Why F1 drivers lose more weight at Singapore GP than any other race

With humidity close to 90% and track temperatures around 40C, Singapore’s race presents a unique challenge

As much as he doesn’t want to, pole-sitter Lando Norris might have to change his approach come lights out in Singapore today.

Usually, the McLaren driver prefers not to drink during the rigours of a Formula One grand prix. Rather starkly, he says it makes him “feel sick.” But given the soaring humidity and high temperatures around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, he may well have to relent this evening.

“I might choose to drink this weekend, I didn’t last year,” the 24-year-old said. “You normally freeze [the bottle] and then when you’re on lap 20, it starts to melt.

“I don’t think there is really anything [else] that compares. It’s a different type of exhaustion compared to other sports.”

Within a calendar which now stretches across 24 races, the Singapore Grand Prix – F1’s original night race, which first became a mainstay of the schedule in 2008 – remains the ultimate outlier in terms of conditions. And the ultimate challenge.

With humidity close to 90% and track temperatures around 40C (though it can feel even hotter in the cockpit), drivers lose 2-3kg in sweat alone.

For taller drivers, it can be as much as 4kg, which equates to 3-4% of their bodyweight.

George Russell, who starts today’s race in fourth, gives more details as one of the tallest drivers on the grid at 1.85m: “With the humidity, you’re dripping in sweat as soon as you go outside, let alone when you’re locked in a race car for two hours.

Drivers can lose 3-4% of their bodyweight in the Singapore Grand Prix (pictured, Lando Norris) (Getty Images)

“When we’re driving these cars, the cockpit is getting on for 50C, with the humidity. We lose almost 4kg of fluids in an hour-and-a-half race so it’s a pretty good weight-loss programme, if that’s what you’re chasing.”

Preparation starts in the January off-season for the September race in the city-state, with drivers building their strength and conditioning largely around the demands that the 62 laps in Singapore present.

By the end of the August summer break, as the European season ends, their whole fitness programme is catered towards one race on the whole.

Carlos Sainz (pictured straight after last year’s race) won in Singapore in 2023 (Getty Images)

“When I go outside for a run, [I will wear] three layers on the bottom, three layers on top and just try to get used to it,” Russell explains about his preparation.

“I was back training the last week of the summer break, and that’s purely getting ready for Singapore. That’s by far the biggest outlier, because you’re just dealing with something very different, which is heat.

“We’re powering through in our fireproofs in the car for two hours.”

Russell, running in third place at the time, actually crashed out on the final lap of last year’s race. No doubt the conditions played its part, with fatigue an issue. Drivers and members of the paddock tend to stay on a European time zone during the race at Marina Bay, given its local start time of 8pm.

It has become the ultimate test of physical conditioning for these 20 drivers, competing at the peak of world motorsport. For Daniel Ricciardo, as dissected on Friday, it could be his final race in Formula One.

Asked about Singapore’s unique raceday challenge, he rather bluntly stated on Thursday: “I can’t wait to sweat my tits off.” More so than just drivers behind the steering wheel, modern-day F1 requires peak athletic physicality and nowhere tests them more than Singapore.