Driver fitness, physical and mental.

The physical load

Wikipedia's article on racing drivers says the job calls for a high level of fitness. It reports that Formula One drivers routinely face lateral loads above 4.5 g, which is why they train their necks often, and that driver injuries commonly affect the lower back, shoulders and neck.

How hard an F1 car pulls: the figures differ

Two Wikipedia articles give slightly different numbers for modern Formula One cars:

The Formula One article also says drivers can burn roughly 1,000 calories an hour and lose up to 5 percent of their body weight during a race. These are top-level single-seater figures. Our research found no comparable numbers for club racing or track days, so they should not be read as what an amateur driver will experience.

Wikipedia's g-force article adds that how well a person tolerates g-loads depends on how strong the load is, how long it lasts, its direction and the person's posture. It says tolerance is partly trainable and varies from one person to another.

Seating, grip and breathing

Some fatigue comes from the driving position. HP Academy says a correct seating position reduces driver fatigue over longer stints and makes quick inputs easier when the car slides; how to set one up is covered on seating and hands. Driver61 recommends a relaxed grip on the wheel for better feel and lists gripping too tightly among the common mistakes. Ross Bentley (Winding Road, 2020) notes that holding your breath tenses the hands and arms and reduces feel for the car.

The mental load

Wikipedia reports that racing drivers need to concentrate at a high level for long periods. It says researchers have found drivers unusually good at processing fast-moving information, but that as a group they do not have unusually fast reflexes.

The coaches' advice centers on managing that load:

• Limit what you work on. Ross Bentley (Winding Road, 2018) says to focus on two or three areas of a track at a time, because more than three overloads the mind.
• Leave headroom while learning. Driver61 suggests driving at about 80 to 90 percent for the first two or three laps, since information is harder to absorb near full mental capacity.
• Keep your eyes up. Joshua Allan (NASA Speed News, 2018) links stress and vision in a short formula, "Anxiety up = eyes down. Eyes up = anxiety down." Driver61 describes tunnel vision in faster cars as a natural survival instinct and lists mental overload as a cause of lazy vision. More on vision.
• Race your own race. Bentley advises treating rivals as features of the track and focusing on your own performance to stay relaxed.
• Be honest with yourself. Colin Braun (2020) warns against convincing yourself you felt a change that was not there.

What this page does not cover

Our sources did not include primary sport-science research, FIA medical guidance, or any program for hydration, heat management or physical training for amateur drivers. This page therefore does not give a training plan. For that, and for any question about whether you are fit to drive, ask a qualified medical or fitness professional, and follow any medical requirements set by the sanctioning body you enter with. Driver safety equipment, including head and neck restraints, is covered in the equipment section.