Do F1 drivers need to bother with all the gym stuff?
Discussion
Reading the article on James Hunt, and having seen documentary's about Graham Hill and co, they didn't seem to do all that much exercise and weights to be brilliant drivers, in fact, quite the opposite! They were always getting pissed up and leading great social lives.
Do the current F1 drivers do it just to get that few percent extra out of themselves?(sounds wrong!
) or do they REALLY need it, as today's cars are far more demanding?
Do the current F1 drivers do it just to get that few percent extra out of themselves?(sounds wrong!
) or do they REALLY need it, as today's cars are far more demanding?http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/10/the-g-forces...
This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
DiscoColin said:
The difference in fitness required is off of the proverbial scale. The size of cojones required is, however - significantly less IMHO. Which explains Mr Hunt quite well I would say 
I'm not so sure, Surely taking 130r flat takes more balls than lifting? Same with Turkey turn 8, the red bulls were flat all through it. I think modern drivers have to trust their cars a lot more. Saying that though, I totally agree that the old school drivers really had to put their lives on the line.
If most of the English football players, put as much effort into fitness and training as most F1 drivers do, then we'd have a much better team.
Nothing looks more pathetic than a bunch of fully grown men in agony from running about for 90minutes, even with a break in between, on the floor getting strains and cramp massaged out by their team mates! ...especially when, after they've lost a match they're out the same night until 3'am smoking cigars and drinking alcohol.
In an answer, no an F1 driver doesn't have to have such a unique style of fitness of strength to endure the G-forces, or the stamina to do such a thing for 2hours...but in such a competative environment where these days every tiny bit of extra performance can be the difference of winning races or not, to be as fit as you can possibly be can only be a good thing and in my opinion, highly commendable.
Nothing looks more pathetic than a bunch of fully grown men in agony from running about for 90minutes, even with a break in between, on the floor getting strains and cramp massaged out by their team mates! ...especially when, after they've lost a match they're out the same night until 3'am smoking cigars and drinking alcohol.
In an answer, no an F1 driver doesn't have to have such a unique style of fitness of strength to endure the G-forces, or the stamina to do such a thing for 2hours...but in such a competative environment where these days every tiny bit of extra performance can be the difference of winning races or not, to be as fit as you can possibly be can only be a good thing and in my opinion, highly commendable.
wanacoop said:
Do the current F1 drivers do it just to get that few percent extra out of themselves?(sounds wrong!) or do they REALLY need it, as today's cars are far more demanding?
Well, I'd say that a person without their training would not physically be able to compete in F1 - they would have neck strain etc from the G forces.... And when a driver can lose 4lb of weight in fluid during a race, you have to be pretty fit to cope with that kind of thing IMHO..) or do they REALLY need it, as today's cars are far more demanding?Ponk said:
DiscoColin said:
The difference in fitness required is off of the proverbial scale. The size of cojones required is, however - significantly less IMHO. Which explains Mr Hunt quite well I would say
I'm not so sure, Surely taking 130r flat takes more balls than lifting? Same with Turkey turn 8, the red bulls were flat all through it. I think modern drivers have to trust their cars a lot more. Saying that though, I totally agree that the old school drivers really had to put their lives on the line.
He would be dead if it had been just a few years earlier. The drivers today know that it's going to take a freak event for one of them to be killed or even seriously injured.
Regarding their fitness, this was thrashed out in another thread but I'm in the camp that says they're obviously conditioned to do it - neck especially but they dont need super human fitness levels as Montoya proved in the fastest F1 cars in history, the 2004 beasts
Dont forget teams go to great lengths to ensure the drivers are very comfortable in their cars, a luxury drivers of yesterday didnt have. They're also lying down which minimises the effect of g-force on the body.
Yes, g-forces have increased by a reasonable percentage, but so have other things like helmet technology which has dramatically reduced the helmet's weight which can make a difference to the neck. Add other vintage factors like the increased effort of no power-steering and you have a more physical, uncomfortable environment.
This is interesting... I have been karting from when I was young to when I was 21. I didn't do anything else to be fit.... I was just kart fit. This year I started again racing very grippy, fast karts. At my first meeting after 3 8 lap heats, I was done for. In the 15 lap final, after 5 laps I was tired, after 10 laps I had dropped off by 3/10th per lap and my head was about to fall off. At the next meeting I damaged my ribs and that has been prety much it for the year.
Now from my limited car racing experience, the body didn't take as much abuse from the grip, but my forearms and shoulders took a real pounding, but my neck was fine. This is until I drove a radical, It had so much grip that my neck took a real beating. So mechanical grip beats you up, but aero grip is whole different ball game.
In summary F1 drivers need to be super fit. They can't be thinking i'm tired when does the race finish after 1h30. They need to be ready to push and attack or defend!
By the way im not comparing myself and go kart to an F1 driver, just highlighting how fitness can effect the lowest level.
Now from my limited car racing experience, the body didn't take as much abuse from the grip, but my forearms and shoulders took a real pounding, but my neck was fine. This is until I drove a radical, It had so much grip that my neck took a real beating. So mechanical grip beats you up, but aero grip is whole different ball game.
In summary F1 drivers need to be super fit. They can't be thinking i'm tired when does the race finish after 1h30. They need to be ready to push and attack or defend!
