Jean-Eric Vergne has admitted he was hospitalised recently amid an extreme weight-loss regime for the 2014 season.
Bigger than teammate and Toro Rosso newcomer Daniil Kvyat, the slight Russian teen, Frenchman Vergne admitted he committed to losing several kilograms over the winter to prepare for F1’s much heavier new cars.
“The weight difference between myself and my teammate was making me lose four tenths (per lap),” Vergne, who was given a rare third consecutive season with the Red Bull junior team this year, told French media.
“I did a diet this winter but you get to certain limits that the body can no longer take.
“Actually, I was in hospital between the Grands Prix in Australia and Malaysia because of a lack of water and a little bit of lack of everything. I was very weak,” the 23-year-old revealed.