Intense heat and humidity pose challenge at Singapore GP – 20/09/2024 – Sport

F1 street circuits are particularly challenging, with rigid barriers positioned close to the track, ready to punish even the slightest slip-up. Add to that high temperatures of around 32°C, humidity levels of over 70% and artificial lights to illuminate a night race, and the scene is set for a chaotic Singapore GP.

This Sunday’s stage (22), the 18th of the World Championship, at 9 am (Brasília time), is widely considered by drivers and team members as the most physically and mentally challenging of the season — Band will broadcast the race live.

As with other street circuits, including Monaco, the shorter straights give competitors little breathing room even when they’re on the gas. And the tight, twisty characteristics of the track demand total focus and concentration throughout the entire lap. But what really makes Singapore unique is the tropical climate in which drivers battle it out on the Marina Bay track.

Singapore is located very close to the equator, which results in hot and humid weather conditions. Its average annual humidity is over 80%, and temperatures will be in the 30°C range over the next few days. This type of weather challenges the drivers’ focus and causes them to sweat so much that they can lose up to 3kg during the race.

“It’s a shorter circuit but it’s incredibly demanding for the drivers,” said McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who won the last round in Azerbaijan. “It’s nice to race under the lights at night, but this circuit can be quite challenging because of the humidity,” said Lando Norris, the Australian’s teammate and the second-place finisher in the season standings with 254 points. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is in the lead with 313.

The two-time Dutch champion himself, who usually drives at the limit on the tracks, admitted that he consciously leaves “a little more margin” in his driving when he is in Singapore to avoid accidents.

Marina Bay is a circuit with 19 turns over a total of 4.94km. Although it is now shorter than its original layout, it still offers some of the most intense laps in F1. Only Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Baku have more turns, but all have longer laps.

The intensity of a driver’s lap time is indicated by their average lap times, which are second only to Monaco in the list of slowest. The challenging, corner-by-corner layout means they have almost no margin for error. Last year, Mercedes’ George Russell made a mistake while chasing Norris and crashed into the barriers on the final lap of the race as he was chasing second place.

This year, Mercedes seems even more concerned about ensuring the best performance from its drivers. In an interview with a local broadcaster, Toto Wolff, the team’s boss, said that he had hired a doctor from NASA, the United States space agency, to help with the team members’ sleep routine.

“You have to be physically and mentally fit, otherwise you have no chance,” Wolff said. “The NASA doctor will work out our sleep schedules and help us keep our European rhythm,” he added.

The ten teams on the grid will follow the same formula. This means that everyone goes to bed between 4 and 6 am and wakes up between 12 and 2 pm, when they have breakfast, while lunch is almost late in the afternoon. Track routines, as well as commitments with the media and sponsors, take place at night, all designed to maintain the European sleep pattern and avoid the effects of jet lag as much as possible.

According to Martin Poole, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg’s performance coach, drivers are advised to drink iced coffee, frozen electrolyte popsicles and plenty of ice water. They also need to keep their bodies supplied with glycogen through carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, rice, bread and potatoes.

“Heat exhaustion is not only detrimental to driving performance, but it also creates a huge energy cost for the driver, all while taking place during one of the longest races of the year,” says the pro.

Some drivers seek to acclimatise in saunas in the week before a race, as the only cooling they have on the track is provided by an air intake at the front of the car and by air vents in the helmet that feed air through channels and around the head.

Not to mention that drinking liquids during a race is not easy. Last year, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said that the drinks drivers drink in the car become “almost like tea, too hot to drink.”

Reporter traveled at the invitation of OKX company