How Do Formula 1 Drivers Train for Physical Fitness?

F1 drivers train for physical fitness with targeted workouts to build neck strength to withstand 6G cornering forces, core stability to absorb cockpit jolts, cardiovascular endurance for 170bpm race-long heart rates and mental sharpness to react in 0.2 seconds—all for a 2025 season of 24 race weekend marathons.

Max Verstappen does weighted neck pulls, Lewis Hamilton cycles alpine passes, and Carlos Sainz does leg presses, with each routine designed to handle braking forces of 140kg, cockpit temperatures above 50°C and triple header fatigue. These aren’t your average gym-goers— they are athletes engineered for F1’s brutal demands.

The 800kg cars hit 200mph, slamming the drivers with forces that turn a 6.5kg head and helmet into a 40kg load, drain 3kg of sweat in humid races, and demand split-second precision lap after lap. Training isn’t optional—it’s survival, sculpted by performance coaches like Michael Italiano or Antti Vierula to optimise every muscle, reflex and recovery cycle.

With analysis from chipstars.io let’s flex some muscle on the fitness and examine how F1 drivers build their neck and upper body strength, core and leg power, cardio endurance, and mental conditioning—packed with real routines from Verstappen, Hamilton, Sainz and more, showing exactly how they get ready for the grid.

Neck and Upper Body Strength: Battling G-Forces

F1 drivers face G-forces that punish the neck—up to 6G in corners like Spa’s Eau Rouge or Silverstone’s Maggotts, where the head and helmet’s 6.5 kg balloons to 40 kg of lateral load. Neck strength keeps vision steady and control intact, targeting the trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and deltoids with relentless focus.

Max Verstappen straps into a rig mimicking his Red Bull cockpit, pulling against 20-kg resistance bands six days a week in winter. “My father always said: you can never be tired in the car because then you are not strong enough,” he noted, grinding until his neck holds firm under lateral stress. “I don’t like to train in and of itself, but I do know what I need to do to be fit,” he added.

Carlos Sainz uses harnesses with 25-kg weights, tilting his head for 10-rep sets three times daily pre-season, forging a neck that withstands Monza’s high-speed sweeps. Shoulder presses—15-kg dumbbells, 12 reps—bolsters his rotator cuffs for steering precision.

Upper body endurance matters too—steering torque hits 30 Nm through Monaco’s hairpins. During his time in F1, Daniel Ricciardo’s trainer, Michael Italiano, would task the Australian with seated rows and lateral raises—10 reps, five sets—with an F1 Trainer rig replicating wheel resistance. Push-ups (50 reps) and kettlebell swings (20 reps, 16 kg) keep arms and shoulders fatigue-proof—essential for 70-lap stints.

Core and Leg Power: Anchoring the Frame

Core stability braces drivers against 5G jolts—without it, the torso collapses, and control falters. Planks with 20-kg plates—90-second holds—simulate cornering strain, while Russian twists with 10-kg medicine balls (30 reps) strengthen obliques and lower back. Alex Albon hits hanging leg raises (20 reps) and stability ball rollouts (15 reps) to keep his spine rigid through Suzuka’s esses.

Legs drive the brake pedal—140 kg of force, up to 1,200 stomps at Imola. Lando Norris, under coach Jon Malvern, powers through reverse lunges and front squats—10 reps each, five rounds—with 50-kg kettlebells. Unilateral leg presses target his left leg—100-kg loads, 15 reps—since braking dominates.

Sainz adds box jumps—20 reps, 60-cm height—to boost his explosive power for late braking at tracks like Bahrain.

Cardiovascular Endurance: Sustaining the Pulse

F1 races spike heart rates to 170-190 bpm for two hours—marathon territory—while cockpit heat above 50°C saps 3 kg in sweat. Cardio builds the stamina to stay sharp. Lewis Hamilton cycles 100-km alpine routes, tackling gradients to prep for triple-headers. “I’m training up to twice a day,” he revealed in 2023, pairing rides with 5-mile runs at 7-minute pace.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) sharpens bursts. Sainz runs 400-meter repeats—10 sets, 60 seconds each, 30-second rests—hitting 180 bpm to match quali intensity. “It isn’t nice, but I just do it,” Verstappen echoes, logging treadmill sprints for endurance. Swimming—2,000 meters freestyle—keeps joints fresh while pushing cardio limits, a staple for drivers like Charles Leclerc.

