124 replies to this topic

[Dan333SP]

As a cyclist myself, it's cool to see social media posts of most of the F1 drivers (and many in other series) training regularly on road/mountain bikes. Bottas, for example, is dating a British professional cyclist and they post photos from training rides all the time. It has got me thinking... let's say we have a closed course time trial around a GP circuit on bikes, who on the current F1 grid would win that race? My money is actually on Alonso, he may be one of the oldest drivers but he is also absolutely fanatical about his fitness. 

 

 

There's a popular cycling channel on YouTube called GCN, they did an episode pitting a former pro cyclist against Tony Kanaan, and Tony (even in his early 40s) is nearly as strong as the cyclist, helps to dispel the myth that drivers are not athletes- 

 

[Dratini]

helps to dispel the myth that drivers are not athletes-

It always astounds me when people I talk to share this view. No idea really

Anyway, I seem to recall Alonso being associated in some way with a professional cycling team around 8-10 years ago
 

[Ivanhoe]

Max is a pretty handy cyclist

[MortenF1]

I think Alonso has a cycling team, no? That runs in Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, tour of Flandern and the likes?

[statman]

fittest driver? J.P. Montoya?

[Anderis]

It always astounds me when people I talk to share this view. No idea really

It's just pure ignorance. I remember reading a great article on F1 Racing magazine some 10 years ago that described how physical driving F1 car was. A driver during a race had a similar average heart rate that you would expect from a typical endurance sport.

 

Anyway, I seem to recall Alonso being associated in some way with a professional cycling team around 8-10 years ago

He was rumoured (or was it even confirmed?) to be involved in a project that had a goal of creating a professional cycling team but it didn't work out and the team was never created.

 

EDIT: it was indeed confirmed that he tried to set-up a team.

Edited by Anderis, 29 March 2021 - 14:48.

[Ivanhoe]

I think Alonso has a cycling team, no? That runs in Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, tour of Flandern and the likes?

He tried, but it never materialized.

[Yamamoto]

I think Alonso has a cycling team, no? That runs in Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, tour of Flandern and the likes?

 

I think that was never actually materialised but no doubt he's good on a bike.

[Risil]

It's just pure ignorance. I remember reading a great article on F1 Racing magazine some 10 years ago that described how physical driving F1 car was. A driver during the race had a similar average heart rate during a race that you would expect from a typical endurance sport.

 

I bet Michael Schumacher in 1994 was fitter than most Premier League footballers.

[Yamamoto]

I bet Michael Schumacher in 1994 was fitter than most Premier League footballers.

 

Pre-Wenger I reckon the guys driving Benetton's lorries might have been fitter than some Prem footballers...

[domhnall]

All of them seem to be in unreal shape these days. I'd struggle to think of the last driver who was a little "ropey" when it comes to fitness. Was Trulli's fitness a bit suspect a times or I am making that up?

 

Couldn't help think of this little gem when I saw the thread title btw

 

[Dan333SP]

I think Alonso has a cycling team, no? That runs in Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, tour of Flandern and the likes?

 

He was in negotiations to purchase the Euskatel team back in 2013ish, but it fell through- 

 

https://www.cyclingw...ltel-team-25032

 

 

After posting this thread, it also occurs to me that many of the MotoGP guys are fantastically fit cyclists as well. 

[Dan333SP]

It's just pure ignorance. I remember reading a great article on F1 Racing magazine some 10 years ago that described how physical driving F1 car was. A driver during a race had a similar average heart rate that you would expect from a typical endurance sport.

 

 

Can't find specific data but most sources say a driver's average heart rate during a race is in the 150-160 range, which is about what my HR average is for a cycling race of around the same amount of time. 

[ANF]

All I know is that Lewis is the fittest when it comes to good looks.

[Risil]

All I know is that Lewis is the fittest when it comes to good looks.

 

And arch poses and gestures, which he has apparently now perfected for the F1 TV graphics. When you're the king...

[Ross Stonefeld]

F1 Racing and others have variously described just about every driver profiled as "arguably the fittest in the sport" and since reputation inflation has turned racing drivers into the fittest* people in history; I suppose it'd be a 20+ dead heat?

 

Speaking of Spaniards on bikes https://espanol.euro...400/story.shtml

 

*I think driving a race car/riding a MotoGP bike is incredibly physically demanding but not an athletic endeavour per se. You need to be fit enough to endure it but above a certain amount of time in the gym it doesn't actually make you better at your core skill. If you're fit enough to do a race distance, more fitness doesn't lower your laptimes. 

[Dan333SP]

My gf would throw Webber ahead of Lewis in that regard, but he's retired and quite taken so all is well for me.

[Auzz]

With all respect, this topic is a non issue. There is no way to see who the fittest is, without them getting head to head, which wouldn't matter much.

 

In the end, all F1 drivers are very very fit.

[Cyanide]

Sainz always claims he trains and works more than any driver, but alas, I believe they all think that. (except Kimi maybe) 

[Afterburner]

I remember one year to prepare for an F1 season Alonso was training in the desert out in Dubai. He was also regularly completing 100+ mile bike rides to prepare for last year's Indy 500 if I recall, so yeah, the guy is fit as hell. Tony Kanaan is another good mention above; the guy is an absolute fitness freak.

