Two-time champion Max Verstappen has revealed how his training is different from other drivers and how difficult racing is on their bodies.
In an interview with Viaplay F1 Talks, the Belgian-Dutch driver explained how his training needs are different to other drivers, drawing comparisons to Williams’ Alex Albon and the newest addition to the AlphaTauri team, Nyck de Vries. Verstappen explained:
“Everyone has different body types. I know because I speak a lot with with Nyck [that] he has to train a lot to keep his muscles, because if he doesn’t train for a few days or a few weeks he loses a lot of muscle.
“It was the same with Alex, he has to use quite a few protein shakes just to keep the muscles.
“For me, it’s the opposite. I don’t really lose a lot of muscle and I never really have a lot of issues with driving a car, but I struggled more with just keeping my weight on the limit.
“Some [drivers] are lucky with that, some can eat what they want, but they then have to train a bit more to keep their muscles. Once you know what your body needs, that’s how you have to train it.”
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We heard during the 2022 F1 season the physical toll the sport puts the drivers through. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton ended up with back injuries from the Mercedes porpoising issues, Kevin Magnussen revealed he had issues with his neck during the first few races after making his comeback to the sport, and Nyck de Vries had to be helped out of the car when he made his very last minute F1 debut in Italy.
Verstappen continued:
“For me, the worst is if you cannot hold up your neck, your head.
“If you are struggling a lot with your neck, that is the worst. The rest you can compensate a bit, but if you’re going through a corner and your head [feels like it is] falling off, that is very tough.”