By the way im not comparing myself and go kart to an F1 driver, just highlighting how fitness can effect the lowest level.
Was having a chat to some other drivers about this the other day ( after the Hunt thread ) and apart from driving a very fast kart ( gearbox ) or f3000 car the normal punter would find it difficult to
understand whats needed, so i simple thing you can try at home or in the gym -
Get yourself one of those balls they use in the Gym ( Stability Ball ) sit on this with your feet off the ground and try and balance, now at the same time hold hold a 5kg disc weight out at arms length
as if your holding a steering wheel, and turn left/right etc, give that a go and it will give you an idea of the core strength needed + arms/shoulders.
Now after you have this mastered get a mate to push against your neck from the side while you do the above ( that should give some idea of neck forces )
Now drag that lot into a steam room, stick a coat on and set the temp to 50-60, and try it for two hours ( HR would only be around 120 tho )
Might give you some idea, or simply test an F1 car for £1200 in france and be done with it
understand whats needed, so i simple thing you can try at home or in the gym -
Get yourself one of those balls they use in the Gym ( Stability Ball ) sit on this with your feet off the ground and try and balance, now at the same time hold hold a 5kg disc weight out at arms length
as if your holding a steering wheel, and turn left/right etc, give that a go and it will give you an idea of the core strength needed + arms/shoulders.
Now after you have this mastered get a mate to push against your neck from the side while you do the above ( that should give some idea of neck forces )
Now drag that lot into a steam room, stick a coat on and set the temp to 50-60, and try it for two hours ( HR would only be around 120 tho )
Might give you some idea, or simply test an F1 car for £1200 in france and be done with it
^ lol true... and not forgetting this is whilst playing an online racing game for 2 hours, making no mitskes and being in the top 24 fastest in the world...
I remember several races in the 80's where drivers emerged from the cars too fuct to even stand on their own 2 feet - Piquet, Mansell, Cheever, Senna all come to mind. I'm pretty certain drivers of yesteryear never drove a race of quali laps like they do today. Racing then was about conserving the car, tyres, engine at throughout a thinking mans race...
I remember several races in the 80's where drivers emerged from the cars too fuct to even stand on their own 2 feet - Piquet, Mansell, Cheever, Senna all come to mind. I'm pretty certain drivers of yesteryear never drove a race of quali laps like they do today. Racing then was about conserving the car, tyres, engine at throughout a thinking mans race...
mattikake said:
^ lol true... and not forgetting this is whilst playing an online racing game for 2 hours, making no mitskes and being in the top 24 fastest in the world...
I remember several races in the 80's where drivers emerged from the cars too fuct to even stand on their own 2 feet - Piquet, Mansell, Cheever, Senna all come to mind. I'm pretty certain drivers of yesteryear never drove a race of quali laps like they do today. Racing then was about conserving the car, tyres, engine at throughout a thinking mans race...
There is rarely time to do anything but qualy lap after qualy lap now, as back then it was quite common for only 2-3 cars to finish on the same lap...where now it's only common for 2-3 cars NOT to finish on the lead lap I remember several races in the 80's where drivers emerged from the cars too fuct to even stand on their own 2 feet - Piquet, Mansell, Cheever, Senna all come to mind. I'm pretty certain drivers of yesteryear never drove a race of quali laps like they do today. Racing then was about conserving the car, tyres, engine at throughout a thinking mans race...
superkartracer said:
Get yourself one of those balls they use in the Gym ( Stability Ball ) sit on this with your feet off the ground and try and balance, now at the same time hold hold a 5kg disc weight out at arms length
as if your holding a steering wheel, and turn left/right etc, give that a go and it will give you an idea of the core strength needed + arms/shoulders.
It's not at all like that though is it. Firstly they sit in a custom moulded seat that supports their entire body and legs, not balanced on a ball! Secondly the steering wheel is attached to a steering column so you don't have to actually hold it up! Plus they have power steering, so turning the wheel is not so hard either.as if your holding a steering wheel, and turn left/right etc, give that a go and it will give you an idea of the core strength needed + arms/shoulders.
F1 drivers certainly have to be 'car' fit i.e. drive an F1 car regularly enough for their neck muscles to adapt to the high G-Forces. This is always a problem for young drivers coming out of F3 and even GP2. Even if they are super fit, their heads still fall off after 20 laps or so in an F1 car around a track like Barcelona. It doesn't take them too long to adapt, but they do need plenty of mileage to get fit enough to race, however fit they are in general. This aspect is very hard to replicate in the gym.
Montoya was a notable porker, but still obviously had the 'car' fitness described above. Also being South American he didn't mind the high cockpit temperatures. Of the current driver crop, you wouldn't exactly describe Nico Rosberg as an ultimate athlete, but again this is not a prerequisite for success. Basically you don't need to be Lance Armstrong fit to drive an F1 car. But you do need to develop the neck muscles through actually driving the things.
jamied3 said:
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/10/the-g-forces...
This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
Interesting that the helmet the passenger wears in the two seat F1 cars has HANS posts, but the passenger is not wearing a HANS device.This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
IanUAE said:
jamied3 said:
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/10/the-g-forces...
This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
Interesting that the helmet the passenger wears in the two seat F1 cars has HANS posts, but the passenger is not wearing a HANS device.This should give some idea, yet again from James Allens excellent site.
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