 

The other element of this that also fascinates me is the little thing they do with the wall-mounted light panel device where they have to punch the lights when they appear to test their reaction time. This has featured on both Born Racer and Drive to Survive; for what it's worth, Scott Dixon is way better at it than Sergio Perez.

[Whatisvalis]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a picture of Lewis cycling - I know he does a lot of winter training in the mountains. He looks a lot more muscular / stocky than some of the other drivers. I think the weight change recently helped some drivers move away from the starving regime of old.

[JRodrigues]

I think Jenson entered some triatlon races while still in F1. Those are tough.

Edited by JRodrigues, 29 March 2021 - 15:28.

[Risil]

*I think driving a race car/riding a MotoGP bike is incredibly physically demanding but not an athletic endeavour per se. You need to be fit enough to endure it but above a certain amount of time in the gym it doesn't actually make you better at your core skill. If you're fit enough to do a race distance, more fitness doesn't lower your laptimes.

 

Yeah, I think it's important to note that fitness is not the goal in and of itself in any athletic discipline; success is. At some point you're fit enough to fulfil the demands of your role, and after that you might be better off doing strength training, or working in the simulator, or seeing a psychologist, or studying your opponents or whatever. In F1, if you're fit enough to keep your mind sharp for the whole 2 hours at Singapore, you're fit enough.

[Dan333SP]

With all respect, this topic is a non issue. There is no way to see who the fittest is, without them getting head to head, which wouldn't matter much.

 

In the end, all F1 drivers are very very fit.

 

That's what I'm saying they should do. Obviously it's not gonna happen because sponsor commitments/potential embarrassment/whatever, but nothing preventing us from starting threads on hypotheticals. 

[Yamamoto]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a picture of Lewis cycling - I know he does a lot of winter training in the mountains. He looks a lot more muscular / stocky than some of the other drivers. I think the weight change recently helped some drivers move away from the starving regime of old.

 

I've seen pics of him on a Mountain Bike with his shirt off for reasons I couldn't possibly fathom.

 

I do agree with the general sentiment that at a certain point it is irrelevant for in-car performance. I.e I doubt taking a 45 min 10k down to a 40 min will make you a better racing driver.

 

I have a memory of Martin Brundle saying in commentary somewhere around 2003 that Schumi was the fittest driver followed by Coulthard and Webber. Not sure what that was based on specifically, but I know they all had a reputation for it.

[Dan333SP]

I think Jenson entered some triatlon races while still in F1. Those are tough.

 

He's been pitted against the best Olympic triathletes in the UK, the Brownlee brothers-

 

 

TL;DR- They're fitter and more efficient, but not by a lot. He's far fitter than most athletes but not at the Olympic level. He's also much better at reaction time tests. 

[Alfisti]

I was watching Drive to Survive and Carlos is on the beach, tanned, uber fit, full head of flowing hair .... **** you Carlos. 

[Dan333SP]

I was watching Drive to Survive and Carlos is on the beach, tanned, uber fit, full head of flowing hair .... **** you Carlos. 

 

LOL. Tough life. He is 5 inches shorter than me, so that is satisfying. 

[geralt]

If I had to guess, I'd say Alonso

[NixxxoN]

All drivers in F1 are quite fit nowadays, its a requirement to drive those beasts near the limit during 1 hour and a half.

And Alonso's fitness is incredible for his age. Not very suprising, since he is a sport freak that also never smoke or drink anything ever in his life.

Edited by NixxxoN, 29 March 2021 - 16:06.

[SophieB]

And arch poses and gestures, which he has apparently now perfected for the F1 TV graphics. When you're the king...

I always enjoyed the gulf between the insanely cool photos the sports photographers got out of Alonso competing or even standing by the track versus the ultra awkward photos of him modelling stuff for commercials, photo shoots etc. The first lot ironically look so cool that you’d suspect they were poses...until you’d look at actual posed Alonso photos and it’s like that episode of Friends and Chandler explaining he can’t smile in photos. No judgement, he’s not a model and if anything I guess it all showed there is more to modelling than being really good looking.

[SophieB]

On topic, remember when Perez joined Mclaren and almost immediately Martin Whitmarsh told the world how much more unfit he was than Jenson and Lewis and he better get his butt down the gym pronto? I really don’t know what McLaren were doing with Perez.

[F1matt]

PR probably dictates that the drivers have to look fit as part of their image, I am not sure it actually helps them much as long as they are fit enough to stay mentally focused for the duration of the race and they keep their weight to the required level. This must be one of the oldest grids we have had for many a year with Bottas, Riccardo, Perez, Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Alonso, all over 30 which says a lot. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

On topic, remember when Perez joined Mclaren and almost immediately Martin Whitmarsh told the world how much more unfit he was than Jenson and Lewis and he better get his butt down the gym pronto? I really don’t know what McLaren were doing with Perez.

