Physical challenge of Malaysia takes its toll on drivers

By Mar 31, 2014, 7:00 AM EDT
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Lewis Hamilton’s victory at yesterday’s Malaysian Grand Prix might have appeared to be a formality, but it was in fact one of the toughest physical challenges of the British driver’s career. Indeed, all of drivers that raced at Sepang yesterday will have been through a strict preparation regime in the build-up to deal with the extreme ambient temperature and humidity.

In Malaysia, there are two types of weather: extreme heat and thunderstorms. Qualifying was a case of the latter as rain showers made conditions incredibly tricky, but the downpours stayed at bay for the race on Sunday. As a result, it was important for drivers to take on fluids and adhere to a preparation programme that would have been tailored individually.

More than ever, this year’s race was a challenge because of the new regulations. Although the weight limit has been increased, the majority of this excess has been taken up by the new engines. Indeed, many of the drivers were worrying about their own weight as a result. There were even stories of teams rejecting Nico Hulkenberg for a drive because he was a portly 74kg, whilst Mark Webber – another heavier driver – was pleased to be getting out of the sport so he could stop “living off of rabbit food” as he put it. In a feature on the BBC’s F1 coverage in the UK, Webber was found to have gone up from having 4% body fat to 5%. LMP1’s not that laissez-faire about weight…

Quite a worrying story began to circulate on Saturday after former F1 driver Martin Brundle reported that a current driver had passed out at a media event earlier in the week due to severe dehydration, which is oddly part of the routine in Malaysia. Just as racehorse jockeys deliberately become dehydrated to be as light as possible, some of the drivers were using a similar tactic. It’s quite a brutal and worrying programme to have on a race weekend.

After the race in the cool-down room, race winner Lewis Hamilton quickly grabbed the bottles of water on offer and drank away. His overalls were totally drenched in sweat following 56 hot laps in the Mercedes, whilst Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg also looked exhausted.

The proof of the physical brutality of the Malaysian Grand Prix was put into a figure by backmarker Max Chilton. The British driver finished for the 21st race in succession (he has never retired from a grand prix), albeit as the last car on track, but he tweeted after the race that he had lost 3kg in fluids because of the hot conditions.

Given that he usually weighs in at 65kg, this equates to almost 5% lost across the course of the race.

In the pursuit of performance, the drivers are putting themselves through some quite brutal preparation routines. Although Malaysia is something of a special case, it does get you thinking about the extreme steps that are taken in this sport.

To quote Ernest Hemingway: “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering, all the others being games.”

Anyone that says Formula 1 drivers are not athletes are much mistaken.

After New York whirlwind, Josef Newgarden makes special trip to simulator before Detroit

By Jun 2, 2023, 10:00 AM EDT
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DETROIT – There’s no rest for the weary as an Indy 500 winner, but Josef Newgarden discovered there are plenty of extra laps.

The reigning Indy 500 champion added an extra trip Wednesday night back to Concord, N.C., for one last session on the GM Racing simulator before Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

After a 30-year run on the Belle Isle course, the race has been moved to a nine-turn, 1.7-mile layout downtown, so two extra hours on the simulator were worth it for Newgarden.

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“I really wanted to do it,” he told NBC Sports at a Thursday media luncheon. “If there’s any time that the sim is most useful, it’s in this situation when no one has ever been on a track, and we’re able to simulate it as best as we can. We want to get some seat time.

“It’s extra important coming off the Indy 500 because you’ve been out of rhythm for a road or street course-type environment, so I really wanted some laps. I was really appreciative to Chevy. There was a few guys that just came in and stayed late for me so I could get those laps before coming up here. I don’t know if it’s going to make a difference, but I feel like it’s going to help for me.”

After a whirlwind tour of New York for two days, Newgarden arrived at the simulator (which is at the GM Racing Technical Center adjacent to Hendrick Motorsports) in time for a two hour session that started at 6 p.m. Wednesday. He stayed overnight in Charlotte and then was up for an early commercial flight to Detroit, where he had more media obligations.

Newgarden joked that if he had a jet, he would have made a quick stop in Nashville, Tennessee, but a few more days away from home (where he has yet to return in weeks) is a worthy tradeoff for winning the Greatest Spectacle in Racing – though the nonstop interviews can take a toll.

“It’s the hardest part of the gig for me is all this fanfare and celebration,” Newgarden said. “I love doing it because I’m so passionate about the Indy 500 and that racetrack and what that race represents. I feel honored to be able to speak about it. It’s been really natural and easy for me to enjoy it because I’ve been there for so many years.

“Speaking about this win has been almost the easiest job I’ve ever had for postrace celebrations. But it’s still for me a lot of work. I get worn out pretty easily. I’m very introverted. So to do this for three days straight, it’s been a lot.”

Though he is terrified of heights, touring the top of the Empire State Building for the first time was a major highlight (and produced the tour’s most viral moment).

“I was scared to get to the very top level,” Newgarden said. “That thing was swaying. No one else thought it was swaying. I’m pretty sure it was. I really impressed by the facility. I’d never seen it before. It’s one of those bucket list things. If you go to New York, it’s really special to do that. So to be there with the wreath and the whole setup, it just felt like an honor to be in that moment.”

Now the attention shifts to Detroit and an inaugural circuit that’s expected to be challenging. Along with a Jefferson Avenue straightaway that’s 0.9 miles long, the track has several low-speed corners and a “split” pit lane (teams will stop on both sides of a rectangular area) with a narrow exit that blends just before a 90-degree lefthand turn into Turn 1.

Newgarden thinks the track is most similar to the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.

“It’s really hard to predict with this stuff until we actually run,” he said. “Maybe we go super smooth and have no issues. Typically when you have a new event, you’re going to have some teething issues. That’s understandable. We’ve always got to massage the event to get it where we want it, but this team has worked pretty hard. They’ve tried to get feedback constantly on what are we doing right, what do we need to look out for. They’ve done a ton of grinding to make sure this surface is in as good of shape as possible.

“There’s been no expense spared, but you can’t foresee everything. I have no idea how it’s going to race. I think typically when you look at a circuit that seems simple on paper, people tend to think it’s not going to be an exciting race, or challenging. I find the opposite always happens when we think that way. Watch it be the most exciting, chaotic, entertaining race.

Newgarden won the last two pole positions at Belle Isle’s 2.35-mile layout and hopes to continue the momentum while avoiding any post-Brickyard letdown.

“I love this is an opportunity for us to get something right quicker than anyone else,” he said. “A new track is always exciting from that standpoint. I feel I’m in a different spot. I’m pretty run down. I’m really trying to refocus and gain some energy back for tomorrow. Which I’ll have time to today, which is great.

“I don’t want that Indy 500 hangover. People always talk about it. They’ve always observed it. That doesn’t mean we have to win this weekend, but I’d like to leave here feeling like we had a really complete event, did a good job and had a solid finish leading into the summer. I want to win everywhere I go, but if we come out of here with a solid result and no mistakes, then probably everyone will be happy with it.”