Ferrari drivers' trainers explain preparations for physically demanding F1 Singapore GP
Today at 01:29 PM
This Sunday, the Singapore Grand Prix will take place, an event that is considered one of the most physically demanding races (if not the toughest) on the calendar. Before the back-to-back schedule with Azerbaijan, even the most seasoned drivers would arrive at Marina Bay a week in advance to acclimate to the humid conditions and the time zone difference, two factors that turn the race into an endurance test. To give you an idea, it's estimated that drivers maintain an average heart rate of around 135 beats per minute and lose up to a liter of sweat during a single session, leading to a weight loss of nearly 3 kilograms. To compensate, their caloric intake increases by 3,500 calories beyond their usual diet.
In reality, the preparation for Singapore begins weeks in advance, as explained by Andrea Ferrari and Pierluigi Della Bona, the athletic trainers for Ferrari’s drivers. “I believe that every race has its own challenges and demands, and we must be ready to meet the specific requirements of each track. Drivers are used to racing for up to two hours, but there are circuits that are longer or shorter, and races that are hotter and more humid. On longer circuits without too much gravitational load, it's not so much physical strength that dominates, but concentration. On shorter tracks with high gravitational forces on the core and abdomen, in addition to concentration, physical strength plays a major role,” said Pierluigi Della Bona, who works with Carlos Sainz.
“The time zone makes some races more challenging to manage, so you need to organize everything to ensure the driver gets the right amount of rest. Before the season starts, during the off-season, we carefully plan flights with Ferrari’s logistics department. On long trips, we focus heavily on nutrition and hydration, and we also avoid excessive exposure to light from screens and computers,” added Andrea Ferrari, who trains Charles Leclerc. “The key is rest before, during, and after time zone changes. Eating in sync with the local time zone as much as possible, and using supplements like melatonin throughout the trip helps adjust to the time difference and then re-adjust once back to the usual rhythm,” Pierluigi Della Bona concluded ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend at the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit.
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