F1 News, Reports and Race Results

For Marcus Ericsson weight is more important than water

Even when racing in the sweltering heat, Sauber's Marcus Ericsson says a weight gain supersedes quenching his thirst.

Water and a drivers' thirst were the subject of a discussion yesterday when a radio exchange between Kimi Raikkonen and his Ferrari crew revealed that the team had forgotten to connect the Finn's water bottle before Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix, run in scorching heat.

Raikkonen obviously dealt with the issue, but many were shocked by the prospect of a driver being deprived of precious liquid in the sweltering conditions, expressing their views on Twitter.

Sauber's Ericsson chimed in however, and revealed a surprising fact about his drinking habits.

"Haven’t had a drink system installed for over two years (including today)," he wrote on his social media account, as everyone pitied poor Raikkonen.

"It weighs around 1.5 kg. So we choose not to use it because of the weight. Just one of the reasons why we should have the same weight for all drivers," added the Swede who is among the sport's tallest drivers, and therefore also among its heaviest.

At the end of the day, the Iceman, who finished third in yesterday's race, dismissed his water bottle predicament.

"The fact of not having my drink bottle available was obviously not ideal, but not so much of an issue either," admitted the Scuderia driver.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Mercedes hints at ‘sizeable’ post-break upgrade push for W17

Mercedes has signaled that the biggest chapter of its 2026 development story may still be…

11 minutes ago

Bottas reveals root cause behind Cadillac’s chronic brake problems

Cadillac has finally identified the source of the brake troubles that have disrupted its first…

17 hours ago

Verstappen reveals the F1 memory ‘no one can take away’

As the countdown begins to Formula 1’s final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a quiet…

18 hours ago

FIA blames F1 manufacturers for failure to fix 2026 regs sooner

The FIA has strongly rejected accusations that it failed to foresee the problems created by…

19 hours ago

Tragedy follows triumph for Ferrari and Collins

Tragedy struck on this day, 67 years ago in 1958, when Peter Collins lost his…

20 hours ago

Briatore: Trump pointed F1 toward New Jersey before US boom

Long before Formula 1 became a booming phenomenon across the United States, Flavio Briatore and…

22 hours ago