NEWS

20 JANUARY 2012: As any driver will tell you, preparation is key. At all levels of motorsport, from karting all the way to Formula 1 and at every level in between, drivers are focused on ensuring they are mentally and physically ready each time they jump in a race car.

Pro Performance, a sports science consultancy, works with a number of drivers in the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series to ensure they are the best prepared they can be.

A driver’s physical, mental and nutritional states are all interlinked and affect their performance in the car. For a driver to be performing at their peak, he or she needs to have high concentration levels and lightning reaction times. Something as simple as being dehydrated can have a huge effect on these areas, which in turn affects the driver’s ability to perform in the car.

At each British F3 race Pro Performance provides drivers, including Carlin driver Jack Harvey, with a structured and unique service which includes pre- and post-race sports massage, nutritional support, physical training and first aid, all designed to extract the best performance from each driver.

One of the main areas focused on with the drivers is that of planning, structure and routine to their race weekends. These are key areas that have been shown to help improve performance. It can be as simple as ensuring that they eat and drink adequately in the morning prior to racing, to more advanced strategies such as hydration plans for the whole weekend accompanied by specific warm-up sessions.

Pro Performance staff are at the track with the drivers from Friday through to Sunday. The warm-ups they do with the drivers centre on hand-eye co-ordination and reaction times; key skills the drivers will use when in the car. Something as simple as throwing and catching a ball can tighten up a driver’s reaction times.

Keeping the muscles warm is also vital for the drivers; especially in the cold conditions common in the British F3 series. Cold muscles are less flexible and, as a result, are more likely to pull or tear. Drivers suffer a lot of pressure from cornering on their back, shoulders and neck, so before they get in the car these muscles need to be properly warmed up through a sports massage.

Nutrition is the other key area over the course of the race weekend. Each driver has different requirements so Pro Performance works closely with the teams’ catering staff to ensure they are putting the right food in their bodies to maintain energy levels, and that drivers are consuming enough liquids to stay hydrated.

The 2011 British F3 championship runner-up, Kevin Magnussen, benefited from Pro Performance’s pre- and post-race sports massages: “Your neck muscles can tighten up a lot in the race so last year I got pre-race massages to warm up the muscles to reduce the likelihood of them tightening up. I also got one after the races to limit the amount of discomfort you feel the day after racing. I found that massages were also a great way to relax the mind ahead of a race, so I it was a benefit both physically and mentally.”

Jack Harvey, who is competing for a second year with Carlin in 2012, uses Pro Performance to ensure he is in the best possible shape when racing: “Pro Performance is a really useful resource for us during race weekends. As a result of their help we are able to be more complete as a racing driver. We rely on them to advise us on our nutrition, which is a key part of being a racing driver, and they are also great at working with us if we have a specific strain or injury.”