17/11/2005
NEWS STORY
The heat will be on Matt Halliday from all corners during Sunday's fifth round of the A1 Grand Prix series in Malaysia.
The New Zealand driver, confirmed to race the Black Beauty this weekend, is not only under pressure to score championship points, he also needs to cope with the stifling heat and humidity of Malaysia during monsoon season.
Current temperatures in the tropical climate are around 30 degrees, but it will be much hotter for the 27-year-old in his racing suit and helmet, especially with the car generating plenty of warmth as well.
Halliday has been working hard on his fitness, but appreciates he will need to be mentally sharp to last the weekend, which includes three one-hour practice sessions, a pressure-packed 90-minute qualifying session and two tough races.
"It's extremely muggy and energy-sapping, but you just have to deal with it," Halliday said. "The key is to focus totally on the driving and trust that your base fitness sees you through."
With drivers now barred from driving around the track in order to familiarise themselves with the circuit ahead of the first official practice, Halliday has tried to kill two birds with one stone by running around the circuit.
"I enjoy running and it's a good opportunity to get used to the humidity and try to acclimatise to the heat while getting a feel for the track," Halliday said.
Halliday is confident he will learn the circuit's nuances quickly. He is more concerned about the weather affecting preparation.
"We are desperate for fine weather tomorrow so we can get a good base set-up," Halliday said. "We want to get the basics right so we can try a few options to improve our speed and competitiveness."
A1 Team.NZL chief executive Bob McMurray says keeping Halliday cool will be a focus of the team, secondary only to bring the car up to speed for any conditions.
"It's going to be a testing time for Matt because the heat is simply draining and the circuit is strenuous. It will also be awkward given that it is monsoon season and we could very well have thunderstorms.
"We'll need to set the car up for a dry track, a slick track and a flooded track. This might be a case where a keel is as important as tyres!"
After returning a 3rd and three 4ths in the first four races to tally 29 points, the New Zealand team has generated only 3 points from an 8th place in the next four races.
"We're delighted to be in fourth place overall in the championship," McMurray said. "But we've been slipping off the pace in the last two rounds and it's vital we snare some good points this weekend to keep the chasing bunch at bay and make up some ground on the front-runners."
McMurray says there's a real sense of camaraderie and team spirit among the pit crew following a week in New Zealand in-between the fourth and fifth rounds.
"The team was genuinely blown away by the response of New Zealanders to having the car displayed at home," McMurray said. "They also enjoyed having some time off to go fishing and generally recharge their batteries.
"We're refreshed, raring to go and looking forward to a hot weekend – literally and figuratively."