Hot Stuff: Dealing With the Heat of Sepang
Think of Malaysia and you might think of beautiful beaches
or the hustle and bustle of city centre Kuala Lumpur, but
for anyone in Formula 1, the Malaysian Grand Prix means heat
and humidity.
The modern Sepang circuit has state-of-the-art facilities
but no track yet has offered air conditioned garages so the
mechanics sweat their way through a tough weekend, and it
is equally hard going behind the wheel, with a Formula 1 car
built for performance rather than comfort.
Not only is the air temperature extremely high at almost
40C, so is the humidity at up to 90% and to really put the
driver to the test physically, he is strapped into a cockpit
just centimetres from the extreme heat of the engine and exhausts,
at the same time straining every sinew to get the maximum
performance from his car.
This combination makes the Malaysian Grand Prix the most
gruelling on the Formula 1 calendar, and a driver can expect
to lose around four litres of fluid during the course of the
56-lap race - but Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers Jarno Trulli
and Timo Glock are ready for the physical test that awaits
them in Sepang.
Jarno has taken part in every one of the nine Malaysian Grands
Prix so far, meaning he knows exactly what to expect. He says:
"Malaysia is an extremely difficult race and a big challenge
for any driver - but also technically for the car because
it's quite a tough track in very hard conditions. It's torrid
over there: almost 40 degrees ambient and 80 or 90% humidity,
so it's the toughest Grand Prix physically and mechanically
for everyone."
But the sure knowledge of an exhausting, arduous race does
not dim Jarno's enthusiasm for a Grand Prix which holds a
special place in Panasonic Toyota Racing history. The Italian
scored the team's first Formula 1 podium at Sepang with second
place in 2005 and he adds: "I've always enjoyed good
results and good races over there so I'm looking forward to
going to Malaysia because our car always has been pretty good."
For team-mate Timo, the Malaysian Grand Prix will be a new
experience as the reigning GP2 champion has only previously
completed Formula 1 practice sessions at Sepang, in 2004.
However, he dedicated himself to a comprehensive fitness programme
before even stepping into the TF108 so he is well prepared
for - and warned about - the challenge ahead.
"It is, I think, the hardest race of the season,"
he says. "Jarno told me already it sometimes can be quite
painful at the end, especially in the last 10-15 laps, but
we trained hard enough over the winter so we should be ready.
The hard thing is that it is only the second race of the season
so you don't have any opportunity to get used to racing in
hot conditions before going to Malaysia."
Before the race, drivers consume several litres of specially-formulated
drinks, containing all the necessary minerals to avoid dehydration,
but the heat and humidity sees much of this lost during the
race. To provide some relief, a modern Formula 1 car is fitted
with a drinks system, although after just a few laps this
liquid is more like a steaming cup of tea than a refreshing
orange juice on the rocks.
Jarno's race engineer Gianluca Pisanello explains
the system: "The drinking system in the car
is a relatively simple system and basically the liquid is
contained in a bag and then there is a pipe that goes straight
into the helmet. When the driver wants to drink he just hits
a button on the steering and there is an electrically operated
pump that pumps the liquid, normally water or a mineral integrated
drink, so he can drink."
The experience of driving at speeds of up to 330km/h into
scorching hot air at Sepang has often being likened to having
a hair dryer blowing into the driver's face for 90 minutes
but these extreme conditions do not only impact upon the condition
of the driver; a Formula 1 car also needs to cool down.
Formula 1 cars naturally produce a lot of heat, from the
engine through the exhausts and radiators to the brake discs,
which can get as hot as 900C. Obviously, if the ambient temperature
is high, the team is faced with a bigger challenge to prevent
these components over-heating and a variety of cooling packages
are available to keep operating temperatures in the perfect
window.
This means different bodywork to suit the conditions, with
a hot race such as Malaysia requiring many more air ducts
- which allow the relatively cooler air to pass through the
car - than a cooler race.
Chief Engineer Race and Test Dieter Gass explains:
"The cooling package for every race weekend is defined
by the air exit ducts that we have on the car. The entry of
the air is always the same from race to race; we don't modify
that at all but what we modify is the air exits. Therefore
we have different cooling panels that we can simply remove
form the bodywork in order to guarantee a better cooling airflow
for the hot conditions."
Everyone at Panasonic Toyota Racing will keep their cool
but the weather, and the on-track action at Sepang, is sure
to be sizzling hot for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
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