Behind every successful Formula One driver, there is an equally strong team backing him. For Max Verstappen, one member in his corner is performance coach Brad Scanes. In this capacity, Scanes is always present at every Grand Prix to keep Max in peak form.

He even spoke about how the Dutchman stayed in shape for the 2021 season. According to Scanes, the COVID-19 lockdown has been useful for Max and himself. The restrictions limited travel and also reduced media and marketing obligations. This left Verstappen plenty of free time to train for the new season.

The Englishman said, “We do most of the work before the season. Once the first Grand Prix has taken place, it is all about maintaining that fitness.

“During back-to-back races, there will be no hard training in between, because you have to recover and be fit for the next race.

“In the pre-season it is about six to seven weeks, with about six sessions per week. Usually a few days with two training sessions and a few with one, with the occasional day off.”

What does Max Verstappen do during his training sessions?

Scanes revealed that he focuses on different ways of training. For one, he emphasizes cardiovascular training and developing the upper and lower body, as well as the neck. Secondly, he has also incorporated an intensive training regime, owing to the peaks in the heart rate.

To be perfectly honest, one of the most important body parts is the driver’s neck. This is because they have to endure up to 6G forces when driving into a corner. Obviously, Max Verstappen and his fellow rivals have to be prepared to tackle that. Since the drivers cannot achieve this in the car in the pre-season, they train using a device with elastic bands to exert force in every direction.

Brad Scanes also confessed that Verstappen does not have any favorite exercises. This is because the young Dutchman does not treat training as a hobby. However, he knows that it is necessary and is very disciplined. On the other hand, if he was given a choice, he would prefer to run and train with the weights at home.

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