Mental Conditioning: Honing Focus

Physical fitness fuels mental edge—drivers juggle 300-km/h overtakes, 20 steering inputs, and radio chatter under 6G strain. Simulators mimic Monaco’s walls at 180 mph, training reactions to 0.2 seconds. Pierre Gasly drills with tennis ball drops—50 catches starting at two meters, with the gap gradually decreasing—to sync eyes and hands.

Visualization preps the mind. Meditation—10-minute sessions—steadies nerves. Sports psychology clears the space; “Just to have someone to talk to, whether you need it or not, just to unload,” Bottas notes of psychologists, who helped keep his focus razor-sharp during challenging seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Nutrition and Hydration: Powering Performance

Drivers shed 2-3 kg per race—diet and hydration are lifelines. Lean proteins (200 g chicken), complex carbs (300 g quinoa), and greens (100 g spinach) fuel them daily. Hamilton blends whey shakes—30 g post-workout—saying, “I drink a lot of water, eat a lot of greens, have a lot of protein shakes”. Pre-race, 1-liter electrolyte drinks prep for sweat; while in-car tubes deliver 500 ml saline mixes.

Qatar 2023’s heat collapse spurred 2025’s cooling vests (Article 12.8)—drivers like Sainz lean on them above 30.5°C. Off-season diets hit 3,000 calories for muscle; in-season, 2,500 maintain weight—every bite calibrated for the 24-race haul.

Recovery: Resetting the Body

Recovery battles 2025’s 24-race grind—five double-headers, three triples. Norris hits ice baths—10 minutes at 10°C—post-race to cut inflammation. Massage guns work quads and traps—15 minutes daily—while hamstring and hip flexor stretches (20 minutes) keep flexibility. Sleep—8-9 hours, melatonin for jet lag—is non-negotiable.

“It’s all about maintenance,” says veteran F1 performance coach Mark Arnall, blending light jogs (30 minutes) and mobility drills into in-season routines to keep drivers fresh. Verstappen’s physio, Antti Vierula, keeps it simple: “Being ultra-fit isn’t going to improve your performance in the car—but not being fit to a level is going to cause you to drop off”. Off-season doubles down—two-a-day sessions—then eases to one daily during races, balancing strength and rest.

Fitness Forges Champions

F1 drivers train year-round—winter’s six-day double sessions build the base, and in-season’s daily hits sustain it. Verstappen’s neck pulls, Hamilton’s alpine rides, Sainz’s leg power—it’s a relentless cycle of strength, endurance, and focus, all dialed to conquer 6G, 140-kg brakes, and 170-bpm races across 2025’s brutal slate.

Formula 1 Driver Fitness FAQs

How is F1 physically demanding?

Formula 1 is physically demanding due to extreme G-forces—up to 6G in corners like Spa’s Eau Rouge—turning a 6.5-kg head and helmet into a 40-kg burden, straining the neck and upper body. Drivers endure 170-190 bpm heart rates for two hours, braking forces of 140 kg up to 1,200 times per race, and cockpit heat above 50°C, losing 3 kg in sweat, all while maintaining split-second precision across a 24-race 2025 season.

The toll is relentless—core muscles brace against 5G jolts, legs power through repeated stomps, and dehydration risks spike in races like Qatar, where 2023 heat pushed drivers to collapse. Max Verstappen’s neck training and Lewis Hamilton’s cardio endurance highlight the full-body challenge, rivaling marathon running or boxing in intensity, yet uniquely tied to F1’s high-speed cockpit crucible.

Are Formula 1 drivers the fittest of athletes?

