The Singapore Grand Prix is considered one of the most physically demanding races on the Formula 1 calendar. According to Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, that’s exactly what drives him to train harder for the notoriously grueling night race. .
According to GPFans, Magnussen spoke about the best way to prepare for the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore.
“There is no specific way to prepare, at least for me. I train as hard as I can,” said the Danish driver, who spent last season racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. “It’s a very physical race, so it’s always the one you think of when you’re struggling in the gym and gives you the motivation to keep improving your fitness.
“You can always remember that you are going to Singapore and it will be very difficult.”
This preparation apparently paid off. In a perhaps unexpected anecdote, Magnussen holds the record for the lap around the circuit, having thrown a 1:41.905 in 2018.
That blistering time – which beat the next fastest lap by a second – was due to poor fuel consumption and a late pit stop for fresh tyres. (Magnussen finished two laps in P18.)
Singapore’s Marina Bay Circuit presents an array of challenges
Singapore produces long races thanks to a completely safe car that has been present at every race since the Grand Prix’s inception.
Add to that a bumpy street surface, 23 turns in total and sweltering temperatures, you can see why drivers need to be at the top of their game from a physical point of view.
“It’s one of the toughest races because of the weather and also just because the track layout is as it is with turn after turn after turn without any rest,” Magnussen said.
“On most tracks you have a few straights around the turn where you can blow, but in Singapore even on the so called ‘straight line’ it’s still turning. It’s also very bumpy so you can’t not really relax.”
No, no time to relax with the circuit’s approximately 2 dozen bends which follow one another in rapid succession.
We’ll see if Magnussen’s preparation pays off when the cars hit the track from Friday.
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