Max Verstappen's former trainer, Bradley Scanes, has revealed what the "most injured area" is for Formula 1 drivers. Scanes, who worked with Verstappen for four years and throughout his championship-winning period, believes that most drivers are susceptible from suffering with problems to their lower back compared to other areas of their bodies. This was an issue with Lewis Hamilton during the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when the porpoising effect caused excessive bouncing in his car. He was later seen clutching his lower back when getting out of the car in Parc Ferme. “The lower back – it’s the most injured area in drivers,” Scanes explained when speaking to the Red Flag podcast. “So a lot of people think they injure their neck, but they don’t – unless they’re having a crash. They’re well trained athletes. The neck strength builds up as you drive, so after testing and pre-season, you’re pretty much ready to go."
Stiffer cars make it worse
With the transition to ground effect cars in 2022, they have been more depending on running lower ride heights which has an effect on their overall physical health. "The lower back is dependent on the track, the track surface, whether it’s a street circuit or a normal circuit, how they run in the car – are they running a bit stiffer or not," explained Scanes. "That’s the most injured or kind of sore, niggly area for a driver.”
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