The Frenchman knows the heat will make for a "tough weekend".
Esteban Ocon says he is looking forward to the challenge of Bahrain. The Force India driver might not have scored points in the opening round of the season but with one of his preferred tracks next up, he is keen to get going in the desert.
“When I think about Bahrain I always remember the beautiful paddock, which has so much space and looks amazing at night with all the trees lit up. Every year there’s a barbeque for the paddock and it’s nice that all the teams and media can come together before the racing begins.” said Ocon.
“I love racing at night. It almost feels quicker under the lights and it looks better on television.”
“Hopefully the fans like it as much as the drivers. The track is good fun and there are a few good overtaking spots, such as turn one and turn four.
“It’s a track that feels very satisfying when your car is working well. I particularly enjoy turns five, six and seven because they are so quick and then you’re immediately into a big braking zone for turn eight.
“It’s tricky because you approach at really high speed and it’s easy to make a mistake and run wide.”
Not only do the drivers have to contend with the floodlights rather than sunlight, the heat of the night is still apparent in Bahrain and is always a factor throughout the evening of the race.
“It’s a tough weekend physically because of the heat. The daytime practice sessions are the most difficult, but fortunately it gets a bit cooler in the evenings for qualifying and the race.
“You need to drink lots to be hydrated and make sure you don’t lose concentration.”
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