Just because Formula One drivers do their work sitting down doesn't mean they are not among the fittest athletes on the planet - far from it. While he may not be running, jumping or swimming, an F1 driver nevertheless needs immense physical strength and stamina to survive the rigours of a 350 km/h racing car.
To drive a modern Formula One car is not only down to a driver's reflexes and natural talent; without supreme fitness it would be virtually impossible to race flat-out for a Grand Prix distance due to the immense forces faced on every lap.
The highly-efficient carbon brakes slow a car down so rapidly and the downforce generated by current aerodynamics is such that a driver experiences a peak of around 5Gs under braking and in high-speed corners. This affects the whole body but has its most dramatic consequence on the neck and chest.
For a typical person, these forces are almost unimaginable and the nearest most will come is on the most extreme, white-knuckle rollercoaster. But on a rollercoaster you are a passenger for a minute or so; in a Formula One car a driver must be focused and push to the very limit for up to two hours at a time.
The result is a heart rate higher than almost any other kind of athlete, with an average rate of around 170 beats per minute (bpm) during a race and peaks as high as 190. Contrast that to a typical healthy man of similar age, whose heart rate is closer to 60bpm.
Studies show a marked difference in how a racing driver responds to these challenges. For example, the reaction time test simulates the start of a Grand Prix and the user is required to press a button as soon as the lights go out. In general a Formula One driver and an ordinary person have similar reaction times, but the driver uses significantly less energy in his brain to achieve this.
"The difference is that the driver is much more economical in managing this performance, so his brain is working in an economical way compared to a normal person," says Dr Ceccarelli. "That means he is able to carry on this performance for a longer time compared to a normal person. That is the important point we have to consider in the training."
More surprisingly, since the elimination of traction control and engine braking, drivers are facing more strain on their bodies as they battle to keep the 700bhp car under complete control.
Dr Ceccarelli reveals: "From the beginning of this season compared to last year, we have seen the heart rate is from five to 10 beats more and the sweating is more, which means the driver is more involved in driving. We consider this is not on the physical side but the mental side, which consumes a lot of energy."
Wow!!! really impressed!
I suppose my dream will not come true...
-> i always hope that one day i can sit in the F1 car while they travel
of course i dun wish to drive, i juz wanna sit inside...
feel the pressure and fast-pace!
OOHH HOOH....
... well, after this article, i knew it's almost impossible...
i'll be dead by the time it finish the 1st round.. lol!
No comments:
Post a Comment