Scuderia Ferrari HP is all set for the subsequent spherical of the calendar that takes place on the intense jap fringe of Europe, in Azerbaijan.
The Baku Metropolis Circuit is exclusive in some ways, with the vehicles racing previous the enduring rock of the previous metropolis earlier than flying down the very lengthy straights which have made this avenue circuit some of the widespread with followers who stay up for the standard thrilling duels.
At simply over six kilometres in size the structure presents a little bit of every part, with exhausting braking, 90 diploma corners and chicanes that put a premium on driver capacity. The straight that goes from flip 16 to show 1 is over two kilometres lengthy and is the scene of loads of motion throughout the race, with drivers slipstreaming each other at over 320 km/h. From turns 4 to 12, the drivers need to undertake a extra ordinary avenue circuit driving fashion, with limitations very shut and proper angle corners, together with the well-known left hander underneath the traditional tower which is barely large sufficient to accommodate one automotive at a time.
The forecast is for loads of sunshine all weekend, however as we head in the direction of autumn, there’s all the time the prospect of sturdy winds blowing in from the Black Sea, which make the driving force’s job way more difficult, particularly when braking. Sudden rain showers can’t be dominated out, even when none are forecast in the intervening time. When it comes to tyre alternative, this has usually been a one-stop race, beginning on the Medium tyre earlier than switching to Hards for the run to the chequered flag. Nonetheless, there’s all the time an opportunity of the Security Automotive placing in an look, so it’s prudent to have saved a set of Softs in case the race is was a brief dash end over a handful of laps.
Fred Vasseur, Crew Principal: The Baku avenue circuit encompasses a mixture of very excessive velocity sections and intensely twisty ones, presenting a novel set of challenges. Prior to now, we have now often been fairly aggressive right here and it is usually considered one of Charles’ favourites. We’re on a excessive following the win in Monza and we’re decided to take care of this run of type. As soon as once more, we are able to count on to see a really shut battle between the highest 4 groups. I typically say we’re focussing on ourselves and it is clear that is the correct strategy, as a result of we have now seen a dramatic change within the hierarchy among the many groups because the early a part of the season. Our win in Italy additionally helps my view that the way you execute the weekend from Friday to Sunday can play as necessary a task because the precise efficiency stage of the automotive, so with Charles and Carlos we’ll once more be aiming to do every part completely in Baku, to attempt to convey house one other superb outcome for the crew.
Ferrari in Azerbaijan
GP contested: 7
Debut: 2016 European GP (S. Vettel 2nd; Ok. Raikkonen 4th)
Wins: 0
Pole positions: 4 (57.14%)
Quickest laps: 2 (28.57%)
Podiums: 4 (19.05%)
Azerbaijan Information & Figures
4. The principle bazaars within the metropolis of Baku. Probably the most well-known is Yashil Bazaar, which implies ‘inexperienced market” in Azeri, the largest supply of meals within the capital, full of natural fruit and greens, herbs and spices, nuts and dried fruit, fruit juices, sauces and jams, in addition to native delicacies akin to caviar and saffron. Strolling alongside the numerous rows permits one to expertise tastes and aromas from numerous elements of the nation. It’s a very talked-about spot with each locals and vacationers. The stall holders are joyful to assist select and supply samples to style. The opposite bazaars are the Sharq (the east market), the Teze (new market) and the 8 Kilometre.
15. The variety of tracks at which Charles Leclerc has racked up his 25 Method 1 pole positions. There are three tracks the place the Monegasque has set the quickest time in qualifying 3 times: Monaco, Spa-Francorchamps and Baku. He has began from the primary grid slot twice in Sakhir, Monza, Singapore and Mexico Metropolis, with one pole at Spielberg, Sochi, Melbourne, Miami, Barcelona, Le Castellet, Austin and Las Vegas.
18. The international locations that was a part of the Soviet Union and at the moment are unbiased or semi-independent, a listing which after all contains Azerbaijan. The others are Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. There are additionally three breakaway states, with restricted recognition however which might be de facto unbiased. These are Transnistria (a breakaway from Moldova), Abkhazia and South Ossetia (each breakaway from Georgia).
1411. The yr during which the Shirvanshah Palace was constructed, an important constructing in Azerbaijan, located in Baku’s Outdated Metropolis. The construction includes the Divanhane buildings, a vaulted tomb, a mosque with a minaret, the Seyid Yahya Bakuvi mausoleum, the Murad gate, a water tower and the stays of the baths. The palace options on the ten Manat banknote. The Shirvanshah dynasty, dominated by Ibrahim I, moved the capital from Shemakha to Baku and commissioned the constructing of the palace.