 

Yeah you look some of the modern guys and they don't....look like they're troubling the gym much. A bit weedy and it's not helped by the sloppy clothes. 

 

The other element of this that also fascinates me is the little thing they do with the wall-mounted light panel device where they have to punch the lights when they appear to test their reaction time. This has featured on both Born Racer and Drive to Survive; for what it's worth, Scott Dixon is way better at it than Sergio Perez.

 

#HotTake

 

I'm not sure these things do anything but improve your scores on the blinking light test. 

 

There's a lot of fitness for show. You see junior drivers doing all these warmups and reaction tests and etc for a 20 minute race in an F4 car, something that would only get you sweating if it was really hot that day.

[PayasYouRace]

F1 Racing and others have variously described just about every driver profiled as "arguably the fittest in the sport" and since reputation inflation has turned racing drivers into the fittest* people in history; I suppose it'd be a 20+ dead heat?

 

Speaking of Spaniards on bikes https://espanol.euro...400/story.shtml

 

*I think driving a race car/riding a MotoGP bike is incredibly physically demanding but not an athletic endeavour per se. You need to be fit enough to endure it but above a certain amount of time in the gym it doesn't actually make you better at your core skill. If you're fit enough to do a race distance, more fitness doesn't lower your laptimes. 

 

[pRy]

As a cyclist myself, it's cool to see social media posts of most of the F1 drivers (and many in other series) training regularly on road/mountain bikes. Bottas, for example, is dating a British professional cyclist and they post photos from training rides all the time. It has got me thinking... let's say we have a closed course time trial around a GP circuit on bikes, who on the current F1 grid would win that race? My money is actually on Alonso, he may be one of the oldest drivers but he is also absolutely fanatical about his fitness. 

 

Depends on the length of the time trial. A short one and Alonso has as good a chance as any. But the longer the course gets the more it brings in the younger drivers. Personally I'd put my money on Max.

[Alfisti]

I think they are all in good shape, i see no one that needs to get it together.

 

Some guys are really thin, as in REALLY thin, Gasly, Lando, Leclerc etc, Lewis arguably the stockiest now (his neck is massive) and guys like Perez, Bottas, Tsunoda and mazepin are just never gonna be lithe and muscular, they just won't. 

 

Body shape wise, Carlos looks super fit, as does Daniel and Alonso. Fitness wise, if not for his age I'd guess alonso but he is carrying serious years on some of these kids. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

Gasly actually looks fit this year, he's bulked up. Perez looks like he goes to the gym and looks at Instagram while walking on a treadmill. 

[Alfisti]

Perez could work twice as hard as some of the other guys and still look skinny fat, it is what it is. At some point genes play a role. 

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yeah but most of these guys have got pretty soft faces, they're not really leaned out like a proper pro athlete is. It was really only the taller guys that had any jawline to speak of. Not that bodyfat % is fitness, I wouldn't want to square up to Montoya at any age. 

 

The MotoGP guys all look scrappy. Except the taller ones who have to give up weight so are a little more wiry. But it's a different kind of sport, they have to wrangle their vehicle. 

[Alfisti]

Their bodies seem leaned out though, just not their faces. Well some of their faces. 

[Dan333SP]

Their bodies seem leaned out though, just not their faces. Well some of their faces. 

 

Bottas for instance has a round face but is demonstrably uber-fit. Just a facial structure thing. Vettel also sort of has a soft face, but he's never struck me as one of the uber-fit drivers. 

[Anuity]

Kimi looks quite fit. Also considering his age.

Same goes for Lewis and Alonso. I agree that some younger guys do look very thin, like Leclerc and Gasly.

[Retrofly]

I wonder if part of the "these cars are easier to drive" comes from the drivers being so much fitter and stonger and tailored to driving cars. I dont think a lifestyle of booze and fags helps much.

[Ramon69]

I don't know their full programme nor their dedication, I can only judge by what I see and I must say Ham looks very fit to me! But they all are, in comparison to older eras. I Think that Michael influeced this a lot.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

I remember that 25 years ago, F1 drivers who were serious about fitness were said to exercise for 5-6 hours a day.  How many hours are we up to these days?

[prty]

My money is actually on Alonso,

 

He's super fit and always said he put a lot of emphasis on that, but if you say it because he's currently quite skinny, it is maybe related to an illness he said he had during July:

 

https://revistasafet...de-alarma-56959

 

Apparently he lost 6 Kg and had to do a lot of tests in the hospital. Not sure if he's fully recovered or not, but at least he looks skinnier than other years, and he doesn't need to lose weight due to regulations.
 

[Red5ive]

Time for a new series of Superstars (F1 edition).

 

That will give us the answer.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I remember that 25 years ago, F1 drivers who were serious about fitness were said to exercise for 5-6 hours a day.  How many hours are we up to these days?

 

That "5-6" has percolated down to the formative ranks, a la the driving standards. I think things don't improve at the top level they just diffuse?

[Raest]

I don't think fitness is a performance differential any more. It used to be till the early 00s I think but nowadays all drivers practically live with an S&C coach and a chef/nutritionist. If anything they are fitter than they have to be to drive an F1 car.