Interview: Daniel Ricciardo's Physio-Trainer Michael Italiano

In one of our summer break specials, we bring to you an in-depth interview with Daniel Ricciardo's trainer, Michael Italiano.

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Michael, who has been friends with Daniel since they were both aged 12 years, shares how Formula 1 drivers deal with the pressure & negativity that comes with their profession. Michael explains the 'jet lag protocol' that he has in place for Ricciardo - to help cope with flyaway races that after held in different timezones. He also explains how drivers maintain immunity through the long racing calendars & more. 

This episode was recorded a few days before the 2022 British Grand Prix and was scheduled for a summer break release. Our regulars would remember snippets from this interview in our 2022 British Grand Prix preview episode.

Tune in!

(Season 2022, Episode 47)

Follow our hosts: Sundaram Ramaswami, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Mclaren

# Inside Line F1 Podcast: Michael Italiano, Daniel Ricciardo's Trainer

**Introduction**

- Michael Italiano, Daniel Ricciardo's trainer, joins the podcast to discuss the physical and mental aspects of Formula One racing.
- Michael has been friends with Daniel since they were 12 years old.

**Mental Well-being**

- Michael emphasizes the importance of a healthy internal environment and a trustworthy team for drivers to lean on during challenging times.
- He acts as a sounding board and a mental coach for Daniel, providing support and advice.
- Daniel vents on Wednesdays to clear his mind before focusing on the race weekend.

**Physical Training**

- Michael tailors Daniel's physical training to the demands of different races.
- Factors considered include heat, altitude, jet lag, travel time, and the physicality of the track.
- High-demand races include Miami, Saudi Arabia, Budapest, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.

**Immunity and Jet Lag Protocols**

- Maintaining immunity is crucial for drivers with a long and demanding racing calendar.
- Michael highlights the importance of consistent jet lag protocols to help drivers adjust to different time zones quickly.
- Key elements of jet lag protocols include meal timings, light exposure, caffeine timing, and exercise.

**Adaptation to the New Formula One Cars**

- Michael explains that the new Formula One cars are quicker and require more physical strength.
- Drivers need to be in top physical condition to handle the increased G-forces and cornering speeds.
- The new cars have introduced the phenomenon of porpoising, which can cause headaches and lower back pain in drivers.

**Recovery from Porpoising**

- Michael focuses on recovery and massage to help Daniel alleviate pain caused by porpoising.
- He emphasizes the importance of keeping Daniel moving and avoiding prolonged rest.
- The team is confident that teams will find solutions to minimize porpoising in the future.

**Conclusion**

- Michael expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to share insights into the role of a Formula One trainer.
- He looks forward to discussing more aspects of driver training, performance, and recovery in future episodes.

