A lot of hot air

“Ooh, isn’t it hot! It’s like a sauna. At least I should lose some weight. The body begins to overheat and drivers’ reaction times start to slow. Drink six litres of water a day, go to the toilet a lot, wear a cool suit etc etc etc.” Formula 1 has been coming to the Sepang circuit since 1999 and yet the hot weather is still the main talking point. Quite why this is so, is rather strange.

After all, if one goes to England in April, people do not bang on about the rain and a trip to Alaska in January does not elicit non-stop comments about the mercury plunging below the zero mark on the thermometer.

While the foreigners all complain about the fact that rivers of sweat are involved in even the simplest of outdoor tasks, the locals seem to know just what to do to stay cool: stay at home out of the sun. If one based F1 crowd figures on the races here and in Bahrain last Sunday, one could assume that grand prix motor racing is a minority sport on a par with Badminton. Mind you, it could have something to do with the fact that tickets here in Malaysia cost between US$200 and over 400, which represents a huge percentage of the average wage.

Did David Coulthard have to wait a long time for a watch? Well, if he didn’t have one, he would not know how long he waited. On Friday in Malaysia, our driver was presented with a very nice watch, which he won for setting the fastest lap in the Race of Champions. As this event took place back in November, the only comment he might have made is – and about time too!