Formula 1 drivers rank among the fittest athletes, training for 6G neck strain, 170-bpm race-long cardio, and mental focus under pressure, but they may not top all sports. Their regimens—Verstappen’s 20-kg neck pulls, Hamilton’s 100-km alpine rides—match the endurance of cyclists and the reaction speed of fighters, tailored to F1’s unique demands across 24 races in 2025.

Yet, sports like triathlon or ultra-marathons push broader stamina—drivers don’t run 100 miles or swim for hours. F1’s fitness is specialized: neck strength outstrips a footballer’s, but a cyclist’s aerobic capacity might edge out. Carlos Sainz’s HIIT and core work show elite conditioning, though the “fittest” title hinges on comparing apples to oranges across athletic domains.

How do F1 drivers train for G force?

F1 drivers train for G-forces with neck harnesses and core drills to handle 6G loads—40 kg on the head in corners like Suzuka’s 130R. Verstappen uses 20-kg resistance bands in a cockpit rig, six days a week, while Sainz pulls 25-kg weights in 10-rep sets, prepping for 2025’s high-speed tracks like Monza.

Core strength counters torso strain—Leclerc’s woodchoppers (20 kg) and planks with 20-kg plates brace against 5G jolts, keeping control intact. These routines, honed by coaches like Michael Italiano, mimic race-day forces, ensuring necks don’t flop and bodies stay stable under F1’s punishing lateral and vertical stresses.

How do F1 drivers physically train?

F1 drivers physically train with neck pulls—Verstappen’s 20-kg bands—leg presses like Sainz’s 100-kg loads, and HIIT cardio—Hamilton’s 100-km rides—to tackle 6G forces, 140-kg braking, and 170-bpm races. Core work, like Leclerc’s woodchoppers, stabilizes against jolts, all tailored for 2025’s 24-race grind.

Coaches like Antti Vierula craft winter double sessions—six days a week—then daily in-season hits, blending weights, cardio, and recovery. Push-ups (50 reps), kettlebell swings, and swimming (2,000 meters) round it out—every muscle group preps for cockpit heat, triple-headers, and precision at 200 mph, forging race-ready physiques.

Is F1 the hardest sport physically?

F1 ranks among the hardest sports physically—6G forces strain necks, 170-bpm heart rates test endurance, and 140-kg braking punishes legs across two hours in 50°C cockpits. Verstappen’s neck harnesses and Sainz’s leg drills match the intensity of boxing or wrestling, with added heat and focus demands.

Yet, marathon running (26.2 miles) or triathlon (swim-bike-run) may edge out in raw stamina—F1’s two-hour bursts don’t match 10-hour races. Hamilton’s alpine cardio rivals cyclists, but F1’s unique G-force toll and mental load make it a contender, not the undisputed king, among brutal sports.

How hard is F1 on your body?

F1 is brutal on the body—6G corners turn a 6.5-kg head into 40 kg, straining necks, while 5G jolts hammer cores and 140-kg braking, repeated 1,200 times, taxes legs. Heat above 50°C saps 3 kg in sweat, risking dehydration, as seen in Qatar 2023’s collapses.

Drivers like Verstappen face fatigue and muscle wear across 2025’s 24 races—triple-headers amplify it. Sainz’s cooling vests and Hamilton’s recovery ice baths fight the toll, but constant G-forces, high heart rates (170 bpm), and cockpit confinement leave bodies battered yet resilient.

Are F1 drivers fitter than footballers?

F1 drivers outmatch footballers in neck strength—Verstappen’s 20-kg pulls handle 6G—and endurance, with Hamilton’s 170-bpm races topping a 90-minute match’s 130 bpm. Core stability and reaction speed (0.2 seconds) also edge out, prepping for 2025’s brutal slate.

Footballers shine in sprint speed and agility—Sainz’s leg presses don’t match a winger’s bursts—but F1’s heat (50°C) and G-force demands tip the scales. Leclerc’s cardio rivals midfielders, yet F1’s specialized fitness for cockpit survival often surpasses football’s broader athletic needs.