[00:00.000 -> 00:24.480] Hey folks, welcome to the first of many special summer episodes right here on the InsideLineF1
[00:24.480 -> 00:25.120] podcast. Yes, the races might be over in Donm here on the InsideLineF1 podcast.
[00:25.120 -> 00:29.480] Yes, the races might be over and done with for the next three weeks, but the content
[00:29.480 -> 00:35.080] and the fun and the energy just never stops on the InsideLineF1 podcast and we can't wait
[00:35.080 -> 00:39.640] to share all the episodes that we've recorded in this particular summer break and trust
[00:39.640 -> 00:41.120] me they're going to be a lot of fun.
[00:41.120 -> 00:46.080] So to stay up to date with them, don't forget to subscribe to the Inside Lion F1 podcast.
[00:46.080 -> 00:49.280] But now on to the subject of today's episode.
[00:49.280 -> 00:55.440] Kunal has recently been chatting to Michael Italiano, who officially is known as the physiotherapist
[00:55.440 -> 00:56.600] of Daniel Ricciardo.
[00:56.600 -> 01:01.400] But I genuinely find it very, very hard to call him just that because Michael's role
[01:01.400 -> 01:03.360] is very much broader than that.
[01:03.360 -> 01:04.820] It's so encompassing.
[01:04.820 -> 01:09.460] And he will be explaining us exactly what he does with Daniel over the course of this particular episode
[01:09.680 -> 01:13.320] But that's not the only thing he talks about over the course of this episode
[01:13.520 -> 01:18.440] Michael also talks to us about a fresh term that I'm sure not many of us might have heard about
[01:18.680 -> 01:20.960] It's called jet lag protocols
[01:20.960 -> 01:29.400] And he says it's one of the more important things in maintaining the health and fitness and the sharpness of all Formula One drivers throughout the season.
[01:29.400 -> 01:34.000] Apart from that we also discuss how much of an impact Paupersing has had in terms of changing
[01:34.000 -> 01:39.560] the preparation of all the Formula One drivers and most importantly for this particular moment
[01:39.560 -> 01:44.560] he discusses how Daniel tackles all of his career challenges mentally and that of course
[01:44.560 -> 01:45.680] as we all know is very
[01:45.680 -> 01:50.400] very relevant to the particular situation that Daniel unfortunately finds himself to be in.
[01:50.400 -> 01:55.360] So how does Daniel do that? How does he look at his challenges and more often than not end up
[01:56.000 -> 02:00.720] winning against him? That is exactly what Kunal has been discussing with Michael. Here we go.
[02:03.040 -> 02:07.240] All right so big hello and welcome to Michael Italiano.
[02:07.240 -> 02:10.280] We've had him before on video, not so much on audio,
[02:10.280 -> 02:12.960] but it's great to have you on the show, Michael.
[02:12.960 -> 02:17.320] Thank you so much for spending time with me this morning
[02:17.320 -> 02:20.800] to talk about the role of a physio
[02:20.800 -> 02:23.360] when it comes to Formula One drivers
[02:23.360 -> 02:26.760] and these extra long seasons that we're seeing.
[02:26.760 -> 02:30.180] And Michael, I guess a lot of that also comes
[02:30.180 -> 02:31.880] with his mental wellbeing.
[02:31.880 -> 02:34.100] And that's something you said at the start of,
[02:34.100 -> 02:36.360] you know, at the start of our conversation as well,
[02:36.360 -> 02:40.840] that you also end up acting as a mental coach as well.
[02:40.840 -> 02:43.660] Anything you can elaborate a little more on that?
[02:43.660 -> 02:46.760] Like, you know, given the pressure and the constant
[02:46.760 -> 02:49.900] always on social media, especially all the criticism
[02:49.900 -> 02:52.960] that could come one's way, how do drivers end up coping
[02:52.960 -> 02:55.960] with so much of pressure?
[02:55.960 -> 02:58.280] Yeah, thanks for having me on, Kunal.
[02:58.280 -> 02:59.880] It's nice to speak to you.
[02:59.880 -> 03:03.240] And yeah, I think having a healthy internal environment
[03:03.240 -> 03:05.720] and a healthy team, internal team,
[03:05.720 -> 03:08.600] it definitely helps, you know, where you, you know, because there's going to become
