Formula One driver training is all about striking the ideal equilibrium between opposing forces. Drivers must be strong, but they must also be lightweight. In addition to incredible endurance, they must possess lightning-fast reflexes, hands, and feet.
Insider spoke with two current F1 drivers and a veteran trainer about the physical demands of driving on formula racing’s most renowned stage in order to have a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport.
The preseason is utilized to build strength.
During the three-month period between the end of one F1 season and the beginning of the next, teams begin preparations for the upcoming season. The majority of drivers will take a holiday for a much-needed mental break, but this leaves them little time to prepare for the upcoming season.
During the off-season, drivers engage in extensive strength training to develop the muscles required to handle a 1,800-pound (800 kg) car traveling at over 200 miles per hour. Patrick Harding, a trainer who has worked with drivers, Olympic athletes, and boxers, has been Alex Albon’s trainer for the past four years, beginning while he drove for Red Bull and continuing with his current team, Williams. According to Harding, the pair spends approximately two months preparing for each season.
“Before the season starts, we’ll likely train for six to eight weeks,” he told Insider. At least three or four of those weeks are devoted to attempting to gain muscular mass. Before this season, we intend to put at least two or three kg of muscle growth on Alex through extensive hypertrophy work.
Daniel Ricciardo, a McLaren driver, echoed this sentiment but said that drivers still require cardiovascular work, which requires extensive preparation.
Insider quoted Ricciardo as saying, “During the preseason, when you are really trying to build yourself up, we will train six days per week.” “There will be a session in the morning and a session in the evening, with a combination of cardio and weight training. I would think that we require general fitness…. You don’t need to be a bodybuilder or triathlon, but you do need decent overall strength and conditioning.”
Throughout the season, emphasis is placed on recuperation and maintaining strength.
The importance of training during the off-season stems from the fact that, once the season begins, the physical focus shifts to recovery, as there is so little time between most events.
“By the first race, [Albon] will likely be the biggest he’ll be all year, and he’ll lose weight gradually over subsequent racing weekends,” Harding said. “Therefore, we attempt to develop a buffer at the beginning of the season so that his weight does not drop too low.”
A race week results in significant weight loss for drivers.
According to seven-time F1 winner Lewis Hamilton, he can shed up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during a race and six or seven pounds (3 kg) during practice and qualifying.
After racing days, Ricciardo will rest and recover on Mondays, do some light cycling on Tuesday, core and neck strength training on Wednesday, and then return to the track on Thursday.
Throughout the season, Ricciardo will focus on rehabilitation. “Once you get into the habit of racing, we’re in the car three days a week, which keeps us in excellent form and specifically in race condition.”
In an interview with GQ, Hamilton emphasized the value of self-care by describing his recovery regimen.
The 37-year-old Mercedes icon told GQ, “Recovery has been a major emphasis for me in the past few years.” “Now, I always ensure that the day after a race is a complete day off – a day dedicated to self-care. Cryotherapy, possibly some pool work, and physiotherapy, acupuncture, or a steam chamber complete my daily regimen.
A tweet from Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton).
Obviously, each race varies slightly. While cycling appears to be a key activity shared by all drivers between races, drivers are occasionally compelled to alter their routines. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari prepared for the severe temperatures in Singapore by riding a bicycle in a steam chamber.
A tweet from Carlos Sainz (@carlosainz55).
George Russell did not utilize a sauna. Instead, he performed his bicycle maintenance in what appeared to be a raincoat.
A post by George Russell (@georgerussell63) on Twitter.
The essential neck and butt muscles
Neck muscles may be the most crucial muscle group for an F1 driver to maintain. This is because the G-forces exerted on the body during turning, braking, and acceleration in their rockets on wheels are as high as six times the force of gravity.
Josh St. Clair of GQ described the neck workouts used by Daniel Ricciardo.
“Ricciardo recommends a neck harness and resistance band for both strength and endurance training. Trainer Michael Italiano has Ricciardo step back with the strap stretched taut behind his head to increase his strength. Ricciardo then performs four sets of thirty repetitions of side-to-side head movements. For endurance, the band pulls Ricciardo’s head in one way while he maintains a stable neck position. This endurance hold simulates cornering g-forces.”
Esteban Ocon, an Alpine driver, demonstrates his neck-strengthening practice.
GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP sourced from Getty Images
In an interview with Tom Kollmar and Michel Milewski for the German publication Sport Bild, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen described how uncomfortable it can be if a driver does not strengthen his neck before to the season.
After seven years in Formula One, Magnussen lost his seat with Haas at the conclusion of the 2020 season. He spent the 2021 season competing in the North American IMSA series and was scheduled to do so again this year before receiving a request to replace the Russian driver Nikita Mazepin in the F1 series.
It had been almost 18 months since Magnussen’s last F1-specific training. Specifically, he neglected to prepare his neck for the intense G-forces.
