Ludo van Denderen is a motorsport journalist at GPblog, specializing in Formula 1 and international racing series.
Max Verstappen has playfully invited George Russell to jump into the sauna together. The Dutchman thinks he knows how his Mercedes rival can become more resilient to the extreme heat in Malaysia.
It’s hot in Malaysia this weekend—very hot. George Russell already suggested that everyone should wear a cooling vest. Nonsense, says Max Verstappen in a chat with the Dutch media, including GPblog: "I don’t use that in the race. It’s hot, but that’s part of it. You have to train for that, and that it’s uncomfortable; yes, of course. But in all sports you still have to push to the limit, right? You can’t just stroll around."
Verstappen says he’s becoming more and more accustomed to hot conditions. It used to be different: "When I was 18, I sometimes struggled a bit more with the heat. But in the end you just have to train more in the heat, spend more time in the sauna, so you become a bit more comfortable staying in there longer. So you can handle the sweating and your head heating up. All those kinds of things."
And Russell complaining? Verstappen had a joke about that: "Maybe I should take him to the sauna a few times!"
Verstappen withholds judgment on Mercedes updates
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After qualifying, George Russell did not seem like a contender for the win. Due to a grid penalty, the Brit starts from seventh place, while teammate Antonelli occupies third because of the same penalty. In the first weekend with the upgrades, Mercedes does not appear to have taken a step forward.
After a question from GPblog, Max Verstappen still exercises caution: "I think they always have a bit more difficulty on circuits where it’s very hot. So I think we also need to wait and see with their upgrades for the next one," said Verstappen.
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