[03:08.600 -> 03:13.600] a time in your life, whether you're an athlete or just, you know, a normal person working
[03:13.600 -> 03:17.400] nine to five where, you know, you're going to need times where you're going to need to
[03:17.400 -> 03:19.080] lean on people and ask for advice.
[03:19.080 -> 03:23.480] And that's, that's kind of where, you know, we come in as coaches where, you know, you
[03:23.480 -> 03:26.600] can be a sounding board and when they need a vent,
[03:26.600 -> 03:28.400] it's that you're there to let them vent.
[03:28.400 -> 03:31.280] And when they want a different opinion
[03:31.280 -> 03:35.200] or a different, I guess, look on something,
[03:35.200 -> 03:37.960] they can come to you for your advice.
[03:37.960 -> 03:41.840] And I think that's definitely very, very important
[03:41.840 -> 03:43.880] to make sure that you have a very close
[03:43.880 -> 03:49.040] and trustworthy internal team where you can lean on them at times. Because, yeah, being a professional
[03:49.040 -> 03:53.520] athlete, it's a high-pressure environment, right? You know, it's a lot of eyes on you,
[03:53.520 -> 03:59.560] a lot of expectations, especially Formula One. So, I think that's making sure that you are
[03:59.560 -> 04:05.000] very open and trustworthy and willing to listen is a big one.
[04:06.260 -> 04:09.900] I think that's a big, big part of, I guess, being a coach.
[04:09.900 -> 04:12.420] And then, you know, there are things that we focus on
[04:12.420 -> 04:16.040] throughout the race weekend where, you know,
[04:16.040 -> 04:19.520] mentally getting him in the zone, you know,
[04:19.520 -> 04:21.840] usually on a Wednesday, I like for him to vent
[04:21.840 -> 04:23.840] on the Wednesday of anything that's bothering him
[04:23.840 -> 04:25.160] or anything that he wants to get off his chest
[04:25.160 -> 04:29.120] So that way then come Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it's full focus on the race
[04:29.400 -> 04:29.920] Yeah
[04:29.920 -> 04:36.160] and you know the other visual was this very famous meme of Daniel wearing a headset and just grooving to music and
[04:36.480 -> 04:42.160] Some of these things that you know drivers do pre-session to sort of get into the zone and the likes and I believe
[04:42.440 -> 04:46.280] If I remember correctly you actually have been friends with Daniel
[04:46.280 -> 04:47.440] since many, many years.
[04:47.440 -> 04:50.280] So falling into this role and fitting in
[04:50.280 -> 04:53.360] was probably easier for you as well, Michael.
[04:53.360 -> 04:56.200] Yeah, yeah, I've known Daniel since I was 12.
[04:57.440 -> 05:00.400] So I think, yes, getting,
[05:00.400 -> 05:03.840] initially getting into the role was a bit easier
[05:03.840 -> 05:06.400] because we were friends, but it also had its,
[05:06.400 -> 05:11.920] you know, it had its tweaking phase where, you know, I had to kind of understand when to put
[05:11.920 -> 05:16.560] my friend hat on, but also when to put my coaching hat on. And then Daniel also had to get used to
[05:17.520 -> 05:23.280] understanding when I'm coaching him and when I understand when I'm his friend. And I think
[05:23.280 -> 05:25.040] that, so the transition was definitely, I would probably say easier. I mean, I'm his friend. And I think that so the transition was definitely,
[05:25.040 -> 05:29.520] I would probably say easier. I mean, I don't know, I haven't been in a different circumstance, but
[05:29.520 -> 05:34.400] there were definitely aspects of the relationship that we definitely needed to, I guess,
[05:34.400 -> 05:40.240] get accustomed to both of us. That's very interesting to know, given how, you know,
[05:40.240 -> 05:46.740] I remember growing up to listening to stories of Balbir Singh spent more time with Michael Schumacher
[05:46.740 -> 05:50.100] through a season than the Schumacher family itself.
[05:50.100 -> 05:52.740] So I'm guessing, if you've already been friends
[05:52.740 -> 05:55.160] since before, it's probably easier.
[05:55.160 -> 05:57.940] And I recollect when you all traveled to Australia,
