What a crazy chaotic race the Australian Grand Prix was! Three Red flags… two, one after each and a lot of unhappy drivers and teams. Fortunately for us we were able to stay calm in the chaos and get the win. I have always said that flexibility and adaptability is one of the key traits of the very best performers, the ability to still perform at the highest level with no change even when chaos is ensuring around.
Max Whitlock, three time Olympic Gold medallist, who I have had the pleasure of working with, tells an amazing story about how he was heading out to a World Championship final, he had his routine in his head of what he was going to do, and in gymnastics you are scored on the difficulty of the routine and the execution. In this final he was last out and 30 seconds before he goes out his coach tells him his difficulty score is not enough to get gold. In that moment, he changes the routine, goes out and wins gold. Flexibility and adaptability.
Formula 1 is a great example of this as well. As a driver you prepare all weekend, you kit up, warm up, head out in the car and then you have all this time before the actually race starting where you are talking to your engineers, talking to the tv crews and media, being hassled by fans and guests on the grid and then you have to jump in the car right there and then and perform the highest risk part of the day in the start of the race. Flexibility and adaptability.
And the Australian Grand Prix proved that again with the many Red Flags. For a driver this means coming into the pit lane, jumping out of the car, talking with engineers, team principals, strategists, being followed by tv cameras. Deciding whether the time frame is enough to take on food or drink, or go to the toilet, because we only get a 10 minute warning to get back in the car and go, and that will mean getting kitted up again and getting in the car. And then how do you prepare yourself to go again….do you warm up? Do you work through some mental strategies? Is the warm up lap enough….it might have to be. Flexibility and adaptability.
Australian Grand Prix
Track Insights
The Australian Grand Prix is one of the most exciting events in the Formula One calendar. The race takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, on a temporary street circuit that is 5.278km long and has 14 turns. The track is known for its medium to high speed, which increases the jeopardy for drivers on a bumpy street circuit.
One of the most challenging aspects of the Australian Grand Prix track is the amount of time that drivers spend on the brakes. Approximately 18% of a lap is spent braking, with nine hard braking points throughout the circuit. Engineers will be closely monitoring the impact on the brakes throughout the race, as the brakes are put under a lot of strain.
Turn 1 is one of the trickiest parts of the circuit, as drivers need to brake from 325kph down to 140kph in just 115 meters. This creates a negative G-force for 5.2G within 2 seconds. This is a huge amount of force, and drivers need to have strong neck extensors to be able to handle it. The lateral neck flexors also come into play on this circuit, as the G force on the neck can get up to 5.4G with the new turn 9/10. This is a fast left-right sweeper with an approach speed of over 330kph, and drivers will experience the highest point at this turn. This creates an approximate force of 37.8kg through the head and neck lateral, which is completed 58 times on race day.
Overall, the Australian Grand Prix is a challenging and exciting race that tests the limits of drivers and their cars. The unique features of the circuit, including the numerous hard braking points and high-speed turns, make it a favourite among fans and drivers alike. As the race unfolds, fans around the world will be watching to see who can handle the demands of the track and emerge victorious.
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