Insane speed needs incredible strength. If you’ve ever wondered why F1 drivers look so exhausted at the end of a race, here's your answer.

Katie and Christian find out why F1 drivers need elite levels of fitness, why their necks, legs and cores need to be so strong and why staying hydrated is so important. Racing scientist Dr Diandra Leslie Pelecky talks through the ‘extremes’ F1 drivers experience.

Sebastian Vettel’s former trainer Antti Kontsas of Hintsa Performance explains the real reason neck strength is so important.

Former F1 driver Alexander Rossi returns to Formula Why to talk F1 training, to ruin Christian’s dreams of ever being an F1 driver, and why super-fit F1 drivers have problems when shopping for shirts…

Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below:

'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - Your Questions Answered

Why are pit stops so important?

Why do F1 teams need simulators?

Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered

Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023?

Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen

Record or write your questions and send them to [email protected] 

Passionate fans. Spectacular racing. A new home hero to cheer. Formula 1 has a long history in the United States. 2023 is a new chapter, with races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas. 

Katie and Christian go back through the decades to tell the story of F1 in the US. Then it’s time to explore the present and the future with former F1 commentator Leigh Diffey, former US F1 driver Alexander Rossi and two passionate F1 fans who’ve recently discovered the sport. Why are they and millions of others across the States falling in love with F1? Why is the sport more popular than ever? Why is having a US driver to cheer for so important?  

Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below:

'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - Your Questions Answered

Why are pit stops so important?

Why do F1 teams need simulators?

Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered

Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer

Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen

Record and send your questions to Katie and Christian at [email protected]

Less prep. More pressure. In 2023, F1 Sprint is more thrilling than ever. Listener Crystal from New York wants to know why F1 Sprint is such an exciting challenge for F1’s teams and drivers. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill explore the answer with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and his race engineer, Mark Slade. Kevin and Mark had an F1 Sprint weekend to remember in 2022. Kevin took a stunning pole position, leaving Mark facing a huge restaurant bill! Then, former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy, Bernie Collins, tells us why tyre choice, overtaking and avoiding pit-stops are crucial to Sprint success. Plus, Christian and Katie have all you need to know about the changes to F1 Sprint for 2023, including the new Sprint Shootout session on Saturdays. Welcome to Formula Why.

 

Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below:

'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - Your Questions Answered

Why are pit stops so important?

Why do F1 teams need simulators?

Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered

Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer

Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023?

Whether you’re new to F1 or a life-long fanatic, Formula Why is for everyone who wants to know more about how the sport works. Send us your F1 ‘why’ question, and we could answer it on a future episode. Write or record your question as a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Follow Formula Why right here on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. Hit the share button and use #FormulaWhy to tell your F1 fan friends. Leave us a rating and review. Thanks for listening

To hear F1’s other official podcasts search for F1 Beyond The Grid and F1 Nation. For all the latest F1 news, check out F1.com and F1 on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook

The more you know about Formula 1, the more you'll love it. Join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for Formula Why, the official F1 podcast for every fan who wants to know how the sport really works.

Write or record and send your 'why' questions to [email protected] and we'll get F1 experts to answer them on a future episode.