The heat is on!
Sauna-like conditions will test drivers’ fitness to the limit
We have all of our gear on – plus the helmet – and the car is hot as well. The seat itself is warm and we’re surrounded in the cockpit by electrical boxes. It gets really hot, like in a mild sauna.
Valtteri Bottas
NO other race tests the physical fitness of the modern-day Formula 1 driver like this weekend’s Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix.
The 5.543km Sepang International Circuit plays host to one of the most gruelling events on the calendar – with temperatures averaging more than 30°C and humidity of around 70%.
British driver David Coulthard best described how it felt like to drive at Sepang all suited up inside a fireproof racing suit.
“It’s like having to do some physical exercise in a sauna, effectively, and unless it was having sex, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do anything in a sauna,” the Scotsman had said when asked about his driving experience at the Sepang International Circuit back in 2006.
Coming from a country with little sunshine, Finland’s Valtteri Bottas is no stranger to spending long periods in a sauna.
The Mercedes driver admitted that Sepang would be a “serious test of our physical fitness”.
“We have all of our gear on – plus the helmet – and the car is hot as well.
“The seat itself is warm and we’re surrounded in the cockpit by electrical boxes. It gets really hot, like in a mild sauna,” said Bottas, who is the teammate of three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
For this reason, many drivers tend to arrive in Malaysia early if possible so as to acclimatise to the heat and humidity.
“It takes three to four days to get your body used to the heat.
“You’ll start off with some training outside so that your body can sweat properly.
“We won’t be able to withstand the heat like a local but those few days of acclimatisation can make a difference.”
During a typical 90-minute Malaysia GP, a driver’s heart rate can reach as high as 170bpm (beats per minute). He will also burn up to 1,500 calories and lose around three litres of body fluid in sweat.
Haas team driver Romain Grosjean believes that keeping oneself hydrated and staying calm will be crucial to surviving the Sepang heat.
“If you dip just once with your hydration, it takes a long time to get back.
“We have to drink lots of water as well as sports drinks containing electrolytes to keep the levels at the right level.
“It’s more important to stay calm when you are physically suffering.
“It’s like riding up a hill and someone’s trying to chat with you or your phone is ringing non-stop.
“You can get fed up with that very quickly simply because you’re tired,” said the Frenchman.
Many drivers now wear a cooling vest while waiting on the grid to keep the harsh heat off them.
But on the track, the drivers can only rely on their in-car drinks bottle to replace lost fluids from sweat.