Saturday, October 22, 2011

A week in the life of an F1 driver

F1 racing isn't a job for clock-watchers. Sometimes drivers work 15 hrs/day at the racetrack.

DAY ONE: The driver spends time with the team, checking his car and working out strategy. He attends press conferences. In the evening, the driver usually takes part in a sponsor event.

DAY TWO: The driver usually gets to the track at about 8 am after spending an hour in the gym. Spends most of the day at practice & technical debriefs, team evaluates the car and its performance. Amid all these, the driver completes the first qualifying round, which decides the running order for next day's main qualifying session. In the evening, he usually attends another sponsor function.

DAY THREE: Today's position decides the grid for final race. After two practice sessions, the qualification begins. He has to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect with his car because he has a single lap to get his timing in. If he gets one of the top three positions, he attends the leaders' press conference. He must attend more de-briefs with the team and then one more press meet. He must attend an evening function as well.

DAY FOUR: Race day is predictably the busiest day of the week. The day often involves everything from warming up and meeting sponsors to race day parades and post-race functions.

DAY FIVE: Even though he'll be tired and maybe a bit sore from the race, he has to go to the gym for a few hours to make sure he stays in shape.

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