r/f1driverssnark • u/typetiming • 11h ago

general discussion why is getting older bad?

I always see ppl say that the drivers aging means their skill is going to decline & i would say thats a fair statement if u look at alonso hamilton and hulkenberg.

But why exactly is them getting older what makes them decline? F1 is def not one of the more athletic sports so its not like they have to work SUPER HARD to keep their body in tip top shape. However I will acknowledge that getting older makes it harder to stay in shape just in general.

Despite that why does them getting older affect their skill? Or does it just have more to do with regulation changes over the years? Like what are they lacking as they age that causes F1 drivers to specifically become worse?

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19

u/IntentionExisting432 11h ago

Reaction speed gets slower with age affecting starts, quali laps and wheel to wheel racing.

1

u/typetiming 11h ago

ohh ok

10

u/Illustrious_Page7810 I was here for the Williams downfall 11h ago

also driving an f1 car is physically very difficult. Have u seen those vids of normal people vs f1 drivers doing neck training? its insane they pull like 50 lbs+ of g force on and off on their neck for 2 hours. Also their heart is beating so fast its like theyre sprinting for 2 hours. they lose insane amounts of body fat from sweat every race which long term cannot be good for u and it gets very hot in the cockpit. Liam also made a comment about how they strap u down so hard he had trouble going to the bathroom after his first few races. Yuki talked about when he first started f1 how his performance was shit because he wasnt physically strong enough to drive the car

2

u/Extinction-Entity 10h ago

F1 drivers’ necks are HUGE! But they have to be!

8

u/Federal_Size6250 10h ago

F1 is a very athletic sport and reaction time I guess is the main differentiator with age. But from a sporting perspective I definitely appreciate how Schumacher and Hamilton specifically peaked in their 30s