings, they discuss a wide range of topics – from swearing in official press conferences to ensuring safety in Formula 1. However, in the run-up to the Japanese GP, a very different agenda item was raised; several drivers complained about toilet facilities.
According to renowned Formula 1 journalist Adam Cooper, a discussion about toilet facilities arose during the drivers’ regular meeting on Friday. For many drivers, the lack of toilets in the paddock is a serious issue, especially since a visit to the smallest room can now lead to reprimands from the FIA. The limited toilet facilities at certain circuits can indeed result in drivers being late for the national anthem ceremony – a serious violation in the eyes of the FIA.
Disruption for the Drivers
In most cases, drivers can simply return to their own garage for ‘a pit stop’, but at some circuits, they are reliant on the public facilities in the paddock. Naturally, they may have to queue. The Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal were cited as examples. In addition to the lack of toilet facilities, the drivers also named television interviews as a source of disruption.
In the future, the FIA should therefore think more carefully about the facilities before adding new race locations to the calendar. GPDA chairman George Russell reportedly also raised the lack of showers. Most European circuits have showers in the teams’ hospitality units, but at other locations – mainly at temporary circuits – this luxury does not exist. Russell reportedly received little support from his colleagues; there was a joke that a hairdryer should always be available, especially for the British Mercedes driver.