[05:57.940 -> 06:02.780] you all actually ended up isolating yourselves
[06:02.780 -> 06:06.160] in a hotel room or in a hotel at least for a long time.
[06:06.160 -> 06:10.560] So having a friend at that time is probably a big benefit.
[06:10.560 -> 06:17.600] But we've seen how teams have different setup packages and different car parts for different races of the season,
[06:17.600 -> 06:19.640] depending on the requirements.
[06:19.640 -> 06:20.960] Is it a high speed circuit?
[06:20.960 -> 06:25.340] Is it a high downforce circuit and and a low downforce circuit, and so on.
[06:26.760 -> 06:29.840] Do you also sort of have a sort of gradation
[06:29.840 -> 06:34.560] that races and what's the physical demands
[06:34.560 -> 06:35.920] that they place on the driver,
[06:35.920 -> 06:38.880] and the degree of those demands sort of dictate
[06:38.880 -> 06:40.880] how you would end up training Daniel.
[06:40.880 -> 06:43.300] So just like how engineers and mechanics
[06:43.300 -> 06:44.200] have different setups,
[06:44.200 -> 06:48.680] do you also have different grades of, you know, physical training that Daniel has to
[06:48.680 -> 06:50.600] go through before you go to a race?
[06:50.600 -> 06:57.540] Yeah, that's a great question. And to answer your question, yes, heat, heat is a big one.
[06:57.540 -> 07:03.360] So if we know we're going to a hot race, we will do some heat acclimation training prior
[07:03.360 -> 07:06.240] to getting used to the climate we're about to enter.
[07:07.840 -> 07:14.880] Altitude is another big one. If we know we're going to a place like Mexico where you're quite
[07:14.880 -> 07:26.400] a long, long way above sea level, that can also play a part on your endurance. So that's another factor that we take into consideration. The jet lag,
[07:27.760 -> 07:33.200] and the travel time are kind of together. So how big the time difference is and how many
[07:33.200 -> 07:39.040] hours in the air have we been in to get to that country? And then yeah, the physicality of the
[07:39.040 -> 07:46.820] track. There's different tracks that are a lot more physical, Saudi and Miami being two obvious ones that are
[07:46.820 -> 07:53.780] extremely physical on the neck. And Miami was very physical from a climate perspective
[07:53.780 -> 07:58.860] and a track perspective. I'm going to say that probably will be the most physical track
[07:58.860 -> 08:06.480] on the calendar if it stays where it is based on where it is at the moment in May, very hot, very humid,
[08:07.440 -> 08:12.560] and the track is also very physical. So, I think, yeah, there's a lot of parameters there
[08:12.560 -> 08:18.880] that I'll take into consideration to prep for that particular race. Abu Dhabi is another tough
[08:18.880 -> 08:24.720] one. Singapore is another tough one. But yeah, I guess that's what my job is, right? To think
[08:24.720 -> 08:25.680] ahead and make sure he's prepared for those races. But those are, yeah, I guess that's what my job is, right? To think ahead and make sure
[08:25.680 -> 08:29.480] he's prepared for those races. But those are, yeah, I'd say those are probably
[08:29.480 -> 08:34.080] the main elements that I focus on. And hence, which is probably the most
[08:34.080 -> 08:41.920] physically demanding races on the calendar? Miami and Saudi, I would
[08:41.920 -> 08:45.280] probably put those two. And Budapapest if Budapest gets really hot
[08:45.280 -> 08:50.800] at the start of August that's also a tough one but if I had to round out a
[08:50.800 -> 08:55.120] top five I would probably throw Singapore in there and probably Abu Dhabi.
[08:55.120 -> 08:59.840] I actually was wondering where Silverstone would line up on on the list
[08:59.840 -> 09:03.640] of you know physically demanding races but I guess drivers have driven there so
[09:03.640 -> 09:06.860] much that you almost don't feel it is as physical as some of the demanding races. But I guess drivers have driven there so much that you almost don't feel it as physical
[09:06.860 -> 09:08.100] as some of the other races.
