Verstappen ready to be tested to the limit

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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen says he's looking forward to next week's Singapore Grand Prix.

That's despite the race's deserved reputation was one of the most taxing events on the current Formula 1 calendar. The temperature at this time of the year is usually well over 30C, and humidity is expected to exceed 80 per cent.

"The night race and hot temperatures really test you to the limit," Verstappen admitted as he prepared to head off.

"For me Singapore, is physically the hardest race of the season," he confirmed.

"I have been preparing already for a few weeks doing heat training in the sauna and getting ready to sweat so I can cope with the heat in both Singapore and Malaysia."

Verstappen is hoping to build on a solid record at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. In his first race there with Toro Rosso in 2015, he qualified and finished in eighth place.

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Following his promotion to the senior Red Bull team, Verstappen improved his starting position to fourth for last year's race. A poor start saw him stuck behind Daniil Kvyat for much of the Grand Prix, and he finished in sixth on that occasion.

Verstappen wants to ensure that he avoids such problems next weekend and show what he can really do in the night race.

"The race has been a strong one for us in the past," he said. "I think we should be able to challenge for a podium this year.

“The track itself has a lot of corners which is why I enjoy driving there," he explained. "Like most street circuits it’s pretty bumpy, which makes it even more challenging.

"It’s always a special weekend," he added. "I’m looking forward to getting to Singapore."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.