2007 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes arrive at the Sepang circuit in
Malaysia leading the Constructors’ Championship, following
the team’s double podium finish at the season opener
in Australia.
FOUR FAST FACTS
Did the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team members return
to Europe after the Melbourne race?
The majority of the team returned to Europe, including
management, engineers, mechanics and marketing. However 28
members of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team travelled directly
to Malaysia following the Australian Grand Prix for the test
at the Sepang circuit. Two additional race team representatives
returned to the UK before travelling out to Malaysia for the
test. The rest of the team will begin leaving for the race
on Sunday 1st April.
Where have Fernando, Lewis and Pedro spent their
time in between Australia and Malaysia?
Fernando returned to Europe following the Australian Grand
Prix, before flying out to Sepang on Monday 2nd April. Lewis
flew to Bangkok from Melbourne and travelled to Koh Samui
before arriving in Malaysia on Monday 26th March for the test.
Lewis will move to Bali following today’s final test
session, before returning to KL next Wednesday, 4th April.
Pedro also arrived in Malaysia on Sunday 25th March to join
Lewis at the test. The Spaniard had travelled to the UK after
the Australian race to continue working on the development
programme with the team.
How does the team handle the extreme heat experienced
in Sepang with regards the MP4-22?
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes incorporated a sufficient cooling
package to the MP4-22 to allow for racing in hot climates.
The team installs fans in the garages to keep the ambient
temperatures as cool as possible.
Do the drivers have any specific physical preparation
for the race?
Malaysia is a very tough race on a physical level,
with the drivers facing incredible heat and humidity that
can cause them to lose up to 3.5-4.0 litres of fluid. Fernando
and Lewis are working in a cockpit environment that can be
over 50 degrees centigrade, a situation where dehydration
will occur. Dehydration is the greatest concern in extreme
conditions, it effects concentration, balance control, reflexes
and ultimately driving performance. The drivers will prepare
by increasing their fluid levels in anticipation of what they
will need to drink in Malaysia. This allows the body to adapt
to increased fluid intake. To hydrate a fluid rich in electrolytes
is used, replacing any minerals and salts lost through the
effort of performing in the intense heat. The same fluids
are used at all track events, so are not alien to the drivers’
systems. Re-hydration continues into the evening and throughout
the entire weekend. Time zone adaptation is a combination
of the physical and the psychological. The body has to gently
enter the new zone and at the same time attempt to pay little
attention to the one left behind. A light exercise program,
new sleeping and good nutrition programme is ideal to aid
this process. The more prepared the driver is, the better
equipped his body will be at coping with these stresses. It
takes the body a number of days to get used to heat with the
majority of adaptation occurring within the first three to
four days. On arrival in Malaysia, Fernando will spend some
time playing tennis outside in the heat with his trainer,
to work on acclimatisation, in addition to indoor cardiovascular
exercise and light stretching. Following the Australian Grand
Prix, Lewis travelled to Thailand where conditions are similar
to Kuala Lumpur and began training in the heat, involving
running and exercises outside.
TEAM QUOTES
Fernando Alonso
"It was a solid start to the season in Australia. We
knew we were not as quick as the Ferrari’s so we had
a good result in light of this. In the early part of the season
it is important to keep scoring points and finishing on the
podium as we push forward with our development programme.
The nature of Sepang is quite technical, and the car needs
to be really strong in every area. All the important corners
tend to be high-speed, so you need a perfect car balance and
good aerodynamics. Everyone within Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
has been pushing really hard since the Australian Grand Prix
to try to close the gap. I have always gone well at Sepang,
winning there in 2005 and finishing second there last year.
So, my memories from the track are great, we will try hard
to add to these this year! It is always a tough race physically,
on the team as a whole and the cars, but we are prepared for
that and after what has seemed to be a long gap after Melbourne,
we all really want to get back to racing."
Lewis Hamilton
"From what I had seen of the track before arriving for
the test this week, I thought it looked like a great circuit
and I was not disappointed. Its layout means you can build
up a great rhythm, with all the corners running into each
other. It is also really wide, which I imagine will lead to
exciting racing. The four days of testing this week were really
useful on two counts. We had a number of developments to the
car that we ran and will now bring to the race, and I was
able to learn the track prior to the event. I am now looking
forward to competitive action here. As I said at the time,
it was a dream start for me in Australia, but I am realistic
that motorsport is unpredictable and things don’t always
go so well. We have all been working to reduce the gap to
Ferrari and I will do my best with Fernando and the team towards
this in Malaysia."
Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1, Vodafone McLaren
Mercedes
"To be entering the second Grand Prix of the season
heading the Constructors’ Championship is of course
pleasing and a positive start, however we have to now take
that performance and try to build on it. In addition to coming
away from Australia with the two podium finishes, we were
also able to learn more about the MP4-22 and how we can find
the additional performance required. We have to work in a
hard and focused manner to improve, but ensure we keep scoring
well during the process. Fernando and Lewis both had great
debuts with the team and we are working with them to keep
this momentum that is in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team
going."
Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"After the good start to the season with second and
third places for Fernando and Lewis in Melbourne, we now look
forward to the Malaysian Grand Prix. In particular, we like
to remember Kimi Raikkonen’s first victory with the
team, which he clinched in Sepang in 2003. The team has prepared
for the second Grand Prix of the year testing in Sepang from
27th to 30th March and we have worked on further improvements
for our technical package. At the Sepang Circuit, conditions
will be completely different from Melbourne. With ambient
temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius and very high humidity
the entire package and the engines will face a big challenge,
particularly because they will be raced for the second weekend.
Under these difficult conditions, almost 70 percent of a lap
will be run under full throttle. The race is always one of
the toughest of the year and very demanding also for the drivers.
At this time of the year, Malaysia has always been notorious
for changing weather - there is a good chance for a race feeling
as though it is taking place in a sauna - steam bath included."
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