1960. The yr during which Baku’s “Little Venice” was inaugurated on the ocean shore. It consists of two massive islands and some smaller ones, linked by bridges manufactured from ornamental stone. There are even gondolas navigating the canals. Over time, the Mirvari caf was constructed there, together with a Little Venice water park, the Bahar cinema and plenty of outlets. The eating places on the islands, function numerous varieties of delicacies, together with tasty Azeri dishes.
In Depth, Andrea Ferrari and Pierluigi Della Bona, health trainers for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Bodily health is a key contributor to a Method 1 driver’s efficiency on observe. The highest stage of racing requires not solely pure capacity, but in addition extraordinary bodily and psychological power. Due to this fact, there is a crew of specialists working with the drivers to handle exhausting coaching periods, recuperation therapies and fixed administration of their normal well being, beginning with their weight-reduction plan. Andrea Ferrari works with Charles Leclerc and Pierluigi Della Bona with Carlos Sainz to assist them function on the optimum stage all through the season, particularly within the hardest races, such Singapore, the second of the upcoming back-to-back pair of races.
What kinds the idea of a driver’s preparation?Andrea Ferrari: As in each sport, bodily preparation is predicated on situation and coordination expertise. Then, specific consideration is paid to elements particular to motor racing and the precise wants of every particular person driver. Cognitive work can be necessary, akin to rushing up response occasions and managing efficiency nervousness.
Pierluigi Della Bona: We work on bodily situation and cognitive areas. Situation means engaged on power, resistance and joint mobility or flexibility. The cognitive parts are a bit more durable to coach and enhance, however they’re labored on continuously whereas getting ready the driving force. They concern the velocity of reflex, velocity of execution and adaptation to any exterior stimulus. At velocity within the automotive, these parts could make the distinction and result in one driver with the ability to react faster than one other. Focus could be improved by combining these two varieties of expertise. The concept is to emphasize the driving force, making him run, whereas on the identical time getting him to do workouts that stimulate reflexes, fast pondering and focus.
What are the variations in how a driver trains away from the races and on the races?AF: A lot of the preparation is completed away from the races, when there’s extra time for in depth and focused coaching. This strategy permits for extra detailed work on all elements of a driver’s efficiency. On the race observe, it is about positive tuning, a exact job that goals to take away any distractions in order to permit the driving force to focus utterly on driving. Other than that, on the observe there are particular periods constructed across the driving, akin to bodily and cognitive activation workouts together with restoration periods involving therapeutic massage, cooling previous to going out on observe and restoration.
PdB: On the observe, there’s often a 30 minute session involving stretching, mobility and lightweight activation of the abdominals, then a full 10 to 12 minutes of actual activation prior to each session, combining every part: muscular and psychological work and awakening reflexes. Away from the observe, coaching is extra rigorous, together with lots of fitness center work, biking, power resistance and cardiovascular work and particular workouts aimed on the neck and stomach. With Carlos for instance, the work carried out on his core proved invaluable on the time of his appendectomy earlier this yr. Other than time spent on the simulator, there’s all the time gentle work on mobility, muscle stretching and coaching aimed toward reflexes, velocity and numerous cognitive skills.
What do the restoration periods encompass?AF: These are aimed primarily at quickly restoring a driver’s bodily situation after intense effort, attempting to cut back restoration time as a lot as potential. These contain a number of important parts, akin to therapeutic massage periods to alleviate muscle rigidity and promote circulation, a balanced weight-reduction plan aimed toward replenishing spent power and ample evening sleep to advertise bodily and psychological regeneration. As well as, physiotherapy periods and low influence coaching are included, particularly designed to take care of bodily exercise with out additional stressing the physique. All these strategies collectively guarantee the driving force recovers effectively, able to face new challenges.
PdB: There are numerous varieties of restoration: dietary, hydration and bodily. When it comes to vitamin, a driver should be taught tips on how to drink to switch fluids misplaced and he additionally wants an consumption of protein within the type of sugars combined with milk or yoghurt after every session. Massages focus primarily on the neck and lumbar space, after which we do mobility and stretching as a result of flexibility and muscle plasticity means you’re feeling much less ache. Then, on the actually sizzling races, restoration periods contain ice baths as cooling is among the finest methods to vascularise muscle tissues and the complete cardiovascular system.
A driver’s weight-reduction plan is essential: how is it structured and the way strict is it when it comes to sustaining a super weight?AF: Weight loss plan is essential in relation to optimising efficiency and rushing up restoration. It is necessary for the driving force to take care of a relentless weight over the course of the season and over a race weekend, with out fluctuating. The weight-reduction plan is labored out along side a vitamin biologist. There needs to be a relentless dialogue between the driving force and his crew, as a result of whereas we attempt to slot in with a driver’s preferences and tastes, the plan nonetheless needs to be primarily based on power wants and on limiting weight fluctuation. So, whereas giving the driving force all of the power he wants, on the identical time one has to manage the quantity and sort of meals in order to assist him keep and management his weight.
