Former Formula One driver and Aston Martin Aramco Team Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa reveals the lengths that F1 drivers will go to be in the best physical and mental shape for a new season.
January. A time for New Year's resolutions. You might be determined to be a regular in the gym, to eat healthier, or to learn a new skill.
For F1 drivers, the quest for self-improvement in the new year is no different, as they focus on the challenges that lie ahead over the upcoming season.
From the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix through to pre-season testing in Bahrain, they have three months to get some well-earned rest and then ensure they're primed for another year of intense racing around the world.
Aston Martin Aramco F1 drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are always pushing, seeking incremental gains that could result in tenths, hundredths, even thousandths of a second shaved off their laptimes, and in the off-season things are no different.
Having experienced several winter periods as an F1 driver himself, Pedro de la Rosa reveals what it takes to be as fit and sharp as possible for a new season.
It starts with rest
"At the end of every season as a driver, my trainer would instruct me to take two weeks off to rest before gradually building again.
"I must admit, I was guilty of exercising during that period and he got nervous about that, because it's good for the body to not train sometimes, as it needs to recover and recharge after a long season.
"Ultimately, it's in your DNA as an elite athlete to be constantly training, but it's vital you take a break to avoid burnout.
"The season is the longest it's ever been, with little time to rest, so it's crucial you take some downtime in the winter period and then gradually start pushing yourself once more after a short break."
Staying active
"F1 is different to many sports because you have hardly any testing before the first Grand Prix. The good thing is everyone is in the same boat, so whatever you can do as a driver before the season starts could give you an advantage over your competitors.
"Karting is one of the best activities you can do; the feeling and fast response from a go-kart keeps your reflexes alive, which is key in the training of any driver. It's one of the closest activities to F1 and I think it's important to do during the season too; it's one of the most complete sports physically and cognitively.
"Away from driving, any sport where you need quick reactions and coordination is useful. Padel is a good example. It's popular among the drivers because you need quick reflexes and good coordination; it's another very complete sport. I played squash, which was extremely demanding, but it was very easy to injure yourself, so padel is ideal because it's not as demanding physically but still requires good cognitive skills.
"I recommend cross-country skiing. I always did it because it requires extremely high endurance levels. You can train at high altitude and it works your whole body including your core, which is vital because you need core stability to absorb all the bumps and kerbs when racing. Cross-country skiing provides a perfect training combination for drivers as it covers so many different facets, both in terms of endurance and strength.
"You've got to be very careful of injuries in the off-season. I went sailing one winter period and the boat flipped over. Whilst I was trying to right it, I stood on a sea urchin and it went through my foot. I had to have an operation to get all the bits removed and then I was recovering for a few weeks, and that sets back your training."
You're often strapped into machines that mimic the g-forces of the car, and you'll see the drivers grimacing as they move their heads, necks and arms under immense loads.
Hitting the gym
"Aside from different activities, you naturally spend time in the gym before a new season but it's not about how much time you spend training in the gym, it's about the quality of the exercise you're doing: you want a good mix of endurance and strength exercises.
"You work on your endurance because you're racing for nearly two hours in temperatures that reach more than 50°C in the cockpit. You dehydrate yourself when you train to replicate what it's like at energy-sapping races like Miami and Singapore where the humidity can be so high.
"Then, you need to build muscle via resistance training. You're often strapped into machines that mimic the g-forces of the car, and you'll see the drivers grimacing as they move their heads, necks and arms under immense loads, all to replicate the forces they will be subjected to when driving.
"The challenge is exercising in a manner that improves your endurance levels and gets a good muscle tone, but without over-building muscle because that adds more weight and slows your responses.
"Some drivers do a lot of muscle building, but that shouldn't be the priority in my view; drivers need to be lean and you'll see most of them are of a similar frame and build."
Training in tandem
"Training before, and during, an F1 season is a lot easier with a professional trainer by your side. They tell you exactly what you need and prevent you doing things that are detrimental to your performance.
You have to suffer, you have to sacrifice a lot – because if you don't, you won't get to the top
"Sometimes, you think you can do everything yourself but to be at the top level in any sport, you need someone to guide you.
"Trainers don't always say what you want to hear but there's a reason for that; they want the best from you and they're pushing you out of your comfort zone. You need people like that in your corner as you hunt for an extra edge.
"They'll also set you up for the season. They teach you about nutrition and it's important to grasp because you spend many days alone over a season; if you've not learnt what to eat and drink you will make mistakes. It's the same with training, you'll be alone in a hotel a lot and you need to motivate yourself to go to the gym. It's about being disciplined and always switched on to the requirements of being an elite athlete.
"I always felt if I trained hard and in a disciplined manner, if I slept enough and ate and drank the right things, I could beat anyone. I used training to give me confidence against my competitors – it made me feel very strong mentally.
"To be an elite athlete, you must be very strong mentally; you have to suffer, you have to sacrifice a lot – because if you don't, you won't get to the top. It makes a big difference if you have a personal trainer alongside you as you go through this process, and in the off-season they really drive you on."
You really need to take a holistic approach to winter training. Fail to take care of every single aspect of your body and mind and you'll soon be exposed on track.
Mental agility
"Away from the physical side, there are many exercises and sophisticated tools available to sharpen you mentally, which is just as important as being physically prepared.
"The Batak machine is very popular as it tests your reflexes and reactions. We also have the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus, which can replicate race starts and test reaction times to different stimuli, such as releasing the clutch paddle or reacting to your race engineer's orders on the radio. The simulator makes it so much easier for the drivers to get up to speed.
"Tennis balls also provide a good, low-tech option. You can do various reaction and reflex games with those to improve your reaction times and cognitive levels.
"You really need to take a holistic approach to winter training. Fail to take care of every single aspect of your body and mind and you'll soon be exposed on track."
Approaching your peak
"With the right training, you're very close to peak condition come the start of the season, especially if you're an experienced driver – a young driver might need at least half a season to fully adapt.
"There is no substitute for the real thing, for driving the actual car, however. You can have the best off-season and preparation possible, but you will feel some soreness and stiffness in your neck and back as the first race weekend progresses. They're not injuries as such but just typical aches from muscles that haven't been subjected to the unique demands of driving an F1 car for a while.
"You'll be sitting in the car before the first race feeling weak in the neck just because you haven't had the mileage, but in two or three races an experienced driver will feel they are peaking again and back to their best.
"The cockpit of an F1 car can be a brutal environment, but there's nowhere a driver would rather be."
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