What do you really know about the drivers and their weight?

 
There are so many reasons why people love F1, whether it’s the cars, the technology, the history of F1, there is always something.

For me personally it is all really interesting. However one stands out to me more than everything else. That is the drivers and what they go through. As viewers we just see the drivers get in the car and drive it around a circuit. We don’t see all the preparation and training they do. The drivers have to change their whole life to be able to do what they do.

Over the past year their training and diet has become a bigger thing than it ever has before. They have to be the lightest they can be as the weight of the car has increased. It was one of the many rule changes of 2014. Personally, I like all the rule changes. It keeps F1 entertaining and hopefully getting more people watching. However, there was a big impact on the drivers. The drivers have never looked slimmer. The taller drivers are the ones who were hit the hardest by the rule changes as they are naturally heavier than smaller drivers. What I would really like to know is how often drivers go to the gym and what kind of exercises they do. I know some drivers focus on the muscles in their neck. I never realised until a few months back how much stress the neck is put under. The neck has to cope with the weight of the helmet and constantly moving throughout the race.

I would also love to know what food drivers eat and what they avoid. I assume they would eat food containing Carbohydrates as that will give them lots of energy for training and when they’re in the car. We all read articles about people losing weight by going to the gym and eating the most healthy food they can find; but can drivers really do that? I would love to know what they eat on a day to day basis and if it changes on a race weekend. Maybe that’s F1’s the best kept secret.

I feel it is important for us to be aware of the drivers weight. They are put under pressure to be as light as they can. You can only imagine how tough it must be for them. However, at the end of the day they are doing it to get the best result they can in the races. I really admire the drivers. It shows they are fully committed and prepared to do whatever they can to be the best they possibly can. If that means avoiding chocolate and spending lots of time in the gym then so be it. I think it demonstrates to us that when we really care about something, we will do whatever we can to give ourselves the best chance.
 
-ShortySian

 

 

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