PdB: In my view, weight-reduction plan is as necessary as bodily and psychological power and perhaps even outweighs bodily coaching. I consider it is vitally necessary to get a driver used to consuming correctly. His weight-reduction plan is like that of every other athlete, with protein consumption the primary ingredient, whereas not ignoring all the opposite dietary parts akin to sugars, carbohydrates and saturated fat. This weight-reduction plan additionally pays shut consideration to mineral salts and nutritional vitamins with using dietary supplements. We work with a crew of pros in relation to vitamin. Carlos and I work with the dietician Andrea Masullo with whom we agree a weight-reduction plan plan at the beginning of the yr primarily based on the driving force’s tastes and desires which we then stick with on the races and in Maranello.
What are the trickiest races and why?AF: Definitely the hardest races are these the place the climate has a major impact on driver efficiency, in different phrases the place it is extremely popular and humid, akin to Singapore or final yr in Qatar. One other space of problem for my part are these races in a time zone very totally different to Europe. Right here sleep administration is important as sleep deprivation can have a critical influence on a driver’s efficiency and so we attempt to put together to adapt to this problem as a lot as potential.
PdB: I consider every race has its personal set of challenges and difficulties to cope with and we have now to be able to face no matter every observe throws us. The driving force is used to driving for a most of two hours and, that aside, some tracks are lengthy and others are quick, some are hotter and extra humid than others. On very lengthy tracks the place there usually are not too many gravitational masses as a result of there are fewer laps in a race distance, focus is way more necessary than bodily skills and power. On shorter tracks the place the driving force tackles extra laps and due to this fact extra corners, gravitational masses on the core and the stomach are increased, so aside from focus, muscular power comes into play.
How do you assist the drivers cope with main time zone adjustments?AF: Time zone distinction could make some races more durable to handle and one has to organise issues in order that the driving force will get the correct amount of relaxation. Earlier than the beginning of the season, we work rigorously with the Scuderia Ferrari HP Logistics Division to decide on probably the most applicable flights. On the lengthy haul flights we pay shut consideration to vitamin and hydration, additionally avoiding an excessive amount of publicity to gentle sources from computer systems and different units.
PdB: The principle factor is to relaxation previous to, throughout and after going into a unique time zone. Fortunately we work with Med-Ex, the crew’s well being companion and so we are able to depend on their massive and effectively ready crew, which additionally features a neurologist who is a good assist with this matter. There are some methods to cope with lengthy flights and jet lag akin to publicity to sunshine, adapting to the brand new time zone whereas on the flight, studying a ebook quite than wanting on the blue gentle from units and telephones; consuming on the meal occasions of the vacation spot nation as a lot as potential; utilizing dietary supplements akin to melatonin for the complete journey in order to get used to the time zone after which again into your regular rhythm at house.
How typically do you replace your methodologies?AF: It is all the time necessary to maintain on prime of developments. New analysis and research are all the time being printed that result in new methodologies. The expertise we use can be continuously evolving and you need to preserve updated. As I additionally educate at a college I’ve entry to a variety of data, research and expertise and I can put this to make use of in my skilled apply.
PdB: In any job, it is necessary to maintain updated. At Med-Ex we have now devoted coaching days and dealing with specialist medical doctors akin to Fred Fernando and Alessandro Biffi, I can collaborate with many sports activities medical doctors, who specialize in numerous disciplines, cardiologists in addition to different physiotherapists and sports activities trainers. I additionally suppose it is necessary to take an curiosity in the kind of coaching the driving force does, getting away from the standard routine, in order that even strolling across the metropolis the place the race is held, or enjoying padel, tennis or 7-a-side soccer are helpful, the latter additionally as a crew constructing train.
You run the driving force’s coaching however what do you do to maintain match?AF: I undoubtedly launched into these research as a result of I really like sport and due to this fact I am joyful to coach and do not think about it a burden. For instance, I put my coaching to make use of to gasoline my love of triathlon with non-competitive periods in addition to participating in precise races.
PdB: I’ve all the time thought, particularly when working with youthful drivers, that if I would like them to do what I say, I’ve to set an instance, so I prepare as a lot as they do, if not a bit extra. I try this as a result of Carlos and the opposite drivers compete in a sport with lots of stress, present process pressures that transcend these skilled in on a regular basis life, so usually they’re stronger than us. How do I prepare? A little bit of triathlon, crossfit, some lengthy distance work and a little bit of snorkeling. Truly, I apply a number of sports activities however these are my favourites, these and soccer, a sport which I’ve performed for 26 years.
