There are only a few individuals who know what it takes to be a Formulation 1 driver, the coaching that’s essential to compete on the highest degree of motorsport, and the toll that the game and its intensive schedule can precise on the human physique.
Tom Clark is one such individual.
Clark is Esteban Ocon’s physio, or as he’s fast to level out, his job description goes far past that. A greater option to describe his job with Ocon and Alpine is that of efficiency coach, given the big selection of coaching he has, and the big selection of coaching he places Ocon, and members of Alpine, by.
On Friday night forward of the USA Grand Prix in Austin, I sat down with Clark together with two different media members for an in depth dialogue on what Clark does, how drivers want to organize for all times in Formulation 1, what on a regular basis individuals can study from F1 drivers, and extra.
Tom Clark, efficiency coach
Clark could also be listed as Ocon’s physio, however to listen to him inform it because the solar started to set in Austin final Friday, the tag of “efficiency coach” is rather more relevant to what he and the opposite F1 physios do every day.
“A efficiency coach,” mentioned Clark once I requested him his most well-liked job description. “So typically there’s one in all me for each driver, and all of us have barely totally different talent units, albeit some similarities. So typically all of us may have some forte in power and conditioning, after which a few of us might need physiotherapy levels. Normally, we’ve got two areas of specialism, after which we’ve got to be form of a jack of all trades. I’ve an consciousness of vitamin, no matter it could be.
“So my background is in as a sports activities scientist, and power and conditioning vitamin have been like my first form of issues that I specialised in.”
Clark has taken on one other specialization, one that’s important to the brand new period of Formulation 1. With an exhausting 24-race schedule, one which crisscrosses the planet from Melbourne to Las Vegas and factors in between, there’s one other element to life in F1 that drivers and workforce members must concentrate on.
Sleep.
Fortunately for Ocon and Alpine, Clark is right here to assist.
”Jet lag and sleep are among the newer issues that I might say that I’m embracing as a part of this job. Extra of my specialism now. And I seek the advice of in that outdoors of this house as nicely, not simply in Formulation One, however in boxing and in different sports activities as nicely,” mentioned Clark.
That additional specialization leads Clark and different physios to tackle the efficiency coach tag.
“That’s why we name ourselves efficiency coaches. As a result of in the end, physio, it’s the identify that bought placed on most individuals. However loads of us aren’t truly physios,” added Clark. And loads of the time, truly, it’s the driving force, the athlete that you simply work with that dictates the kind of talent units that you’ve got or that that may be the explanation why you’ve bought this job, due to the talent units which can be extra geared in direction of what they want.”
Clark has years of expertise working not simply in Formulation 1, however in numerous ranges of motorsport. However his resume goes far past the racing world.
”So I’ve been in motorsport typically for 11 years now,” mentioned Clark. “5 of these full-time in F1, and consulting in F1 for about six of these. So half of the time.
“The remainder of the time, it’s been all different types of motorsport,” added Clark. “I’ve in all probability labored in most of them in the case of 4 wheels. However then additionally consulting in soccer [soccer, for our American readers] on a vitamin entrance, golf on a vitamin entrance, and boxing as nicely.
“And now, extra not too long ago, the sleep and jet lag in rugby.”
What journey does, and the way F1 drivers and groups put together
The dialog then turned to Clark’s new emphasis on jet lag and sleep research. As talked about above the Formulation 1 schedule is brutal. Earlier within the week Pierre Gasly, Alpine’s different driver, informed me in our unique dialogue how the calls for of F1 imply he’s away from residence all however 50 days annually.
However take into account what the drivers face because the 2024 season involves an in depth. F1’s groups and drivers are situated in Europe, with many factories in England and plenty of drivers residing in Monaco. Alpine’s Enstone headquarters is situated in England, however additionally they have a manufacturing unit in Viry-Châtillon, France.
The season ends with a triple-header that may deliver the grid from Europe to Las Vegas, then Qatar, and at last Abu Dhabi to shut out the season. That may be a demanding three-week interval that may precise a toll on workforce members and drivers alike.
Clark’s job is to assist make it as simple as doable.
