An F1 Driver Is Not Alone in the Cockpit During a Race, and That’s OK
An F1 driver’s perspective
When the driver of an F1 car or an F1 car driver takes time off from the circuit, during the race weekend, they are very much alone in a vehicle. When they are not driving, there are no passengers on board and no crew members. They are alone, surrounded by their thoughts, their emotions, and their memories….but also by a very interesting set of circumstances that we won’t get into here. If you want to know what it’s like to be alone in a F1 car during a race, you will have to spend some time with this interview conducted by a F1 fan:
We here at Trackside know that a driver is under pressure to perform. We know, from our interactions with them, that a race is very important to them. They are under high expectations as to their performance, and it is for this reason that a driver needs a great deal of time off. They need to recharge their batteries and return to the circuit ready to perform at the best level for their team and for the fans.
It is important to understand that during these periods of time they are not alone, and all the other race participants are not also alone in the cockpit. There are always other people around a race weekend. There are photographers, photographers again, commentators, and then other race participants, drivers and their crew members.
A driver can’t just go out and be alone in the cockpit, away from all the others. They need to talk with their teammates and with their management team. They need to be with each other on the radio or on the pit wall. They need to see each other, and they need to be in the same vehicle.
When Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest drivers of all time, took time off from a race weekend and went to a beach resort with his wife, his daughters and his parents, he had a clear message for his management team and for his fellow race participants: “I am always here for you, and I will be there for you, in many other ways as well. I am going to miss you”.
This message is a message for the rest of us, in our F1 teams and in our world