[09:08.100 -> 09:09.800] And the weather is probably,
[09:09.800 -> 09:13.520] the mixed weather probably helps settle in as well.
[09:13.520 -> 09:17.440] Something that I personally wanted to know about,
[09:17.440 -> 09:18.840] is specific to immunity.
[09:18.840 -> 09:23.160] I mean, we're looking at 22, 24, 25 races
[09:23.160 -> 09:24.600] that's being discussed.
[09:24.600 -> 09:27.980] Now an average human, and I'm speaking more about myself here,
[09:27.980 -> 09:31.980] you tend to pick up a flu, you fall sick, you have kids going to school,
[09:31.980 -> 09:35.980] bringing home viruses, etc. Various things that you know,
[09:35.980 -> 09:39.980] you could just tend to fall sick. Now how is it that a driver
[09:39.980 -> 09:43.980] actually is capable of maintaining such high immunity
[09:43.980 -> 09:45.840] and not falling sick, basically,
[09:46.800 -> 09:52.400] and, you know, being able to be 100% in shape for such long calendars?
[09:53.120 -> 09:58.480] Yeah, it's extremely tough. And what people have to realize is it's their job, right? So
[09:58.480 -> 10:03.280] their job is to technically stay healthy. So I guess that's another role that we play,
[10:06.640 -> 10:11.760] stay healthy. So, I guess that's another role that we play is ensuring that they're following consistent jet lag protocols to get onto the correct time zone as quick as possible.
[10:13.440 -> 10:18.720] General hygiene habits as well. So, wearing face masks on planes, using hand sanitizer on planes,
[10:20.480 -> 10:26.960] making sure you're choosing appropriate food options when you're in unfamiliar countries
[10:26.960 -> 10:30.480] that your body might not be able to tolerate
[10:30.480 -> 10:32.760] because obviously being Westerners,
[10:32.760 -> 10:35.860] we're very sensitive to particular foods,
[10:35.860 -> 10:37.960] which is something that you have to accept.
[10:38.840 -> 10:42.480] Sleep is a massive one, sleep,
[10:42.480 -> 10:44.720] getting sunlight, getting vitamin D.
[10:44.720 -> 10:47.840] So it's these basic lifestyle principles that
[10:47.840 -> 10:52.800] really go a long, long way to being healthy. And supplementation is another big one that
[10:52.800 -> 10:59.040] we really stick to, making sure you're getting in your healthy vitamins, eating very well, so
[10:59.040 -> 11:06.400] nutritional dense foods. And it's all these things that add up to keeping yourself healthy and in tune and
[11:06.400 -> 11:11.920] most importantly sharp to be prepared to race. I'm going to ask you a question a little deeper
[11:11.920 -> 11:17.760] about jet lag protocols. I've actually heard of jet lag but not about jet lag protocols.
[11:17.760 -> 11:22.800] Is that something you could explain a little more in detail given that we've just had
[11:22.800 -> 11:25.600] back-to-back races, fly-away races. Of
[11:25.600 -> 11:31.760] course, now the calendar is more in the European section of the season, but I'd love to hear more
[11:31.760 -> 11:37.360] about a jet lag protocol. Yeah, I mean, when we're going from European race to European race,
[11:37.360 -> 11:45.360] it definitely makes it a lot easier. But, Baku to Canada is a big one, It's an eight-hour time zone difference. And generally speaking,
[11:45.360 -> 11:52.560] it takes one day per one hour to get used to. So, for an eight-hour time difference,
[11:52.560 -> 12:01.120] it should take eight days to fully climatize to the time zone. So, you could say it was physically
[12:02.960 -> 12:08.840] impossible to be fully in the time zone by the Sunday of the race in Montreal but so you know so
[12:08.840 -> 12:11.400] that's one thing you have to consider when the jet lag protocol is the time
[12:11.400 -> 12:14.800] difference so you know if it is a four-hour time difference you want to
[12:14.800 -> 12:18.400] get or four or five hour time difference you want to get to that particular
[12:18.400 -> 12:24.000] region you know four or five days prior to the race right and then there are
[12:24.000 -> 12:25.280] systems in place that you know that there are systems in place that, you know,
