Montoya braced for Sepang test
McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya is well aware of how physically demanding this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix will be.
The Colombian driver, who moved from Williams at the end of last season, has been making preparations for the heat at the second round of the championship at Sepang since the opening round in Australia last week.
Montoya came home sixth in Melbourne with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen finishing eighth to put the British-based team in joint-fourth position alongside Williams in the constructors’ championship.
Now McLaren will be looking to build on that success in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, with Montoya admitting it is one of his favourite rounds on the Formula One calendar.
“The Sepang circuit is one of my favourite tracks, it is really fun to drive there and you usually see interesting races,” he said.
“Turns five and six are probably the most challenging and exciting to drive.
“For the drivers and team members it is important to acclimatise as the heat is enormous, for example temperatures in the cockpit can be over 50 degrees centigrade and we can lose up to four litres of fluid during the race.
“This is why I travelled to Singapore following the Australian Grand Prix, and I have been following a training and hydration programme with my trainer to get my body used to the conditions to ensure I can perform to my best all weekend.”
