Lewis Hamilton & George Russell’s $2,000 Bedroom Secret to High Performance

F1 drivers train hard to endure the g-forces they have to go through during GPs. They eat right, drink right, and exercise. But F1 is a sport of marginal gains. Lewis Hamilton & Co. have found their next weapon.

Hamilton has been having a disastrous season, at least going by Hamilton’s standards. The driver who was on course to win his 8th World Championship until the last lap at the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021, has not shone yet.

He is struggling to keep up pace with his partner George Russell and other drivers like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In 16 races, he hasn’t had one race win. If the next 6 don’t get him one, it’ll be his first winless season in F1. But as things stand, Mercedes is leaving no stone unturned to change their fate. 

Mercedes have help from Eight Sleep, a sleep technology company, to provide an extra edge for their drivers. The company produces sleep pods costing $2334. These pods have sensors that track sleep quality, movement, and body vitals while also regulating body temperature – to provide the best sleep to the athletes.

Principal Toto Wolff said, “Our team is made up of over 2,000 people, all of whom perform at their peak every day in a sport where every single detail matters. To achieve the level of performance required, we are relentless in exploring all possible optimizations, including sleep.”

Russell’s performance coach believes the pod has shown results for the Briton. “Since George started using Eight Sleep, his heart rate variability has gone up and heart rate has gone down, which I’m pleased to see. We can push him more in training when he sleeps well,” said his coach.

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The importance of sleep in recovery is not a new concept. It might seem silly to outsiders, but the smallest changes bring big rewards in elite sports.

Lewis Hamilton follows a strict regime for training

The taxing nature of F1 is well known. The high G-forces that a driver has to endure are equivalent to that of a fighter pilot. Drivers follow carefully curated plans to maintain their superhuman fitness levels.

Studies have shown that during a race, drivers have a constant heartbeat of 160 bpm. That is 160 bpm for 90 minutes. Moreover, the neck muscles of drivers are stretched to the point of breakage.

Hamilton said “Formula 1 drivers can’t be too heavy: more muscle means more kilos. It’s also disadvantageous to put too much muscle on your shoulders and arms, because you need to have a low centre of gravity in the car… These days, I do lots of pilates, focusing on the core – the muscles beneath the muscles.”

Lewis is also one of the few athletes who have shifted to a plant-based diet. He believes, “I’ve also noticed a marked improvement in my fitness level since I switched [to a vegan diet], which is motivating.”

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Perseverance is a very important part to reach the top. Lewis is the perfect specimen of unbound perseverance and spirit. He understands what’s best for him, like the Eight Sleep pod.