Training for motorsport
Here are some extracts from a Kovalainen interview about the physical, mind and preparation you need to be in to race at the top of motorsport.
As you are coming up through the ranks think about different ways you can push yourself mentally
and physically so that you are constantly challenging your peak fitness levels and getting better.
Drivers need a unique combination of power, aerobic fitness and mental strength to handle speeds of more than
200mph and deal with powerful G forces for long periods.
Understanding the Fitness Demands:
The drivers at the top level are so fit that Kovalainen describes it in the following way:
“A good way to describe how fit we need to be is to say that each race we run a marathon but we cannot afford to get tired”.
You must also keep this in mind when structuring a training session (both physically and mentally):
There is no other sport, apart from the marathon, where an athlete has their heart rate so high for such a long time.
Brain Training:
“We always try and involve the brain in training because in F1 we have to keep the brain running until the last straight.
We cannot lose concentration, we have to talk to the team on the radio and, if you are well prepared physically, then there will a bit left in reserve for your brain to cope.”
Reaction Times:
Heikki has some of the best reaction times and has held the highest score on the Batak machine testing for reaction times. This is such a vital area to develop in terms of driving performance. to give you some perspective of how quick he is a fighter pilot scored 101 whilst Kovalainen scored a 121 (20% quicker than an figher pilot!)
“You have be alert for different situations in motorsport, You have to be ready for something that is coming but you don’t know when or where”
(Dont worry there are plenty of other ways to train reaction times that don’t involve the Batak!)
“The most important job for an F1 driver is to drive the car, 110%, but you also need a good memory and awareness to communicate to the mechanics and engineers what the car is doing.”
95% of Racing Success is Training:
“Our job is to drive on average one-and-a-half days a week throughout the year, but the rest of the time is spent preparing for that.
If you are not physically and mentally prepared you cannot be successful in Motorsport.”
Training is absolutely essential, training correctly gives you the advantage.
Keep Racing!
Robin
PS. leave your comments below or email me anytime: robin (at) f1driverssecrets (dot) com
PPS. Developing some awesome training information for you. Enter your email to get the heads up when it is released.
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Hi Robin,
Is what Heikki says about heart rate true? My question is surely cyclists maintain a similar heart rate as they launch into three weeks tours riding for upto 6 hours a day?
Cheers for your thoughts.
Tristan.