There is no doubt that F1 is a hugely exciting sport in which skilled drivers push themselves to the limits. Yet, there is a degree of debate over whether these drivers can truly be called athletes?
What do we need to take into account to see whether this is the case or not? We take a look at some of the reasons why we consider F1 pilots as athletes.
Their Training Regime and Fitness
How hard does a F1 driver have to train? The first point to bear in mind is that they need to be fit and strong enough to handle speeds of more than 200 mph, in races that last for over 90 minutes. They also deal with incredible G forces of up to 5G, or more in the event of a crash or emergency braking.
One of the most crucial areas of there is the neck. These drivers need to have neck muscles that can support the intensity of a race. Their helmet and support tends to weigh about 15 pounds in normal circumstances. So where he is under 5G of pressure, it is a huge weight of 5 times this original figure. Fernando Alonso famously recorded a video in which he cracked nuts with his neck.
To get ready for this, they need to train using a helmet that is attached to a system of pulleys. The equipment is moved around in different directions while the driver tries to resist. The team may also base this exercise on the track where the next F1 event will take place, simulating the curves they will encounter there.
Their heart rate is also hugely important, as they need to race at high speed for anything up to 2 hours without a break. A top driver’s resting heart rate is a lot lower than the average person’s, at around 50 bpm.
However, during the race this will accelerate up to 170 bpm or even higher at times. Their blood pressure will also shoot up by 50% or so during the race. It isn’t unknown for drivers to pass out with dehydration after a grueling race in hot conditions.
Drivers tends lose up to 6 or 7 pounds of weight in a normal race, but in hot, humid conditions this can be a lot more. They will sweat out up to 3 liters in a single race. Marathon runners are probably the only other athletes to put their body under such constant strain for such a long period of time.
They also need to train hard to gain core strength, as well as powerful arms and legs. All of this is needed for them to stay in control of their cars at high speeds. They each carry out specially designed exercises with weights that are designed to re-create the extreme conditions of a race as closely as possible.
However, they need to be strong without being too bulky, like the players in the latest NBA trade rumors and news. A F1 driver has to be light enough to allow their car to perform at its best. Running, cycling, and rowing are a few of the most popular exercise for F1 drivers.
Most hire personal trainers and some try sports like boxing and ball games to increase their fitness and reaction times.
Summary
The best definition of an athlete is that it is someone who has trained to gain the strength and stamina necessary to compete in certain exercises or sports.
In terms of F1, the qualifying run and races are often decided by fine margins. This is why they have to train so hard, to try and get even the slightest advantage over their rivals. They might not appear at first sight to be highly-tuned athletes, but they spend a huge amount of time working out to prepare for the specific challenges that they need to face up to in each race.
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