AT&T Williams F1

How fit do you need to be to drive a Formula 1 car? It’s a question that I get asked repeatedly by fans, and it’s a difficult one to answer. Driving an F1 car is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced, both mentally and physically, and in order to perform at my best during a 1.5-hour race I believe that I can’t be too fit. You can always be in better shape!

But F1 isn’t only about our exertions in the car. A driver needs a lot of stamina to cope with the lifestyle because we are constantly flying through time zones and doing PR events, and being fit helps us to arrive in each place feeling fresh and ready to do the business. That’s why my trainer Nick Harris pushes me so hard, and that’s why he made me complete 600 press-ups in the space of an hour and a half earlier this week.

I also subscribe to the “we are what we eat” theory, so I’m quite careful about what I eat. Japanese food is my favourite – particularly sushi – and I also like lots of pasta. In fact, I’m now going to head back to the Radisson to eat a big plate of spaghetti. Got to stock up on the carbs before the serious part of the weekend begins.