Personal trainer Verstappen reveals: "Max lost five percent of weight"

In his first years in Formula 1, Jake Aliker was Max Verstappen's personal trainer. Aliker stepped down due to personal circumstances and was replaced by Bradley Scanes. The 34-year-old Briton enjoys working with the Red Bull Racing driver and states that Verstappen is an exceptional talent.

Formula 1 is a demanding sport, requiring drivers to be completely fit in terms of fitness. It may not always seem that way, but Scanes tries to explain why driving in the premier class of motor racing is a physical challenge. According to the trainer of Verstappen, a driver burns as many calories during the race as someone who runs half a marathon. Somewhat striking, of course, because a driver is basically sitting still in a cockpit.

Verstappen physically very fit

"On top of that, you have to be able to handle pressure up to 40, 45 kilograms, when it comes to your neck. Braking? On circuits like Monza you have to be able to pedal a hundred kilos. In the cockpit, temperatures can reach fifty degrees," says Scanes, pointing to the Miami Grand Prix as an example. Verstappen lost 3.6 kilograms in just over an hour and a half just by sweating. Heavy conditions, in other words.

"That's about five percent of his weight. If you lose that much weight, it leads to you losing thirty percent of your working capacity. Then it's about strength, but even more importantly about the mental aspect and concentration," Scanes says in an extensive interview with De Telegraaf. According to him it is therefore no coincidence that precisely at the end of the race some drivers started to make mistakes. It shows how important it is to be super fit.

Verstappen matured quickly

In any case, Scanes is extremely happy to be working with Verstappen."Max is an exceptional talent. He has matured quickly. You see that more often in top athletes. He is easy to work with. We understand each other and the atmosphere is very relaxed," he adds.