Haas’ Romain Grosjean believes this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix will be the toughest of the season for drivers, due to the high-speed nature of the Sepang circuit, allied to hot and humid weather.
Drivers have faced a greater physical challenge this year due to the sport introducing cars capable of carrying greater corner speed, with lap times several seconds quicker than in 2016.
Grosjean expects the upcoming Grand Prix to be a physical challenge, but believes the longer straights – aiding cooling – will be a helpful factor.
“I think it’s pretty much the hardest race of the year,” Grosjean said of the event, which will not feature in Formula 1 next season.
“Singapore is a slower track with slower corners, whereas Malaysia has high speed with high loads. Again, it’s a great challenge, a great track, and when you have a good car, it’s an amazing experience
“When you are physically suffering as well, it’s more important to stay calm. It’s like riding up a hill and someone’s trying to chat to you or your phone’s ringing non-stop.
“You can get fed up with that very quickly simply because you’re tired. But we’re going to get more cooling inside the car because of the longer straights. I’m not worried.”
Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen, though, believes the race is “a little bit easier” than the preceding event in Singapore due to the increased cooling available.
“What makes it easier is that you’ve got longer straights to help you recover and get some wind on your body,” said Magnussen.
“In Singapore, everything is very low-speed and you’re constantly working on the steering wheel, braking, then getting back on power.
“You work a lot harder in Singapore than you do in Malaysia. The temperature is worse in Malaysia but, somehow, the race is a little bit easier.”
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