Sunday August 13th, 2000
The searing heat at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix caused Rubens Barrichello to lose 1.5 kilos, the Brazilian revealed.
The 28-year-old, winner of last month's German Grand Prix when he stormed through from 18th position to triumph in torrential rain, this time had to endure the high temperatures at the Hungaroring.
"To finish fourth after winning the last race is not fantastic but it was the best I could do," Barrichello said. "It was a tough race in the heat, and I ran out of water halfway through. I lost about one-and-a-half kilos as a result of the whole thing."
Barrichello's spokeswoman, Jane Parisi, further explained: "Rubens lost around three litres of fluid through sweat - about one more than his usual. He tried to counteract the effects of the heat by drinking all his one-litre drinks bottle by lap 40."
Nonetheless, Parisi says the heat had little effect on Barrichello's race pace - he set the second fastest lap and when the race ended, he stepped out of the cockpit in good condition.