F1Weekly podcast # 712

Nico: “It feels strange to be going to Sepang at the end of the season, but it’s also a nice change to mix up the calendar. It’s one of the hottest events of the year and the temperatures make it quite tough on tyre degradation. The tyres will be important here, managing them throughout the race is crucial and it’s an area we really concentrate on understanding with the engineers.

“Coming after Singapore, I hope we will be a bit more acclimatised to the hot weather – it may even feel like a relief after the real oven of Marina Bay! I’d rank these two events as the toughest races of the season from a physical point of view – you really need to be at the peak of you fitness to do well here.

“Most of the races I remember in Malaysia have seen crazy weather conditions, in April, with monsoon rain, red flags and aquaplaning everywhere. I am quite curious to see how it will change now that the race is in October. It’s a track where I have scored some good points and where I had a strong race in 2014, so I hope to go there and create some more special memories.”

Sergio: “Getting a good result after a difficult weekend, as in Singapore, is a big boost for everyone in the team. It shows we can overcome challenges and that you should never give up.

“Kuala Lumpur is a very interesting and busy city. There are many things to do and see so it’s always cool to be there. The weather usually plays a big role in the race and it will be interesting to see how this year’s changes to the calendar affect the weekend, with the race going from April to October.

“Sepang is usually a circuit where rain is a certainty rather than a possibility. It’s where I scored my first podium in Formula One, in 2012, thanks to making the most of the weather conditions. Being in a position to fight for the win came as a shock for me as we did not expect it, but the emotions of that day will stay with me forever.

“It’s another physical race, with the heat and humidity. The track itself is very long and there are a several technical corners. There are long straights with big braking zones that require precision and the high temperatures take the life out of the tyres quickly, especially the rear ones. We have done well in similar hot conditions this season so hopefully we can be on the pace once again.”