Kevin Magnussen says the Qatar Grand Prix is prone to be the toughest race of the yr because of the nature of the circuit and potential climate situations.
Final yr was Formulation 1’s second go to to race in Qatar, however the first time with the brand new technology of automobiles. The high-speed circuit is already a bodily problem however racing in October made for prime temperatures and humidity that led to quite a lot of drivers struggling to finish the race. This yr the temperatures are set to be decrease, however Magnussen says the schedule and observe format mix to essentially take a look at the drivers.
“Qatar is the toughest race of the yr, most likely,” Magnussen stated. “It’s tremendous high-speed, and distinctive within the sense that it’s extra like a motorcycle observe somewhat than a Formulation 1 observe. It’s obtained a really explicit stream to it — you’re by no means actually braking in a straight line, you’re extra sort of crusing.
“It’s the ultimate Dash of the yr, in order that’s all the time one other factor to consider, and the time zone change goes to be a problem. Final yr it was the alternative manner round — we went from Qatar to America — and actually it’s exhausting to determine all of it out because it’s fairly exhausting to regulate. You’ll be able to’t discover a manner round it, it simply takes time, so we’re going to be jet-lagged!”
Nico Hulkenberg’s efficiency coach Martin Poole admits there may be little that may be executed in regards to the vital time zone swing, with the race at Lusail beginning at 7pm native time — the equal of 8am on the final race venue in Las Vegas.
“Qatar is likely one of the most bodily demanding tracks we go to,” Poole stated. “The ambient temperature may be very scorching, which we noticed final yr, however as we’re returning just a few weeks later hopefully it will likely be a bit cooler. It’s nonetheless going to pose an enormous bodily problem for the drivers; it’s bodily anyway, however with the warmth it’s very tough.
“It’s going to be crucial to remain very nicely hydrated and we’ll be utilizing all of the cooling strategies that we now have accessible to us, akin to the standard ice tub, iced towels, ensuring he’s ingesting a number of cool drinks and staying out of the warmth each time doable.
“Transferring from Vegas to Qatar timing-wise might be tough — there’s no straightforward strategy to do it so we’ll do the most effective job we will to get into an excellent sleep sample as quickly as we get to Qatar. Nico’s fairly good at sleeping nicely and discovering time within the day to nap if he must, so I’m positive we’ll get by means of it.”
