Haas F1 Driver Kevin Magnussen Uses Singapore GP As Gym Fuel

The Singapore Grand Prix is regarded as one of the most physically demanding races on the Formula 1 calendar. According to Haas' Kevin Magnussen, that's just the thing that makes him train harder for the notoriously grueling night race.

According to GPFans, Magnussen talked about the best way to prepare for tackling Singapore's Marina Bay Circuit.

“There’s no specific way to prepare, at least for me. I train as hard as I can," said the Danish driver, who spent last season racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. "It’s a very physical race, so it’s always the one that you’re thinking of when you’re struggling in the gym and that gives you motivation to keep pushing on your fitness.

"You can always remind yourself that you’re going to Singapore and that’s going to be a super tough one.”

That preparation has seemingly paid off. In a perhaps unexpected bit of trivia, Magnussen holds the lap record around the circuit, having thrown down a 1:41.905 in 2018.

That blistering time — which beat the next fastest lap by a second — was thanks to low fuel and a late pit stop for fresh tires. (Magnussen finished two laps down in P18.)

Singapore's Marina Bay Circuit Presents An Array of Challenges

Singapore produces lengthy races thanks to a full-safety car showing up in every race since the Grand Prix's inception.

Add to that a bumpy street surface, 23 total corners, and sweltering temperatures, you can see why drivers need to be at the top of their game from a physical standpoint.

“It’s one of the toughest races because of the weather and also just because the track layout is how it is with corner after corner after corner without any rest," Magnussen said.

"On most tracks, you get a couple of straights around the lap where you can get a breather but in Singapore, even on the so-called ‘straight’, it’s still kind of turning. It’s also very bumpy so you can’t really relax."

Nope, no time to relax whatsoever with the circuit's nearly 2 dozen corners coming thick and fast.

We'll see if Magnussen's preparation pays off when cars hit the track starting on Friday.

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Matt is a University of Central Florida graduate and a long-suffering Philadelphia Flyers fan living in Orlando, Florida. He can usually be heard playing guitar, shoe-horning obscure quotes from The Simpsons into conversations, or giving dissertations to captive audiences on why Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.