Max Verstappen has explained how his training needs differ to those of some other drivers on the grid, such as Alex Albon and Nyck de Vries. De Vries previously spoke of the physical impact he felt when he substituted for Albon at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, with the race for Williams being the Dutchman's first in F1. At the end of the event, de Vries was heard explaining to his engineer over the team radio that he may need help getting out of the car after being left exhausted following his points-scoring debut. Verstappen says that both de Vries and Albon have to work hard to maintain muscle, whereas he faces a different issue himself when it comes to training.
Verstappen explains drivers' different training needs
"Everyone has different body types," Verstappen told Viaplay F1 Talks . "I know because I speak a lot with with Nyck [that] he has to train a lot to keep his muscles, because if he doesn't train for a few days or a few weeks he loses a lot of muscle. "It was the same with Alex, he has to use quite a few protein shakes just to keep the muscles. "For me, it's the opposite. I don't really lose a lot of muscle and I never really have a lot of issues with driving a car, but I struggle more with just keeping my weight on the limit. "Some [drivers] are lucky with that, some can eat what they want, but they then have to train a bit more to keep their muscles. Once you know what your body needs, that's how you have to train it."
The 'worst' physical issue for Verstappen
Like de Vries, Kevin Magnussen was reminded of the physical demands of racing an F1 car when he made a surprise comeback to the sport with Haas for the 2022 season. The Dane spoke of having issues with his neck during the opening races, and this is something that Verstappen feels is one of the worst problems for a Formula 1 driver to experience. "For me, the worst is if you cannot hold up your neck, your head," Verstappen said. "If you are struggling a lot with your neck, that is the worst. The rest you can compensate a bit, but if you're going through a corner and your head [feels like it is] falling off, that is very tough."
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