“So I’ve carried out training classes with the workforce, our workforce. I’ve labored with numerous totally different individuals and groups as nicely. It’s a extremely large contender for this specific triple header. The principle half is definitely popping out to Austin as a result of the rest of the triple header is Mexico Metropolis, [and then] Sao Paulo,” described Clark. “I believe Sao Paulo is three time zones totally different to the place we at the moment are in Austin, and Mexico Metropolis is barely an hour distinction, and jet lag is barely sometimes seen over three or extra time zones.
“So it’s not an enormous contender for the remainder of the triple.
“However for this primary race, it’s one thing that we’ve got to remember. The very best factor to do, as most individuals know, is [to] get to the brand new vacation spot early. However we will do loads of stuff again in Europe as nicely earlier than we transition over the second triple head of the ultimate three races of the 12 months,” continued Clark.
Nevertheless, the ultimate triple-header of the season goes to be rather more tough.
“That might be a extremely large one as a result of we go from Europe to Vegas after which we go from Vegas to Qatar. So it’s actually large swings with the physique clock and jet lag,” Clark outlined. “It’s fairly disagreeable, even when you realize every little thing that you have to do to maintain on prime of it. It’s nonetheless fairly tough to modify 10 to 12 time zones, which is what we do twice after we exit to Vegas after which after we go to Qatar.”
So what can drivers and workforce members do to ease that transition? It begins at residence earlier than they even go away for the journey.
And light-weight is a important element of the preparation.
“The 2 primary issues are clearly sleep, like adjusting sleep to imitate that of the localized time zone. However the important a part of that’s truly while you see and don’t see gentle as nicely,” started Clark.
“So your gentle publicity, so gentle from the solar, ambient lighting from digital gadgets, or simply lights in your lodge room, home, no matter it could be. The timing of while you see and while you don’t see gentle is the important thing distinction, I might say, in comparison with what most individuals generally know, and that would be the large differentiator between how a lot jet lag you’ll or won’t get.
“So after we’re in Europe, we’ll make it possible for these key durations of time the place we have to see brilliant gentle are aligned with this time zone to assist with that shifting in order that earlier than we get on the aircraft, Esteban is already nearer to this time zone.”
Clark then shared that Ocon’s sleep knowledge is definitely synchronized to Clark’s cellphone, so the efficiency coach can monitor how a lot sleep his driver is getting every evening, and when he’s getting that sleep. That helps Clark along with his job of making ready Ocon to make these time zone transitions all through the season.
“I imply, I gained’t present you his sleep knowledge on my cellphone, as a result of I do have his sleep knowledge linked to my cellphone. However he slept eight hours evening one, 9 hours evening two, 9 hours final evening,” Clark described. “So I really feel like he’s fairly nicely now on this time zone, and that comes as a part of the prep and the work that we will do beforehand, and that’s going to make an enormous distinction come follow session, [come] qualifying, as a result of he’s going to be aligned. The physique is extra used to being lively and performing at the moment.”
Clark was then requested if any dietary supplements are used to assist in sleep, and the efficiency coach indicated that that’s not a path they have a tendency to go down. Primarily as a result of such dietary supplements or sleep aids don’t help within the “time shift” that’s obligatory to organize the physique to carry out in a vastly totally different time zone.
”We’re staying distant from any sleep treatment, which is usually forged as a hypnotic that’s typically not going to do any of the shifting element. It’d can help you get to sleep for that given cut-off date, however you’re not going to get the identical restorative advantages of sleep,” outlined Clark. “Sleep is so vital for everybody. However on this specific context of this sport, the assorted phases of sleep will assist with issues like reminiscence consolidation, will assist with form of the overall bodily restoration course of. And for those who’re taking issues like a hypnotic, you’re going to overlook out on all of that.
“And while you consider Formulation One, like the blokes proper now, they’re within the engineering workplace. They’ve simply had the dash qualifying session. They’re making an attempt to now study from the times working. So then, from the driving force’s perspective, to grasp what they should do in another way tomorrow,” Clark continued.
He then outlined how the expression “sleeping on an issue” truly has knowledge to help that proposition.
“And the previous saying, ‘[i]f you’ve bought an issue sleep on’ it’s truly very true to what the scientific literature will let you know truly occurs with sleep,” added Clark. “We study rather a lot by that course of. So, if we take that sort of treatment, it’s not going to be useful with that.”
