“I’m expecting to lose between two and two-and-a-half kilograms”

When the 78th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa gets underway at 4.30 pm today, temperatures are expected to exceed 35 degrees. With a total of eleven Mercedes-AMG GT3s, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport is represented in the four classes: PRO, BRONZE, SILVER and PRO-AM. Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Maro Engel, who has been racing for the brand since 2008 and is contesting his eleventh 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, can hardly remember a race weekend where both man and machine have been confronted with such extreme heat. Together with the Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER, he is rising to this particular challenge. In the ‘Three Questions For’ section, the 40-year-old explains, shortly before the endurance classic, how drivers and the team are preparing for the extraordinary conditions and why the high temperatures have a significant impact not only on drivers and cars, but also on race strategy.

How do you prepare for such an extraordinary race weekend and how do you tackle the challenge?

“I’ve been doing my regular fitness training in the run-up to the race, but given the number of races I’m currently competing in, to be honest there’s hardly any better training – even for conditions like these. Even before the race weekend, and now during the event, I’ve been extremely careful to keep my fluid balance under control. So, drinking plenty and taking in enough electrolytes. If you don’t do that, the fluid loss after each stint is enormous and the risk of muscular and physical fatigue is correspondingly high. With these outside temperatures, the temperatures in the cockpit rise dramatically. We use cooling vests, and I wet my underwear before getting into the car. This allows the air flowing into the cockpit to cool the body even more effectively. We also have a physiotherapist in the team who does an outstanding job. He focuses on the basics and is waiting by the car after every stint with a water bottle and a cold, wet towel. On top of that, I try to stay in the shade or in air-conditioned rooms whenever possible.”

What impact does the extreme heat have on the drivers, the car and the race strategy?

“We don’t have that much experience of such heat at the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps yet. This is one of the hottest races here that I can remember. In fact, back in 2006 in British Formula 3, we once had a race weekend with temperatures of around 40 degrees. At the moment, we’re still slightly below that. In 2019, it was also extremely hot at Spa in the run-up to the race, though by the time the race itself started, it had cooled down a bit. But of course, the heat can influence our strategy. It’s entirely possible that we’ll switch to shorter individual stints at short notice to take the strain off the driver. As soon as signs of dehydration or a loss of concentration become apparent, we have to react. The heat also presents us with technical challenges. The team must ensure that the engine and brakes are cooled as effectively as possible at all times. Furthermore, the intense heat changes the character of the track. At these temperatures, grip levels drop, meaning the tarmac offers significantly less grip.”

What impact does a hot weekend like this have on recovery and the upcoming races?

“If I manage to keep drinking consistently and sufficiently, I expect to lose around two to two and a half kilograms over the race weekend. Looking ahead to the coming weeks – and specifically to the DTM weekend at the Norisring – this means that recovery will be the top priority from Monday onwards. Plenty of sleep, a balanced diet, continuing to stay well-hydrated and, generally speaking, as much rest as possible will then be crucial to getting the body back into shape quickly for the next race weekend.”