Kiwi driver turns up the heat, on himself
New Zealand Formula One driver Brendon Hartley is turning up the heat ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Hartley, who is in desperate need of a positive result in Singapore, has taken the extreme measure of training with extra layers on to simulate the hot and humid conditions.
The Singapore race is widely considered to be the most physically demanding of the F1 season for the drivers.
‘‘I have done some heat training by exercising with a few more layers on,’’ Hartley told his Toro Rosso team’s website. ‘‘All the drivers I have spoken to tell me it’s the most physical race on the calendar, partly because it’s a busy lap, but also because of the heat and humidity.’’
Following the Singapore Grand Prix – on Monday morning New Zealand time – just six stops remain in the F1 season.
Hartley, who never made the first corner in Monza and finished back in 14th at Spa, badly needs a good display in Singapore following two disappointing races since the summer break.
As well as running around laden in extra layers to prepare himself for the gruelling conditions of the Singapore Grand Prix, Hartley feels he has another advantage up his sleeve.
The race is a night event and even though the Singapore circuit is a new track for Hartley, the night racing holds no fears for the New Zealander.
‘‘I have done a lot of night racing throughout my career, at events like Le Mans, but with the floodlights, it won’t be very noticeable, unless it rains,’’ Hartley said.
The track might be new to Hartley but it will be recognisable following recent sessions in a simulator.
‘‘The track is accurately 3-D mapped so it was an opportunity to learn every bump and kerb. It allows me to get all my reference points and hit the ground running when practice starts.’’
‘‘From a team point of view, it means we can do a lot of setup changes before even getting to the track, trying them out to see if the driver gets a good feeling from them in the car. It’s not quite the same as driving the track itself, as it’s not as hot and you don’t have the same forces going through the body,’’ Hartley said.
The Kiwi driver is optimistic he will have the pace to challenge for a top 10 spot and gain another valuable point.
‘‘Historically, Toro Rosso has gone well here and while we knew the last two races would be tough, all of us at Toro Rosso see Singapore as a good opportunity to perform well.’’