Why do F1 drivers have such thick necks?
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George Russell
Formula One is known for the edge-of-the-seat exciting action it produces every now and then but there are certain aspects such as necks that get mostly ignored because of it.
With the help of this piece, we are going to have an in-detail look at how much a driver’s neck plays its part during Grand Prix weekends.
Fi drivers have thick necks because it is the demand of the sport, during a race the drivers have to go through tough experiences related to the various forces that affect their bodies. The forces can sometimes go up to 5 times the body weight of the driver.
To tackle this the drivers require a strong neck to keep their heads stable while zooming through corners at high speeds. F1 races are relatively long and in order to keep up with them, the drivers go through rigorous training regimes to make their necks strong and steady.
Moreover, temperatures in the cars can go up to 50 degrees which makes the drivers lose a lot of water in a very short period.
Also Read: Toto Wolff: “Mercedes will not stop working on the W13”
How strong are F1 drivers’ necks?
Formula 1 drivers are required to keep their heads steady during races and it is not an easy task given that they carry a helmet on their heads during the whole duration of races. In order to do this, the drivers do a lot of regular training to make their necks strong.
A typical F1 helmet is around 7 Kg’s and with the weight of the head the total weight goes up to around 30 kg and it order to sustain this while going through corners etc, the drivers need strong necks.
For example, in 2007 Lewis Hamilton had a collar size of 14 inches but over the years it has grown, and not the Brit is up to 18 inches. This tells a lot about how much regular neck work an F1 driver has to do to keep their heads steady during races.
Racing can be a very painful experience if the drivers don’t possess strong necks as on many occasions drivers go through a very bumpy ride during races and on such days it becomes immensely important to keep heads as stable as possible.
Formula 1 is a demanding sport and the way it is progressing with more and more races planned to be added to future calendars, things are only going to get tougher and more demanding for the drivers.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)