Interview - Andrea Ferrari, performance coach Charles Leclerc 29.03.2023: Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, Melbourne 31 March - April 2nd 2023 This is the longest trip of the season: how do you minimise the effect of such a long journey and what can the drivers do to overcome jetlag?

Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park, Melbourne
31 March - April 2nd 2023




This is the longest trip of the season: how do you minimise the effect of such a long journey and what can the drivers do to overcome jetlag?


“Managing jetlag is one of the trickiest problems for a driver. The Formula 1 calendar takes in four continents and so there are a lot of time changes to deal with.


A lack of sleep, which means getting less than five hours, as well as the quality and amount of sleep can have a significant effect on an athlete’s performance. It can influence learning, memory, pain perception, inflammation of certain parts of the body and the immune system.


The Australian time difference is one of the hardest to deal with, Melbourne being ten hours ahead of Italy. The most important thing is to look at the flight timings and then decide when it is best for the driver to sleep on the flight and when to stay awake to minimise the jetlag after landing”.





Are there any special needs as regards nutrition on a flight, a diet to follow on the flight and what to eat after arrival?


“When it comes to nutrition and hydration everything is planned around the flight. We carefully study when are the best times to eat during the flight, which often do not align with when the airlines offer meals on-board and of course we also pay great attention to what type of food is best.


Meals can also impact sleep, therefore light and only slightly seasoned meals are best”.






And what about yourself? What is your role? What is the best part about it and what is the most demanding aspect?



“I am in overall charge of Charles’ physical performance and, in addition to planning his fitness training, I coordinate physiotherapists, nutritionists, biologists, physiologists and specialist doctors, who are also involved in ensuring his performance level and general wellbeing.


With a busy race calendar, a demanding part of this role is making sure that all parties are perfectly aligned and in condition to make decisions based on the latest developments.



I really enjoy my work and feel I make a significant contribution to building his performance. It’s what I studied for and I constantly strive to expand my knowledge, dedicating a large part of the year to this”.





Andrea Ferrari
Nationality: Italian
Born on 25/5/1979
In: Viareggio (Tuscany)


 



- Ferrari also photo