G-Forces will be a 'struggle' for F1 drivers when the sport returns

Carlos Sainz has said that drivers will be feeling their necks once the Formula 1 season gets underway, the prolonged period without racing leaving muscles weaker.

Sim racing may be good for keeping the eye in, but only time in the seat can actually prepare a driver for the extreme forces of driving a Formula 1 car.

"It affects you a lot, especially the neck," Sainz told Motorsport.com. "No matter how hard you train at home, it's impossible to generate the g-forces you are going to get in an F1 car.

"The circuit they choose for the first race is going to have a big influence on how much drivers will struggle after all those months without driving or train the neck. It will be a very tough challenge."

With many races postponed, the earliest that the season could begin is at the Austrian Grand Prix at the beginning of July. While some of the corners are taken at a relatively low speed, the heavy braking zones and few high speed corners will cause more than a few problems for the drivers.

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"Right now Austria is the first race that's not cancelled. It's not one of the toughest circuits but we are going to suffer on the fast corners," continued Sainz.

"If the first race was in Hungary or Singapore, I can assure you many drivers would finish the race being close to collapsing.

"People can't imagine the stress the body suffers during a grand prix. The only way to be fit to drive an F1 car is by driving an F1 car."

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