This weekend marks the 24-hour Le Mans race, but how do drivers manage their sleep during stints? And how do they ensure they’re fit before getting back behind the wheel? “Everyone has their own approach,” says driver Jeroen Bleekemolen in the podcast Formula 1 Paddock Talk.
“The biggest challenge is replenishing your body,” says Bleekemolen, who has competed in an impressive 75 24-hour races throughout his career. “You often drive stints of 2 to 3 hours, especially at Le Mans, and you can lose a few kilograms due to the exertion and sweating. You need to replenish this with food and drink. Afterwards, you try to rest, to give your eyes a break.”
Bleekemolen’s Approach to Endurance Racing
Bleekemolen himself admits that he finds it difficult to sleep during such races due to the noise on the circuit and the adrenaline rush. “But some people are better at this than others. And once you fall asleep, it’s also hard to wake up. Some drivers, especially the new generation, start warming up on an exercise bike and do reaction training with lights. I don’t do this because I want to use as little energy as possible between stints. And because of the adrenaline, I don’t need all these extra things.”
Disagreement with the Physiotherapist
Not everyone agrees with this method, as evidenced by a story from Bleekemolen. “Once, because a driver in our team dropped out, I drove the maximum driving time of 14 hours during a 24-hour race. Then the physiotherapist came to wake me up in the middle of the night to put me on a bike and do those light games. I got really angry and kicked him out of the trailer! I didn’t want to see him again, because I really needed some peace at that time. And my brain definitely switches on when I’m racing at 300 kilometers per hour.”
