Wehrlein: The heat’s like home in Mauritius

Rising star: Wehrlein waiting in his team garage prior to the start of the third practice session.

SEPANG: Unlike other Formula 1 drivers, Pascal Wehrlein has had no problems adapting to the heat at the Sepang International Cir­­cuit.

He attributed this to his Mau­ritius heritage as the weather there is quite similar.

“My mother is from Mauritius and maybe that is why I feel just at home in the heat,” he said when met at the circuit recently.

Wehrlein, 21, said although his career did not allow for much spare time, he loved to play football whenever he could.

“I also cherish spending time with close friends and family,” he said, adding that he also had to train a lot including, running and cycling to help him in racing.

He said keeping friendships was not difficult as his friends were understanding.

“If you have close friends, they will always be there for you regardless of how much time you spend with each other.

“I look forward to going back to Mauritius every winter for family gatherings,” he said.

He added that he hardly saw any of the places of interest in Malaysia due to a busy schedule.

Teammate Esteban Ocon, 20, said he loved racing at the Sepang Circuit.

“It’s a challenging track with lots of fast corners. The newly upgraded track also meant that experience was out the window,” he said.

Ocon said besides Formula 1, he loved to ride mountain bike and play table tennis and tennis.

Both Wehrlein and Ocon drive for the Manor Racing Formula 1 team.