Clark then mentioned melatonin, a complement that folks typically flip to when in search of assist falling asleep. He referred to as melatonin a “device within the toolbox,” however not what he goes to first.
“Melatonin is definitely a naturally occurring hormone. You’ll be able to take it as what’s referred to as an exogenous complement, so, like a pill, it’s not very nicely regulated, significantly within the US,” described Clark. “You may get pharmacy-grade melatonin, and that’s one thing we could use on events, significantly if there’s an enormous shift of the physique clock that’s required. It is going to assist probably with that falling asleep element as nicely.
“In order that is sort of a device within the toolbox we’d use.”
Nevertheless, shifting the physique clock primarily based on gentle publicity is the place Clark’s athletes begin first.
“I all the time attempt to go at the beginning with making an attempt to shift primarily based on that gentle publicity and making an attempt to get the sleep cycle shifting nearer to the brand new time zone.”
The bodily toll of driving an F1 automotive, and what it takes to organize
One of many issues I’ve grown to understand about F1 is the bodily calls for driving a type of vehicles takes on the human physique. Throughout the Miami Grand Prix, for instance, with excessive humidity and temperatures persistently within the higher 80s throughout race week, drivers exited their vehicles — even after the shorter F1 Dash Race — trying utterly drained. Even working by their media classes post-race was taxing, given what their our bodies had simply been by.
A part of Clark’s job is to organize Ocon for dealing with that over a 24-race schedule.
The principle differentiator? What the game asks of a driver’s neck.
“So the the massive I assume, differentiator while you take a look at our sport is the neck, and that’s a part of the G-Power publicity,” started Clark once I requested him concerning the bodily coaching he places Ocon by.
“[The] common human head weighs about 5 kilograms. “The helmet weighs about two. So grand complete mass is like seven kilograms. So let’s say you’ve bought two Gs, so two instances the gravitational power on the aspect of the pinnacle, you’re getting 14 kg of load there,” described Clark. “So while you see at some corners, the drivers are experiencing 5, possibly even six Gs. “You can begin to grasp that they could have as a lot as 30 plus kilos going by their head. In order that’s the important thing factor that actually we’ve got to prep for out of the extraordinary.”
Whereas neck coaching is the principle differentiator, like many athletes F1 drivers like Ocon want a multi-faceted method when making ready for an F1 season.
“Having mentioned that very similar to a multifaceted athlete who has to run, who has to dash lengthy distances, who has to have a very good engine must be robust, highly effective, [F1 drivers] should have health throughout a full spectrum. So that may come from a very good cardio base, and being robust on your physique weight,” continued Clark.
“So loads of power coaching. The boys are typically coaching most days of the week, outdoors of the race weekends, and it’s crucial for them to have that as nicely,” added Clark. “To have the ability to have the resilience throughout a Formulation One season. As a result of being in a automotive, you’ll watch them within the automotive. The best way the automotive bounces, the best way the automotive oscillates. It’s a toll. It takes a toll on the physique, and so the stronger the fitter they’re, to have the ability to recuperate from that, it’s going to set them up higher going ahead.”
Clark famous that the demanding F1 schedule, with 24 race weekends, means their bodily coaching and health wants be at a a lot greater degree than it was in F1’s yesteryear.
“Perhaps their bodily health wouldn’t should fairly be the place it must be if we solely had ten races a 12 months, however due to the character of how commonly we’re competing, there’s only some high quality relaxation days earlier than,” mentioned Clark. “You then’re having to think about, like coaching to maintain match sufficient to have the ability to do a triple header, keep wholesome, keep form of sharp and be capable to carry out like optimally. So briefly, it’s an actual spectrum of health. By way of an athlete comparability perspective to one thing like a boxer the place you’ve bought to be pound for pound, very robust in loads of areas.”
In the end, nevertheless, the one factor that may really put together the human physique for what toll driving an F1 takes on the physique … is driving an F1 automotive.
“We’ll use the racing as that finite conditioning element as a result of in the long run, racing a automotive is so distinctive that the one true factor that preps you rather well for the sentiments of the vibrations and the pace is racing vehicles. So we do as a lot as we will out of a automotive,” mentioned Clark.
