There is a perception that men and women competing in endurance disciplines are the fittest in sport, and the intensity of their training regimes will naturally lead to those in question backing up that theory. However, one group of sportspeople who are often discounted from such debates are motor racing drivers. It is understandable to dismiss the physical capabilities which are required when it comes to using a car - especially in Formula 1 - but they now need to be fitter than ever in order to cope with the demands of technology and regulations which was introduced and altered each season.
Eliot Challifour has been discussing this with Betway ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix. Performance coach Eliot Challifour has been discussing how he thinks that Lewis Hamilton driver has gotten himself into similar peak condition to that of the likes of long-distance runner Mo Farah and cyclist Chris Froome. In association with Betway, Challofour has said: "Formula 1 drivers are extremely fit athletes. When they are in the car, they are actually sustaining heart rates very similar to that of a high-level distance runner or cyclist – it's 80% or more of their maximum heart rate they're having to maintain for a couple of hours. Although they're not running or moving, they've got a lot of forces that are being applied to them. They're coping with five or even six times their body weight."
Challifour has also stressed the importance of diet, re-hydration and recovery for a motor racing driver, just like with others who are physically active over a prolonged period of time. Most races take anywhere between one-and-a-half hours and two hours, and with the 2019 calendar possessing as many as 21 Grand Prix, it is more crucial than ever for fitness and weight to be maintained. Challifour adds: "As soon as they get out the car we have to make sure they've got a healthy snack to get a quick bit of carbohydrate straight back in them and then get them a proper meal within an hour."
You can read the full interview with Betway and Chaullifour by clicking here.
