In a blow for the Toro Rosso team, Pierre Gasly developed a sudden stomach bug, which could put him in doubt for qualifying. However, Dr Helmut Marko was not particularly sympathetic and said, “I have to check. If it get’s too bad he has to wear diapers.”
However, Gasly is not the only victim, as a wave of stomach virus has struck numerous F1 personnel. In fact, it is believed that some teams have several casualties. According to a medical count, around 150 people in the paddock have been affected in a greater or lesser degree.
The teams that have suffered the most from the virus are McLaren, Renault and Toro Rosso. Also Pierre Gasly. At the moment they are preparing him for a single installation. Yesterday Tatiana Calderón couldn't run the Porsche free practice due the same problem.
— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) October 26, 2019
Fortunately, Pierre Gasly is out on track for FP3, though he is only doing installation laps. The Frenchman will be assessing his fitness and hoping that he will be fit enough for qualifying later today.
Some suspect that it is possibly the water that has caused the infection. With the US Grand Prix next weekend, the affected teams will be hoping that all their personnel recover in time.
