Lando Norris says F1's current generation of ground-effect cars has taken its toll on his lower back, forcing him to work with a physio for the very first time while also limiting specific physical activities outside of F1.
Formula 1's regulation change at the start of 2022 saw the concept of ground-effects brought back into the sport, whereby a car's downforce is mainly generated by its underside and floor.
But for the complex designs to work as efficiently as possible, cars need to be run as close as possible to the ground and as stiff as possible.
Beyond the porpoising and handling issues generated by the aero approach, and which were ever-present last season, the cars' ultra-stiff set-ups have made for an uncomfortable ride for drivers.
For Norris, the physical ordeal since last year has been about nursing the pain in his lower back.
"I wouldn’t say no, if we could have softer cars or something that makes it a bit more like it was in ’19, ’20, ‘21," admitted the McLaren driver.
"I’ve struggled a lot with my back. I’ve had to make quite a few seats and do a lot more training just to try and strengthen my back, my lower back.
"I’ve had a lot of issues over the last 12 months or so."
For Norris, solving or mitigating his back issues has led to big changes in his physical preparation and even in his lifestyle as the Briton has significantly reduced his hours of golfing.
"It obviously was worse last year than it is this year," he added when asked more about the issues he has had by Speedcafe.
"Every year until last year, I could get away with just hopping in the car and not doing any physio in a way. Not the best thing. I always did it, but I could get away with it.
"Now I have to do it [physio]. I have to stretch, I have to do all these things morning and evening, before every session. If I don’t then I always struggle a lot more with my back.
"It’s not just racing. It is just other things," he added. "It’s just something that I’ve had to work on in general anyway but it’s definitely not helped by some of the changes on the car last couple of years.
"It got to quite a bad point last year. Every day I was struggling; struggling with sleep and everything, just in constant pain.
"Now I’m in a much better position but I’m also limiting a lot more things around it, you know, doing more stretching all those things.
"Even like golf, I’m playing a lot less golf just because of my back."
Haas' Nico Hulkenberg who returned to F1 this season after several years on the sidelines also noted the much stiffer set-ups of the current machines.
"The cars are definitely super, super stiff, the stiffest I’ve ever driven and witnessed in my time in F1," commented the German.
"Most drivers feel it’s something we would like to work on. It also limits you sometimes in races when you want to offset yourself, getting out of dirty air, you can’t use many kerbs because of stiffness.
"So it just limits what you can on lines, racing lines, etc. So, it is tricky. There is some, you know, some difficulties with that for sure.
"Pain, I don’t have [any] but you know, obviously that’s very different, everybody’s built different, everybody has a different seating position. But yeah, they are very, very stiff."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc said that he wasn't particularly inconvenienced by the stiff ride of today's cars.
"No. For me, I really don’t mind. I don’t know. I’ve never been sensitive to that," he said.
"Even the porpoising wasn’t something that was really disturbing me. I don’t know why. But yeah, for me, it’s fine."
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