“However acknowledge that we may do any method of revolutionary, bizarre, and wacky issues. However actually and really, it’s not going to offer them that degree of form of refined conditioning that they’ll want,” Clark added. “However there’s nonetheless rather a lot we will do, and really, the stuff we do out of the automotive is to enrich what they may get within the automotive as a result of the opposite good factor is that they race a lot that after you’ve carried out testing initially of the 12 months and the season begins, they’ve bought loads of that a part of the conditioning already acquired.
“So if the game modified, for instance, and let’s say we solely had ten races and we had loads of downtime in between, and we weren’t allowed to go racing, that’s once I assume we would wish to see us introduce, extra novel and revolutionary methods to duplicate that,” Clark described. “However due to the character of the season in the mean time, as soon as the season begins, they’ve already carried out fairly a couple of laps.
“In order that a part of it has form of been carried out, and bins ticked. The stuff we do out of the monitor now is definitely extra geared in direction of enhancing these different qualities of health, and ensuring that they’re sturdy, like I say, to deal with the opposite elements of what the automotive places on the physique.”
The significance of vitamin for F1 drivers
What occurs to the driving force’s physique throughout an F1 race issues, and is part of Clark’s work with Ocon.
However what goes into Ocon’s physique, each earlier than and after a race, can also be important.
All through a single F1 race, a driver could lose between 4 and 6 kilos because of the circumstances contained in the automotive and the stress that’s placed on the physique. In additional sizzling and humid circumstances, similar to these drivers face throughout the Singapore Grand Prix, the load loss will be even greater.
Then there are excessive conditions, similar to final season’s Qatar Grand Prix, the place drivers have been put by grueling circumstances that led to some coping with heat-related sicknesses, and different drivers truly vomiting throughout the race itself.
In consequence, vitamin issues, particularly after a race.
“It actually will depend on the kind of race. You come from Singapore, the place the drivers may lose two, three, possibly greater than that % of their physique weight. There’s a transparent must get fluids in them, however we’re their electrolyte steadiness,” started Clark. “We’ll do loads of testing earlier than we will go racing to grasp the precise wants of the driving force.
“Understanding, for instance, what Esteban’s salt secretion price is, how a lot of the important thing electrolytes does he lose?
“Then there’s clearly an enormous vitality element to it. So for those who’re racing for 2 hours at coronary heart charges of 60 to 70 % of your most [heart rate], you’re burning loads of vitality,” continued Clark. “So after a race, briefly, it’s all of these issues we’d look to provide the electrolyte drinks, but in addition one thing like a high-calorie protein shake the place we’re going to interchange the carbohydrate and the protein, and it’s actually horses for programs. It will depend on the race. These sizzling and humid ones, it’s extra of that fluid element. You might need a extremely bodily race, which goes expend loads of carbohydrates, and subsequently we’d go together with extra of a carb-heavy, protein-heavy, restoration shake, form of straight out of the automotive. It simply will depend on the character of the occasion after which additionally, what are the next hours like? Are they going to have sufficient time to form of tackle extra good high quality vitamin?
“The nice factor for us sometimes is we race, after which we’re carried out. So we’ve bought a very good window to have the ability to get within the high quality issues that we have to get in,” continued Clark.
Nevertheless, F1 Dash weekends — like the USA Grand Prix the place we talked — complicate issues.
“The complication is barely when we’ve got issues like dash weekends like we’ve bought now, as a result of we’ll have a dash race tomorrow morning, qualifying within the afternoon, after which the principle race the next day,” described Clark. “In order that’s when we’ve got to have then take a look at the issue by a barely totally different lens and really assume ‘okay, it’s not nearly restoration. How can we get them to carry out nicely once more in a couple of hours time?’ In order that’s the place it’ll change and be fairly a fluid factor.”
All of those ranges are intently monitored by Clark and the workforce, ensuring every driver is able to tackle the challenges of every session throughout a race weekend.
“Once we transfer by the weekend, it is going to be depending on the physicality of the race, the atmosphere, and likewise what the state of affairs is of Esteban or the driving force. How nicely did they eat that morning? What was the week main up so far? What’s the hydration standing like?
