Without failure, every single year critics attempt to discredit Formula One drivers by saying they aren’t “real athletes.” Perhaps this is because “athletic ability” is typically associated with physique, and drivers clearly don’t have the physique of LeBron James. But with the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, drivers are proving that all phases of their endurance training put them in a unique category of elite athleticism.
With motorsports, a 6-foot-9, 250 pound man in a cockpit wouldn’t exactly be conducive to aerodynamics. By contrast, the weights of drivers on the 2022 grid ranges between 119-163 pounds, with Yuki Tsunoda being the lowest weight and Alex Albon with the heaviest weight. I think how people have to look at drivers is that drivers are athletes, but their conditioning is designed specifically for the sport. This conditioning is intended to keep drivers lean so the cars are lighter. Additionally, specific muscles groups require training to combat fatigue and the effects of g-force. For context, if you do compound lifts (deadlifts and squats) every day, you’ll have much different tonality than someone who does pilates. Why? While both engage all muscles, pilates activates deep muscles giving a much different “burn.” Pilates is also a favorite among drivers because of the focus on core development and strength, which are vital in controlling the car.
Remember in 2019 when McLaren driver Lando Norris took NBA star Jimmy Butler for a hot lap in a McLaren 720. After repeatedly telling Norris to “relax,” Butler said, “You’re going too fast. Oh… my stomach finna fall out my ass.” In the clip, Butler also says “my head” and thanks Norris for opening the window for fresh air because he felt like he was going to throw up. Meanwhile, Norris was cool under the collar because of his conditioning.
Not only is the physical strength important in controlling a car that weighs 1,759 pounds at minimum weight, but the conditioning also aids in fatigue management.
In the 2022 season, the distance on-track by drivers who complete every race is 76,495 miles (123,106 KM). The total distance between every race is 72,165 miles (116,123 KM). These racing distances only cover direct in-race, or race-to-race travel. It doesn’t factor in drivers traveling home or to promotional or sponsorship events, on holidays, helicopter transfers, traffic, etc. But when you factor in dramatic time changes and travel distances, you know that fatigue is also an element that drivers have to be trained for.
So how do they train for this? Let’s take a look at the Singapore Grand Prix for examples.
One of the biggest issues in fatigue is that it mimics symptoms of being drunk. It’s illegal to drink and drive, so it should be illegal for drivers to get behind the wheel of a land jet, but that’s clearly a scheduling issue. Haas’ physio Faith Fisher-Atack said, “There’s a clear correlation between jet lag and them [drivers] having poor performance.” Drivers approach this with either a “deal with it” perspective, or they try and adjust their sleep schedules to adapt. Unfortunately, the latter requires more days to sleep adjust in the new locations to time lost or gained, and realistically, the drivers would rather be home between races.
Like any athlete, caffeine is an important factor, but they can’t rely on that for a performance boost. And while there are several energy drinks sponsorships, the contents of those branded water bottles are typically unique hydration concoctions. Movement and natural light are also important to adjust their circadian rhythm, even if it means waking and sleeping at unnatural times. And while they don’t have personal physios, these rules also apply to the personnel on the grid. Between all the races and events, even the camera operations crew can sometimes put in 16-hour days, on top of travel and time adjustments.
When it comes to Singapore, the race schedule is especially unique in its approach to this. It’s a night race that starts at 8:00pm local time. This means that if the race goes the full two hours or slightly over (which it has), the race won’t even end until around 10pm. Race organizers have set an “awake schedule” of 1pm-6am to account for post-race media availabilities and debriefs, de-rigging, etc., so crews and drivers have made adjustments this week to acclimate to this block. There was a mini “fall break” between Monza and the Singapore Grand Prix which gave an unseasonable opportunity to make pre-Singapore adjustments, but considering how long everyone involved in Formula One are away from their families and friends throughout the grueling calendar, most took advantage and went on well-deserved holidays.
Training is essential in combating fatigue for all involved. But with that said, fans and personnel are hopeful that Formula One can uphold its ambitious plans of scheduling races regionally in the future, with hopes to significantly reduce its carbon footprint while reducing the physical impacts of travel. The benefits could result in drivers and staff who are better-rested which could enhance competition on-track resulting in a better product.
