Verstappen reveals unusual Sepang preparation: ‘Deep mental preparation of not giving a f***’
Photo: Race Pictures
Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
Max Verstappen has joked that his preparation for the oppressive heat expected at the Malaysian Grand Prix involved months of mental training to ensure he did not care about it.
The FIA declared a Heat Hazard ahead of this weekend’s race at Sepang, with air temperatures expected to exceed 31°C and humidity set to make conditions even more challenging for drivers.
Asked in Thursday’s press conference how much extra training he had completed ahead of the physically demanding weekend, Verstappen gave a typically blunt reply.
“I think I’ve had four or five months of very intensive preparation,” the Red Bull driver joked. “A deep mental preparation of not giving a f***. Just rock up it's hot."
Verstappen, who has previously won at Sepang back in 2017, then offered a more serious explanation of how drivers can prepare for the heat and humidity.
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“It’s hot, but it's also hot in Monaco. It gets very humid there as well,” he said. “If you really want it hot, you go and sit in a sauna or a steam room. I do that sometimes. You just have to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
"That's the case for everyone. It's hot, sweaty, need a few more extra pairs of underwear I guess and just go with the flow."
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia weather
Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between the United States, Israel and Iran, the Bahrain Grand Prix could not take place in April as originally planned this year. The race has been rescheduled for the first weekend of October and will be held at the Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Temperatures are expected to reach around 32°C on Friday and Saturday, before a predicted high of 31°C for Sunday’s Grand Prix. With humidity included, it could feel closer to 35°C to 37°C.
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Track temperatures could exceed 50°C across the opening two days, while rain remains a possibility throughout the weekend. Formula 1’s forecast puts the chance of rain at 50% on Friday, 40% on Saturday and 30% for Sunday’s race.
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