The formula one season enters a crucial second contest this weekend with the Malaysian Grand Prix, known for its high levels of heat and humidity.
The modern Sepang circuit, despite possessing state-of-the-art facilities, does not offer air-conditioned garages - meaning the mechanics must sweat their way through a tough weekend.
It is equally hard going behind the wheel of the F1 cars, which are built for performance rather than comfort. The temperatures touch 40 degrees and the humidity can be as high as 90 percent.
This combination makes the Malaysian Grand Prix the most gruelling on the F1 calendar. Drivers can expect to lose around four litres of fluid during the 56-lap race.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton romped to victory in the opening race in Melbourne while Ferrari pair Kimi Raikkonen - the defending world champion - and Felipe Massa failed to finish a crash-strewn affair.
"I felt fantastic," Hamilton said of the pole-to-finish victory. "I never thought it would have been such a breeze physically. It is great preparation for Malaysia.
"I am probably twice as fit this year compared to last year. But also the car was really fantastic to drive.
"We can't forget that [Ferrari] are a great team and they have a very good car and two great drivers as well. I'm sure everyone could have had a bad weekend at some point during the season.
"There are still 17 races to go. As a team we have to work hard to make sure these problems don't happen."
Despite failing to reach the end, Raikkonen won a single point as only seven cars finished. His team-mate Brazilian Massa was unequivocal in the Scuderia's aims for the weekend.
"Our championship will have to start again in Malaysia. We know we have a good car: we just have to work and use it as we intend to."
Ferrari have been rocked by the news that Frenchman Jean Todt - until the end of the 2007 season sporting director of the F1 arm - has left his new post as executive director of the entire company.
Toyota driver Jarno Trulli, who has participated in nine Malaysian GPs, outlined what the teams can expect at Sepang.
"Malaysia is an extremely difficult race and a big challenge for any driver - but also technically for the car because it's quite a tough track in very hard conditions," he said.
The Italian scored the team's first F1 podium at the circuit with second place in 2005.
"I've always enjoyed good results and good races over there so I'm looking forward to going to Malaysia because our car always has been pretty good," he added.
Team-mate Timo Glock, the reigning GP2 champion, has never raced there - but has been made aware of the conditions by Trulli.
"It is the hardest race of the season. Jarno told me already it sometimes can be quite painful at the end, especially in the last 10 to 15 laps, but we trained hard enough over the winter so we should be ready.
"The hard thing is that it is only the second race of the season so you don't have any opportunity to get used to racing in hot conditions before going to Malaysia."
Williams's Nico Rosberg achieved his best finish in Australia, a first podium place in third. He said he now has momentum heading into Sepang but remains realistic.
"What we target when we get to the track is about seventh or eighth place. Unfortunately there are six or seven cars in front that we can't beat," the German explained.
"Ferrari, McLaren and BMW - what we can try and do is get close and occasionally beat one of them, but otherwise we just have to hope for them to have reliability problems.
"That's just the way it is in F1. It sucks, but that's the way it is.
"Ferrari and McLaren are still going to battle it out at the front. I haven't given up on Ferrari yet - we'll see in Malaysia, but I think they're going to come back pretty strong."
Free practice will take place on Friday and Saturday, with qualifying on Saturday and the race itself on Sunday.
Reuters / F1 Live / Eurosport
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