“And we will check for all these issues.”
Psychological well being in Formulation 1
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Photograph by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Photographs
Psychological well being consciousness is having a second, together with within the robust, brutal world of Formulation 1.
Lately drivers similar to Lando Norris, and workforce principals similar to Toto Wolff, have spoken about their psychological well being journeys, and Alpine’s drivers have additionally been open about their psychological well being. In a partnership with JAAQ, the workforce works with Ocon, Pierre Gasly, and Abbi Pulling about their very own psychological well being.
That is one other a part of the efficiency coach side of his job that Clark works with Ocon, and the workforce, with every week.
“I believe for those who take a look at F1 in a post-Netflix world, as we might say, the drivers are beneath increasingly more scrutiny, and so they dwell lives like I might say pop stars now when it comes to the quantity of consideration and the extent of surveillance that they’re beneath,” started Clark. “And I believe that, coupled with the truth that there was a time the place 10 to fifteen years in the past, Formulation One was 16, 17 races.
“We’re now at 24.
“So the calendar has bought larger. There’s much less day off. There’s much less time to have hobbies,” continued Clark. “There’s much less time to spend along with your family members, and that’s the identical for the drivers as it’s for everybody within the paddock. In order that has a really apparent toll on everybody, and the drivers are most undoubtedly in that group as nicely, and so they clearly have the form of added drawback that I can, if I wish to, simply take a while for myself.
“However the sport is so intense that you simply’ll barely see the drivers by the day as a result of they go from advertising and marketing appearances to sponsor appearances, meet and greets, advertising and marketing, engineering.
“There’s not a lot time for simply them.”
That’s the reason Clark believes part of his position, in addition to part of everybody’s position in F1, is to be cognizant of this truth and to help drivers and workforce members on this space.
“And that’s why, as a part of my position and certainly everybody’s position nearly on this sport, you’ve gotten to have the ability to have a dialog with one another and be capable to help individuals, but in addition know methods to form of give individuals house after they want it.
“And I spend as a lot time with Esteban as I do with my companion, so that you get to know one another fairly nicely, however you additionally want to acknowledge that everybody wants their house as nicely.
“There’s nothing to actually replicate what they really feel in these vehicles.”
How on a regular basis individuals may profit from coaching like an F1 driver
Earlier than our time collectively drew to an in depth, I had one closing query, submitted to me by a super reader and fellow author on Threads.
What’s one thing that Clark does with Ocon and/or Alpine, that he thinks the on a regular basis individual would profit from?
In a phrase, every little thing.
“Almost all of it has a job,” started Clark. “I believe significantly for tall guys like myself. The neck coaching is often fairly helpful as a result of more often than not we’re spending life like this.”
Clark then mimicked trying down at a cellphone in his hand, driving residence the purpose that a lot of recent life is spent trying down at a hand-held digital system.
“Our necks are very rounded, and really getting some load by neck extension is usually one of many good issues,” described Clark. “I don’t assume they in all probability must go nuts and begin doing loads of the stuff that we do, significantly with like lateral resistance on the neck.
“However briefly, I believe as a result of what we’re in the end preaching is to be wholesome, to have a spectrum of health that isn’t only one specific area.
And customarily talking, after we take a look at longevity, after we take a look at good follow and well being and well-being, you might want to have good, decrease physique power,” continued Clark. “You should be robust typically to have a very good cardio system, degree of health. So all of these issues very a lot have purposes to your life.”
Clark then got here again to sleep, a spotlight of his work with Ocon and Alpine.
“We prioritise sleep as our primary modality, and most of the people also needs to actually take a look at that as nicely,” added Clark. “It’s the factor that every one of us will do, however to take it as an actual, not take it as a given, and to prioritise that sleep, give your self the most effective alternative for good quantities of sleep, do issues which can be indicative of resulting in good sleep and having what’s referred to as having good sleep hygiene main as much as sleep, these items are all vital no matter job, age, or something like that.”
You heard Tom. Follow good sleep hygiene pals. Flip off these screens nicely earlier than bedtime, and make sleep a precedence.
As a result of sleeping on selections issues, for on a regular basis individuals in addition to F1 drivers.