Magnussen stated, “I completed that year without pilot training.” “The pressure inside the vehicle is so intense that the body only adapts to the forces while driving.” When I discovered a week prior to the opening race in Bahrain that I would be competing, I had to immediately begin fitness training… After the initial two races, I could hardly hold my head up.”
This video demonstrates some of the neck training required of Formula One drivers.
The importance of muscular mass in the lower body increases below the neck.
Michael Italiano, Ricciardo’s trainer, elaborated for Men’s Health on some of the off-season routines he puts the driver through. While attention is placed on the shoulders and forearms (for steering the vehicle), emphasis is placed on the core and posterior chain (back, glutes, and hamstrings).
The weights Hamilton lifts are designed to keep his center of mass as low as possible, per his assertion that he must shape his physique to be lean rather than muscular.
In 2019, Hamilton told Graham Norton, ‘You must have excellent core stability.’ “You cannot be overweight. If my shoulders were extremely muscular, my weight would be too high [vertically]. Therefore, I perform many squats for my butt.”
Lewis Hamilton exits his vehicle.
Formula 1/Formula 1 by Clive Mason via Getty Images
Cardiovascular exercise is necessary for an unexpected purpose.
The G-forces encountered by drivers, particularly in corners and while braking and accelerating, affect more than just the neck and car-controlling muscles. Additionally, they have a substantial impact on respiration.
In a recent behind-the-scenes look, Pierre Gasly, driver of the AlphaTauri, described how G-forces affect a driver’s capacity to breathe. Comparable to a swimmer who spends the most of their race with their face submerged.
Gasly stated, “Breathing is obviously very crucial.” “We spend almost 70% of each lap not breathing, in apnea. We cannot breathe in the automobile because the G-forces are so intense during braking, cornering, and acceleration. You are unable to breathe because there are too many forces acting on your body [indicating his chest].”
Gasly and teammate Yuki Tsunoda use endurance workouts and cardio activity, such as running on a treadmill, to prepare the heart and lungs to be more efficient during the race’s breathing opportunities.
YouTube/AlphaTauri
Gaining weight is a battle with a very clear objective.
The F1 driver’s weight is a perpetual battle between conflicting forces as he strives for the ideal number.
While drivers must be physically strong, teams strive to make their vehicles as light as possible. However, there is a limit on how lightweight they may be.
F1 has recently revised the minimum weight requirement for drivers to 80 kilograms (176 pounds), including clothing. During a race, the driver’s equipment weighs roughly seven kilograms (15 pounds). Therefore, the actual minimal weight for a driver is 73 kilograms (161 pounds).
Alex Albon uses his Williams vehicle for practice.
Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images accessed through Getty Images
Carrying additional weight slows down the automobile, therefore racing teams want their drivers to be as light as possible. Therefore, drivers are required to weigh in at or below the 161-pound requirement (if they go under, ballasts are added to the cockpit to reach the minimum).
A single kilogram can make a significant impact in races where teams strive to shave off tenths of a second.
“Every circuit, every lap, ten kilograms of fuel costs three-tenths of a second,” Hamilton told Norton. Therefore, if I am one kilogram overweight, I can lose up to two seconds in a race. Therefore, my weight is crucial.”
With this comes accuracy. Albon’s in-season weight, according to Harding, fluctuates between 72.5 and 73.5 kg (160 and 162 pounds) depending mostly on his hydration.
“When his weight falls below 72.5 pounds, I know we’re losing muscle mass,” said Harding. “His muscles are losing glycogen. He is likely malnourished and possibly dehydrated.
Alex Albon.
Cross, Paul ATPImages/Getty Images
Drivers can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour during racing. In the heat of the season, drivers are frequently more concerned with maintaining their weight, especially taller racers like Albon.
“Our greatest challenge [during the season], surprisingly, is maintaining Alex’s weight,” Harding told Insider.
Although drivers must be strong, they must also be slim in order to fit into the cockpits. This is especially difficult for taller drivers like 6-foot-2 Albon.
These automobiles are designed to be as small as feasible. “The automobiles are not intended for 6-foot-2 athletes,” Albon told Insider. “They are meant for individuals between 5’7 and 5’8 in height. Currently, [those drivers] fit the automobile considerably better. [Taller motorists are] rather arched over. Your knees are touching the car’s roof. Your hands are blocking your feet.
“Therefore, everything is tough. You are placed in a position that is, to be honest, really awkward.”
Intriguingly, boxing may be the discipline in which the training is most similar to that of F1, as participants must possess a combination of endurance, explosiveness, and strength while maintaining a set weight. Harding also instructs athletes in this sport.
“Boxing is another activity where athletes must possess a wide range of physical abilities to be successful,” Harding added. The level of physical fitness required to be successful in F1 is comparable to that of other sports.