WHY F1 DRIVERS NEED TO BE SO FIT?

Beyond the high-speed thrills and cutting-edge technology, F1 drivers are some of the fittest athletes on the planet. Imagine enduring G-forces that push your body to its limits while maintaining razor-sharp focus for hours on end. These drivers undergo intense training regimes and train for the longest season.

How do F1 drivers prepare for the racing season?

Drivers follow intense training schedules to stay fit for the season and maintain their elite status in the sport. They are usually trained by a Performance Coach, who ensures they are at peak physical and mental condition on race day. The role was created in the ’80s by Ayrton Senna who was the first to employ a personal physio.
Max Verstappen’s Performance Coach Bradley Scanes is a physiotherapist, but his role encompasses a personal trainer, nutritionist and psychologist.

What components of physical fitness are most important to F1 drivers and how do they train that?

  1. Good cardio-vascular endurance: Athletes train for increasing their aerobic capacity as they have to be able to sustain a higher heart rate for a 2-3 hours continuously during race time. They also have to maintain less body weight to ensure more agility.

Running, swimming, biking/cycling are more commonly chosen by athletes as it is easily available anywhere.

  • Optimal Neck Strength: Most F1 drivers have muscular necks. The helmet they wear weighs around 15 pounds and their head weight is about 6 pounds. A total of 21 pounds has to counterbalance 5 to 6 times G- force on multiple turns and over multiple laps. The neck needs to be rock stable to absorb these extreme forces. At the same time, they need quick neck movements at that speed to help them to navigate along the turns with precision. Hence, mobility, stability and strength of the neck are most crucial.

Daniel Ricciardo recommends starting slowly with some neck extensions and neck lateral flexes. “Your neck’s fragile, so you don’t want to start by putting 10kg plates on the side of your head – that takes time,” says the Australian. “Lie on your back, lift your head and turn it slowly from left to right. Aim for 75 repetitions, then repeat on the front. That builds good endurance.”

  •  Good Core strength:
    On a standard track, these F1 cars can reach an average speed of up to 320 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 1.8 seconds. Driving at such high speeds needs a really strong core!!

Holding planks with additional weights and dynamic core training is always part of a F1 driver’s training program.

  • Reaction time: Usually F1 drivers have twice as good reaction time than an average person.
    Start of the race is so exciting as the drivers try to get an early advantage and have to react very quickly to their fellow competitors. Average reaction time at the beginning of a race is only 0.2seconds!
    A Batak machine is commonly used for training this aspect. F1 driver scores around 120 in a minute, whereas a normal person is between 60 to 80. 
  • Other aspects-
  • Left Leg Strength and motor control to gauge the pressure on the pedal
  • Fine motor skills of hands and arms to steer with precision
  • Simulated training for co-ordination: Pérez has a steering wheel connected to weights to build specific muscles for driving, making it invaluable training for preparing for race day.

Let’s look at the overall training program!

A driver trains 20 times a week. Out of 20, 12 sessions focus on cardio training -of which 2-3 are High intensity interval training (can be at the gym or body weighted exercises) and the rest are quick runs or mountain bikes.

Remaining 8 sessions are required for training neck, core, reaction time and few for recovery. Recovery for any athlete is equally essential and cannot be compromised.

HYDRATION is extremely important in these athletes as they can lose up to 6-7 pounds in a single hot race like Singapore. Hydration begins 10-12 days before and balance of electrolytes is essential.

In the high-speed world of Formula 1, drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen aren’t just steering powerful machines—they’re pushing the boundaries of human fitness. Think about it: the next time you watch an F1 race, remember that these drivers are enduring forces that would make a fighter pilot proud, all while making split-second decisions at speeds over 320km/h. It’s like a high-stakes chess game played out in a sauna while riding a rollercoaster! Whether it’s Sebastian Vettel’s meticulous focus on endurance or Daniel Ricciardo’s dynamic approach to strength and flexibility, these drivers are the epitome of peak human performance.

-Dr. Neha Kulkarni (PT)

Team Rehab Station, Pune

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