Last week, drivers were doing laps in testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, often covering more than two race distances in a single day to familiarize themselves with their new machinery and prepare the cars for the first race of the season. and reacquaint themselves with the intense forces they will be subjected to this year.
This weekend the 2024 campaign with Max Verstappen began in earnest achieving victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Being in peak physical condition certainly helps drivers cope with the demands, but while performing an intense cardio session or piling on weights allows the driver to withstand the physical punishment of two dozen race weekends, just as important It’s how they recover.
“It’s all about maintenance,” says F1 performance coach Mark Arnall, who spent two decades keeping 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen in top condition, as well as looking after fellow champions Mika Hakkinen and Sebastian Vettel.
FIT FOR F1: The mental preparation that drivers need to succeed
“Racing is physical and the forces the drivers endure during the session put a lot of strain on you, so it’s hugely important that the body has enough time to recover from that.”
According to Arnall, the first step towards good maintenance is to carefully manage training during the season.
“After the intensity of preseason training, it’s about maintaining that level, but decreasing training and increasing recovery as the season progresses,” he says. “If we’re talking about a fairly early season, then generally speaking they would have Monday off. Tuesday maybe one reasonably intense session and Wednesday maybe two sessions. One might be more of an easy cardio session, say a two hour bike ride in zone 2 for example, and then in the evening we would do something focused on the gym, i.e. functional work, looking at body work. strength, core and stability. Maybe some treatment would follow if necessary.
Oops! Error retrieving Instagram post
“The next day would be some kind of training, maybe something fun. It used to include climbing, for example, to work on forearm and grip strength. It also created a challenge (getting to the top), worked on mobility and flexibility, required concentration, and worked muscles in the back, opposite to those used when driving.
“Of course, we scheduled rest days which are important, and Kimi often did his family things too. I kept the schedule pretty flexible and built it around any commitments the driver might have: going to the factory, appearances or whatever. be”.
However, the recovery process goes beyond adapting training sessions to the demands of the season. Ensuring drivers have energy reserves to facilitate recovery is also part of the equation.
“It’s a combination of physical recovery, sleep, supplementation and mental space,” explains Mark. “After the race, you’re looking to start the recovery process as quickly as possible, so you want to make sure hydration and nutrition are taken care of as soon as the driver gets out of the car. We installed a cryogenic chamber in Kimi’s house, which was also a regular part of the recovery process, as was an infrared sauna.
“Depending on what happened in the race, sometimes it’s a mental thing. If it was a good race, that’s fine as the positive momentum carries over, but if the car blows up or the driver or team makes a mistake, then you may have to work to get that positive momentum flowing again. Sometimes you also have to face a flight, sometimes long flights, and you have to incorporate some recovery.”
Arnall also says that a key element of Raikkonen’s recovery program was the use of nutritional supplements.
“Supplements were a big part for me,” he says. “I worked with a biochemist to formulate custom supplements for Kimi: one for sleep, one for focus, one for hydration, and one for flights that specifically focused on hydration and immune system support.”
For many drivers, however, the challenge is fitting those elements into a 24-event season, along with the off-track sponsors and media commitments placed at the races.
“It’s complicated, but a lot of the stress can be mitigated by making sure the impact of constant travel isn’t as bad,” says Mark. “If it is a long-haul flight, you should try to shift the phase towards the destination time zone as much as possible. That means going to bed an hour earlier or later each day for three days before the trip, depending on whether you’re heading east or west, and adjusting when you try to get or avoid light at certain times.
“It’s also about taking care of yourself when you fly. If it’s a long haul, I would try to make sure the flights were as easy as possible. I would aim for direct flights as it makes it easier to plan for jet lag and shortens your overall travel time. Again, hydration, immune system support and nutrition are important during travel – staying hydrated and, most importantly, eating in sync with your destination time, make a big difference.”
F1 FANTASY: Choose your 2024 team now for a chance to win amazing prizes
“When you arrive, the first thing is to know what facilities a hotel has and what they adapt to. With Kimi I booked all the flights and hotels and we used to stay in the same places all the time, so we knew the equipment we needed would be there. On top of that, I always carried a bunch of resistance bands with me and with them we could do a full workout in the room if the gym facilities were not adequate.”
However, once the race weekend begins, recovery takes priority over training.
“In events, the physiological aspect is much more important than the training,” says Arnall. “If you start incorporating training into a race weekend, you could potentially wear out the things you need to be in peak driving condition. For me, the race weekend was super light. If we did anything it was swim leisurely at night which is good for spinal mobility as long as you breathe on both sides!
Oops! Error retrieving Instagram post
It is possible to leave room for recovery, even on long-haul flights, although there are points during the season that require more careful management.
“It’s certainly more exhausting in places like Singapore,” says Mark. “The whole element of dehydration means you potentially have reduced muscle power, reduced reaction time and reduced concentration. It doesn’t take much dehydration for all that to happen in an environment where you really can’t afford to make any mistakes.
IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 stories that excite us ahead of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
“It is a race that is more difficult to recover from because there is greater physical and mental demand. Singapore, Malaysia in the past and obviously Qatar last year, which was particularly difficult for everyone; “All of those races require a little more time to recover.”
However long the process takes, Arnall concludes by emphasizing the importance of balancing training and recovery. “It’s like any system. “If all you’re doing is drinking something, the batteries will run out.”