“To drive a Formula One car, you have to be a little bit mad”, said 2009 World Champion Jenson ButtonDaniel Ricciardo prepares to drive on the grid before the F1 Grand Prix of Austria last year.Well, for starters, you’re strapped into a racecar – essentially a glorified metal death trap – hurtling up to 360 km/hour through the air. The G-force is so strong , it’s an effort to keep your head straight. You turn corners that literally take your breath away and leave your eyesight blurry.
When F1 drivers hit the tarmac at Albert Park for Melbourne’s Grand Prix on Sunday, they’ll be subjecting themselves to some of the most extreme gravitational forces on the planet. To weather this – and survive – F1 drivers have to be at peak mental and physical fitness.Noel Carroll is a performance coach for AlphaTauri, working with top drivers like Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly. He says that the physical demands of racing are quite different to other sports.
Sharp reflexes are also imperative . Carroll encourages clients to play games like racket squash and padel, a hybrid of squash and tennis that “pushes reflexes”. Right before a race, he’ll have clients play a few rounds of a game like BlazePod, a digital device involving flashing lights that’s designed to hone one’s reflexes.One of the most astounding physical effects of a race is the dramatic weight loss that occurs – sometimes up to seven kilograms.