Lessons from F1: How Planned recovery helps you manage Pressure and remain Focused to Perform

It's lights out and away we go! An F1 car hits 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, the drivers head is pushed back into the headrest as they suffer 2G ( 2 x body weight through their body) on acceleration. Cars arrive at the first braking marker (150 m) at over 160 mph, with tyres that aren't up to temperature, brakes that are cold and no ABS. It would be bad enough if they were on the track alone, but they have to contend with nineteen other cars all around them aiming for the same corner now just 100 metres ahead. If a driver backs out they may lose several places and ruin their race. If they are too aggressive, they may lose a front wing or lock up the wheels and ruin the tyres or worse. It's chaos, high pressure and always potentially a high speed accident waiting to happen.

In addition to personal safety are the pressures associated with the costs to compete. In 2020 Mercedes spent $450m in one season. Red Bull employs approx. 1100 people, there is huge pressure to perform both on and off the track as Team Principals, Sponsors and Shareholders demand results for all the funding they supply. This is the context in which a driver must perform at the highest level of motor sport. Week in week out.

Yesterday I attended a talk with Hinsta a company that has been supplying Performance coaches to Formula One teams for the last 20 years. I'm pleased to say the majority of the discussion featured concepts that we are already incorporating into our bespoke High Performance Coaching plans, but in addition there were some 'pearls' of information that we all can all learn from.

Lewis Hamilton with performance coach Angela Cullen Credit: Lewis Hamilton

Performance Challenges in F1

• The ability to focus and perform under pressure are high value skills in the F1 performance environment for everyone involved in racing. These skills can be worked on in the years leading up to F1 as they move through the Junior ranks, but there is also preparation before each race that can be done by the driver and teams.

• Drivers and team members have to process an incredible amount of data in a short period of time making quick decisions that impact tactics and results. As an example even the steering wheels of an F1 car are complex, having more than 25 functions, that the drivers are expected to know and operate during a race.
  

Credit: McLaren F1

• Cost restrictions make practice and skill development challenging (how do you get 20 cars on a grid to practice starts) therefore simulators and rehearsals are used to support learning and preparation without the full cost of production.
  

The role of the performance coach

Drivers and teams understand the benefits of being prepared to handle the physical and mental challenges of F1. The core skill of being a racing driver is being quick. Therefore the Performance Coaches role is to ensure their driver is prepared to perform at their best for every race and ensure no stone is unturned in their clients preparation for each race during the season. If they don't their clients may be out of a seat.

Lesson learned: You may have great core skill(s) but if everyone is quick the advantage is in the margins.

Given there is a limited amount that can be done in the final minutes before a race, coaches work backwards from 'Lights Out' and plan with the driver and teams to prepare as much as possible before race day to arrive at an optimal level of arousal to perform.

Lesson learned: Working back from the planned performance can help us arrive ready and an optimal level of arousal. Experience will help us work out what that looks and feels like.

Credit: simplypsychology.org

Pre-race prep (day of the race)

1. Sleep - A good nights sleep will optimise recovery ready for a good performance. Even a few hours of sleep loss will impact the drivers ability to focus and perform under pressure. Sleep preparation and hygiene is a top priority item.

2. Holistic preparation - In addition to sleep drivers need to have a preparation plan that covers nutrition, hydration, heat management and mobility/body activation before they jump in the car.

3. Breath work - Breath work is used to calm the drivers minds and bodies as they move into the zone before the start

4. Visualisation and positive self talk - Many drivers have performance anxiety before they perform, they are just excellent at hiding it. Especially in an environment where perceived weaknesses will be exploited. Little is left to chance and repeatable processes that work are established as rituals in pre-race routines. These are driver specific based on personality and temperament. Many engage in visualisation exercises, seeing the race in their heads and engaging in positive self talk to reinforce why they deserve a seat at the top table.

Lesson learned: To perform at your best you need a holistic approach to preparation. Excelling at a single skill will not get you the win. Visualising a great performance and what that looks like can help you prepare, breath work will calm you down before a big event. A good sleep the night before is critical to good performance.

Credit: Hinsta.com

Off Season and before a race

Before race day the focus is on recovery and optimal preparation for the race. The majority of physical conditioning prep work is done in the winter pre-season with bespoke strength and conditioning programs. Any weaknesses identified on how the driver looks after themselves are tackled. Healthy habits around sleep, recovery, nutrition and mental prep are maintained or developed. Once the season starts the cycle of compete, recover, prepare is in full swing.

Lesson learned: You cannot operate at peak performance every day of the year. You need to plan a recovery phase into your calendar to avoid burn-out or below standard performances. Rest, sleep, exercise, mental energy recharging are all needed to get back to your best.

The recovery cycle

Recovery and preparation for the next race starts with a hot debrief as soon as racing has finished, on Saturday the drivers finished the race in Bahrain and the clock was ticking for the recovery and preparation for Practice in Saudi Arabia on the Thursday.

As soon as the driver has parked up and headed back to the team facility in the Paddock they are asked to give feedback on the race, what went well, what went badly. The drivers aren't challenged just listened to as they begin to come down from the adrenaline rush of racing at over 200 mph. The feedback is noted for review a day or two later, when emotions are less raw. They are refuelled with fluids, a cold bath if in a hot country and have nutritious food. This recovery cycle is similar to many athletes where there is an optimal time to replenish nutrients after performance.

Lesson learned: It's good to vent and reflect immediately to reduce post performance pressure, but record your thoughts and analyse them later. The quicker you focus on recovery post performance the quicker you will be ready to perform again.

If they are flying home there is a natural break, if not and it's a fly away race with a short gap they may just change hotels to break the pattern from the previous race. The aim being to relax the driver and accelerate their recovery. If the next race involves a time change then plans will be put in place to change the sleeping and awake habits (eating, exercising, access to daylight) towards the new time zone. Anything that can help will be done.

Lesson learned: Break the pattern, go for a walk, workout, breath. Whatever it takes you need to come down from the high pressure situation.

Two days after the race the wind down is done and preparation begins. The feedback from the previous race is reviewed. Is it still accurate? Is what they said about their performance really true? What can we do to make preparation better? How has recovery gone? These retrospectives are critical in an industry where lessons are always being learned, tweaks made and effort made to find even a 1/10th of second gain week by week.

Lesson learned: Look at your feedback when you are not emotional. It will make for better decision making and avoid emotional damage.

Then it's back in the car and the physical and mental preparation cycle begins ready for qualifying and then race day.

Lesson learned: The cycle can restart more quickly when your recovery is managed.

Hopefully this has been a useful insight into High Performance planning in F1. Even if you don't follow the sport there is much to adapt for the world of business.

If you'd like to find out about the High Performance Coaching we deliver at My Performance Coach please email info@myperformancecoach.uk and we'll be in touch.