Inside the Circus
This season’s first Formula One race, the Grand Prix of Bahrain, took place on March 14. Bahrain, an island kingdom near Saudi Arabia, is a popular stop on the circuit or “the circus” as it is called by insiders. More recently, Formula One returned to North America with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The race was run on Ile Notre Dame, the island built there for Expo 67. The track is named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, after the Canadian ace who died in a crash in 1976. I can attest to the fantastic atmosphere in Montreal from having run in supporting races there in the past. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won this year from teammate Jensen Button.
Television does not always do justice to the spectacle of Grand Prix racing. Seen in person, it is a different story. Each car is dazzling in its purpose-built perfection. Even parked in pit lane, the contained violence is akin to that of a fighter plane. The engines don’t roar, they scream. Watch from a fast turn and cornering speed, as well as the punishment drivers are taking, becomes clearly visible. It is all madly intense, light years beyond a freeway commute or an enthusiastic drive on a country road.
The heat on race day in Bahrain was around 33 C, with track temperatures between 45 and 50 C. Fernando Alonso, driving for Ferrari, won the race, with his teammate Felipe Massa in second. None of the drivers had to be lifted out of their cars after the event, which got me to thinking about the physical and mental fitness requires to race at that level.
There are no party boys on the circuit anymore, it is simply too tough. Every driver has a personal trainer and an intense fitness regime. These are the fastest racing machines in the world, with cornering and braking forces approaching five Gs. That means, effectively, that competitors are at times supporting five times their body weight, while trying to be precise, even delicate, with the vehicle’s controls. Drivers may lose 3kg of sweat during an event, while heartbeat will hover around 150 for the duration, with peaks approaching 200 bpm. Critical decisions have to be made, corner after corner, for the better part of two hours. Consider the concentration required to perform under that sort of pressure. To put that into perspective, let’s look at the average participants in a racing school.
Most racing courses have a wide range of students, from older enthusiasts to those actually considering a career on the track. The schools I have worked at the most use Formula cars, small open-wheeled vehicles that you slip into like putting on a body-length sock. Some find it claustrophobic, and everyone has to get used to the tight confines. Many students are surprised at how demanding it is to drive a purpose-built racing car. After all, on television it doesn’t look that hard. The truth is, the need for concentration is unrelenting, which is why we generally limit sessions to ten laps or less at a time. We are demanding as instructors, for good reason. It is not enough to be merely in the vicinity of the right line or braking point for a corner. At speed, nearing the limits of tire grip, mistakes can be costly, so precision is a must. After the chequered flag, just about everyone needs a rest. It is a genuine eye-opener, even for dyed in wool racing fans who arrived driving Porsches and the like.
A separate message from all this is that staying fit, if not to Formula One competitor’s level, can help you drive better. For those who spend a long time in their vehicles, a small improvement in core strength can reduce backaches and the like, while better oxygen uptake improves concentration. You don’t necessarily need to follow my example, and carry a jump rope in the car. I just prefer a quick parking lot warm-up to a caffeine overdose. A sign that this works is that after a couple of hours behind the wheel, the first few jumps are somewhat uncoordinated. It takes a few moments, and a couple of good whacks on the head from the rope, then timing returns and I’m refreshed for the next driving stint. You could probably get a positive effect from a bit of stretching and deep breathing, or just strolling around.
I’ll cover other race-based preparation tips in an upcoming article. Unfortunately, nothing to do with interviews, autographs, or squealing tires, but they should nonetheless be useful. In the meantime, enjoy the spectacle, and give a thought to the athletic endeavour going on inside a racing car’s cockpit.
This season’s first Formula One race, the Grand Prix of Bahrain, took place on March 14. Bahrain, an island kingdom near Saudi Arabia, is a popular stop on the circuit or “the circus” as it is called by insiders. More recently, Formula One returned to North America with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The race was run on Ile Notre Dame, the island built there for Expo 67. The track is named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, after the Canadian ace who died in a crash in 1976. I can attest to the fantastic atmosphere in Montreal from having run in supporting races there in the past. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won this year from teammate Jensen Button.
Television does not always do justice to the spectacle of Grand Prix racing. Seen in person, it is a different story. Each car is dazzling in its purpose-built perfection. Even parked in pit lane, the contained violence is akin to that of a fighter plane. The engines don’t roar, they scream. Watch from a fast turn and cornering speed, as well as the punishment drivers are taking, becomes clearly visible. It is all madly intense, light years beyond a freeway commute or an enthusiastic drive on a country road.
The heat on race day in Bahrain was around 33 C, with track temperatures between 45 and 50 C. Fernando Alonso, driving for Ferrari, won the race, with his teammate Felipe Massa in second. None of the drivers had to be lifted out of their cars after the event, which got me to thinking about the physical and mental fitness requires to race at that level.
There are no party boys on the circuit anymore, it is simply too tough. Every driver has a personal trainer and an intense fitness regime. These are the fastest racing machines in the world, with cornering and braking forces approaching five Gs. That means, effectively, that competitors are at times supporting five times their body weight, while trying to be precise, even delicate, with the vehicle’s controls. Drivers may lose 3kg of sweat during an event, while heartbeat will hover around 150 for the duration, with peaks approaching 200 bpm. Critical decisions have to be made, corner after corner, for the better part of two hours. Consider the concentration required to perform under that sort of pressure. To put that into perspective, let’s look at the average participants in a racing school.
Most racing courses have a wide range of students, from older enthusiasts to those actually considering a career on the track. The schools I have worked at the most use Formula cars, small open-wheeled vehicles that you slip into like putting on a body-length sock. Some find it claustrophobic, and everyone has to get used to the tight confines. Many students are surprised at how demanding it is to drive a purpose-built racing car. After all, on television it doesn’t look that hard. The truth is, the need for concentration is unrelenting, which is why we generally limit sessions to ten laps or less at a time. We are demanding as instructors, for good reason. It is not enough to be merely in the vicinity of the right line or braking point for a corner. At speed, nearing the limits of tire grip, mistakes can be costly, so precision is a must. After the chequered flag, just about everyone needs a rest. It is a genuine eye-opener, even for dyed in wool racing fans who arrived driving Porsches and the like.
A separate message from all this is that staying fit, if not to Formula One competitor’s level, can help you drive better. For those who spend a long time in their vehicles, a small improvement in core strength can reduce backaches and the like, while better oxygen uptake improves concentration. You don’t necessarily need to follow my example, and carry a jump rope in the car. I just prefer a quick parking lot warm-up to a caffeine overdose. A sign that this works is that after a couple of hours behind the wheel, the first few jumps are somewhat uncoordinated. It takes a few moments, and a couple of good whacks on the head from the rope, then timing returns and I’m refreshed for the next driving stint. You could probably get a positive effect from a bit of stretching and deep breathing, or just strolling around.
I’ll cover other race-based preparation tips in an upcoming article. Unfortunately, nothing to do with interviews, autographs, or squealing tires, but they should nonetheless be useful. In the meantime, enjoy the spectacle, and give a thought to the athletic endeavour going on inside a racing car’s cockpit.
Labels: Formula One Drivers and Fitness
posted by Alan S. at
9:25 PM
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