Button highlights big issue F1 drivers face that NO ONE is talking about

Joe Ellis
Saturday 13 May 2023 23:44

Jenson Button believes that the jetlag from triple headers is one of the biggest challenges modern F1 drivers face throughout the season.

The first triple header of the 2023 season will begin at Imola on 20 May before two consecutive trips east to Monaco on 28 May and then Barcelona on 4 June.

Later this season, there will be a second triple header in the Americas, starting in Austin, Texas before a trip to Mexico City and then Sao Paulo.

Having to perform at such high levels while trying to beat jetlag is a real challenge and one Button believes is not talked about enough.

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Stressful Life

“If I was a driver right now, I’d be saying it’s really tough, feel sorry for me," Button said to Williams' team website.

"The time differences and the air miles, it’s such a stressful life - but I’d be lying because it’s the best job in the world.

“Trust me, when I left F1 I thought, ‘I’m gonna relax, it’ll be great’, but life is a lot more stressful now especially because I have children!

“An F1 driver has the easiest job in the world, they really do but, on a serious note, it is stressful with the travel and, because you have to be at peak performance the whole time, the jet lag really hurts you.

“But, as drivers, we’re pretty good at getting into a new timezone. Baku to Miami is a tough one though - I think it’s eight hours - and you only have a few days to get back in the timezone here.

“They said it normally takes an hour a day to get into the timezone. But they’ve got their physios and nutritionists, who will be telling them when to sleep, when to eat etc.

“So, it’s all planned out for them. They’ll be training as well, but not really intense training, they’ll make sure they get off the flight and immediately put on their running shoes and get out for a run, just to get the blood flowing and the muscles working again after a long flight.”

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