Physio Cullen back on the podium in IndyCar

Lewis Hamilton’s former physio Angela Cullen who worked for over seven years with the seven-time F1 world champion, enjoyed the spoils of the podium once again last weekend in Detroit.

After a period out of the spotlight following her split with Hamilton, Cullen re-emerged this season in the world of IndyCar, working alongside fellow Kiwi Marcus Armstrong.

In last Sunday’s Detroit Grand Prix, Armstrong charged from 20th on the grid to third at the checkered in the chaotic event, claiming his first career podium in the NTT IndyCar Series.

While the 23-year-old obviously does the hard lifting out on the track, Armstrong – who desperately needed to improve his physical fitness ahead of his first full season in IndyCar – is delighted with the result of Cullen’s input and work.

“She has all the experience in the world,” Armstrong told PA. “She’s seen championships won, she’s seen how it’s done by Mercedes and all of that.

“So having her on board is a source of inspiration and guidance and motivation.

“We’ve been working together not that long and I don’t even know how I managed races without her.

“Because she helps me to first off eliminate the distractions, because there’s so many distractions in this sport.

“And our whole goal is performance driven. If it’s not delivering performance, then we’re not going to do it.

“So she’s very much a guiding force when it comes to what we do on a daily basis. She’s not exactly a physio, let’s say. She’s more than that.

“And if it’s not delivering lap time, we’re not going to do it, plain and simple.

“We’re still finding our feet. We’re still getting that foundation set.

“But ultimately we want to build a routine and a work ethic that is sustainable to where we can challenge for race wins and championships for years on end.

“To also have the reassurance from her that she’s obviously seen championships won before, that this is the right way to go about it — we’re on a journey.”