There is no denying that the McLaren Formula 1 racing team needs to be on top of their game both physically and mentally to perform. Racing can be a challenging sport that requires endurance and mental sharpness, as anything can happen on the track. And no one knows that better than Oscar Piastri. A true winner when it comes to racing, Piastri is taking things to the next level by working on improving his health. We had the pleasure of speaking with him to get insight into his career, his mental and physical fitness routine, and the secrets to his success.
The path to F1 stardom
A two-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, Piastri credits his team with a lot of his success.
“I feel like I’ve definitely improved in a few areas from last year, and that’s made a difference, of course,” he says. “A lot of credit has to be given to the team because I haven’t transformed myself from the worst to the best; it’s been largely down to the car. Of course, I’ve made my own improvements along the way, but as a team, we’ve really taken a lot of steps forward, and now we’re in a championship-winning position, which is very exciting.“
Piastri explained that while he’d always hoped to be an F1 driver, he never expected to win races so early. “Even 12 months ago, I didn’t really think I’d be winning races; it came a bit quicker than I expected. Of course, you always hope for the best, but I know some people would never get the chance to win an F1. And for a lot of people, it doesn’t happen for five or six years or even longer. So it’s been really special to have that already in my second year,” he says.
F1 training regimen
While physical fitness is important for F1 drivers, mental fitness is as well. In order to remain at the top level of a sport, you need confidence, and you need to know how to stay sharp and focused before, during, and after a race. For some drivers, meditation or mindfulness practices are key to their routine. So how does Piastri stay focused?
“I definitely think trying to relax after the races is important, as well as trying not to overthink during your time off,” he says. That can be easier said than done since it’s “natural to overanalyze things sometimes and overthink.”
“Part of what ultimately makes us so competitive as drivers is going into every single detail, but identifying where the limit is of that and knowing when you’re overdoing it and actually harming what you’re trying to achieve is very important,” Piastri says.
He notes that he doesn’t necessarily have a specific regimen. “I’m sure every driver has their own things that they do to keep their mind sharp. For me, it is just about identifying the things I want to work on but then not dwelling on them and letting that turn into a negative thing,” he says. “It’s just identifying the areas for improvement and surrounding them in a positive light rather than a negative light.”
Piastri says that due to both his personality and the nature of his F1 career — moving to the other side of the world — he’s learned to be independent, but the team does deserve credit when it comes to maintaining a healthy mentality.
“I do get help or coaching with stuff like that,” he says. “The team also has a massive support network at McLaren, and having wellness and the human side of things at the forefront of our performance is very important to us. It’s a very team-wide kind of initiative, let’s say.”
Staying physically fit
How does Piastri maintain his physical fitness? McLaren Racing has partnered with, Optimum Nutrition to support the drivers, pit crew, and wider team when it comes to looking after their well-being in all aspects of their daily lives. Because of this partnership, the team has access to a range of sports nutrition products and a state-of-the-art health and fitness center at MTC that the two companies recently launched together. “With Optimum Nutrition, specifically, it’s very focused on the human side of things,” Piastri says.
And he doesn’t just mean for the drivers. In this aspect as well, F1 is truly a team sport. “For myself, trying to keep my protein intake up is important. We, as drivers, have a pretty good life compared to the mechanics, especially when they’re building the whole car on a Wednesday, and the garage is often very hot. They have to fix it every time we crash it, as well as do the numerous pit stops. So, for those guys in particular, it’s very, very important that their bodies are in the best shape that they can be,” he says. “That’s where partnerships like Optimum Nutrition are really beneficial — not just for us as drivers but for the whole team and the whole team’s performance.”
When it comes to his diet, Piastri notes that he’s extremely strict on race weekends. “Before a race, every lunchtime, I have pasta with tomato sauce and chicken. I have it every time because it’s safe, it’s got all the stuff I need in there, and it tastes good,” he says. “But you know, we always try to mix it up a bit — you’ve obviously got to hit your macro numbers and make sure you’re staying on top of all your vitamins through veggies and fruit. All the traveling takes so much out of your body, so it’s important to stay replenished. Also, everywhere we go, we try to add either a local twist to it or just experience local food. I really like Italian and Japanese food.”
As for his exercise routine Piastri notes that “a typical training day is one session of strength work and one of cardio, whether that’s running, on a bike, or just playing a sport like tennis.”
One exercise F1 drivers have to think about that other athletes don’t are neck exercises. “I think the only [exercise] that is unconventional for most athletes is my neck workouts. I use a neck harness or resistance bands; there are a whole bunch of ways you can do it. Training your neck is not a very common training exercise. So that’s probably the only one that’s a bit left field,” he says.
“The toughest thing is trying to be consistent because we’re traveling so much,” Piastri continues. “So, taking the opportunity when you can is the most important part. It’s not like most other sports where you get a really good amount of time working on the specifics. A really good training block for us is when we get a few weeks in the off-season. Otherwise, we’re pretty much trying to fit in a day or two here and there when we can for nine months of the year. It’s it’s pretty tough.”
Piastri notes that getting used to the time differences, the jet lag, and the different environments all contribute to the struggle. “There are certainly days when you don’t want to do it. And, you know, especially after a race, like the Monday after a race, you don’t really want to do anything. But it’s important because if you give up multiple Mondays worth of training, it all adds up very quickly,” he says. (And that’s where that mental fitness comes in.)