[12:25.280 -> 12:28.960] there are some key parameters that you need to focus on when it comes to jet lag protocols is
[12:28.960 -> 12:35.520] meal timings. So, getting onto the, you know, meal timings onto as early as quick as possible to
[12:35.520 -> 12:42.720] the actual time zone you're traveling to. Light exposure. So, making sure that, you know, when
[12:42.720 -> 12:47.980] it is you are getting the light exposure when needed. So first thing in the morning go get yourself 10
[12:47.980 -> 12:52.720] minutes of light and then dimming all your lights by 6 p.m. that night. Caffeine
[12:52.720 -> 12:57.200] timing is another powerful powerful way to get yourself onto the time zone so
[12:57.200 -> 13:01.800] you can you can really do some some fantastic things with caffeine to get
[13:01.800 -> 13:06.320] yourself onto the time zone and exercise. Exercise works very, very well
[13:07.280 -> 13:13.680] within a jet lag protocol to transition your body to getting it winding down and ready for sleep
[13:13.680 -> 13:19.760] when need be. So, these are probably the four or five key elements that we focus on and that we use
[13:20.640 -> 13:26.480] when getting onto time zones. Baku and Canada being a very difficult one,
[13:26.480 -> 13:28.240] and I think we got some tricky ones coming up,
[13:28.240 -> 13:32.040] you know, Singapore into Japan is another tricky one.
[13:33.240 -> 13:37.520] So yeah, it's not something we're unfamiliar with,
[13:37.520 -> 13:39.080] it's just something that you,
[13:39.080 -> 13:42.400] it's probably the most important aspect of racing,
[13:42.400 -> 13:48.000] is making sure that you get that right. Wow, I actually had a visual of you
[13:48.000 -> 13:52.000] waking up Daniel at 2 in the morning saying, alright Daniel, sorry, I know you need to sleep
[13:52.000 -> 13:56.000] but it's time to eat breakfast and acclimatise to the
[13:56.000 -> 14:00.000] time zone. I wouldn't do that.
[14:00.000 -> 14:04.000] I'd be a grumpy Daniel if I did that.
[14:04.000 -> 14:07.080] I don't think I've ever seen a grumpy Daniel.
[14:07.080 -> 14:13.200] I mean, he's one of the chirpiest characters in the paddock, I must say.
[14:13.200 -> 14:19.800] But sticking to the 2022 cars, we've known that these cars are much quicker,
[14:19.800 -> 14:21.520] especially when it comes to cornering.
[14:21.520 -> 14:25.560] They are heavier to drive, pretty much of a handful.
[14:25.560 -> 14:28.200] Any more physical, I mean, is Daniel
[14:28.200 -> 14:30.680] needing to train more to tackle these cars
[14:30.680 -> 14:32.120] than the previous era of cars?
[14:32.120 -> 14:34.760] Of course, keeping purposing aside.
[14:34.760 -> 14:37.480] No, not really, because every year,
[14:37.480 -> 14:43.760] taking away the new, I guess, setup of the cars,
[14:43.760 -> 14:46.080] every year, it's such an innovative sport, right? So, every year,
[14:46.080 -> 14:51.360] the cars are getting quicker no matter what's being reinforced. So, we kind of, we always had
[14:51.360 -> 14:56.240] the same mindset that whatever our PBs are the year before, we need to better them, right? Because
[14:56.240 -> 15:00.000] there's going to be, these cars are going to be faster. They're going to have more downforce.
[15:00.800 -> 15:04.560] And, you know, when you've got more downforce and you've got, you know, more quicker cornering,
[15:04.560 -> 15:07.500] you know, you're going to experience more G-force on the body, on the neck.
[15:07.500 -> 15:13.580] So our attitude didn't change at all in this pre-season and it won't change for next season.
[15:13.580 -> 15:21.420] The concept is the same, that the cars are getting quicker. So physically, we need to get better every year.
[15:21.420 -> 15:26.960] Irrespective of whatever the car is going to be, we've got to make sure that we are as physically tip top
[15:26.960 -> 15:28.560] in shape as one can be.
[15:28.560 -> 15:31.080] And you've spent a lot of years with Daniel.
[15:31.080 -> 15:34.320] And just the way drivers are adapting to the newer
[15:34.320 -> 15:38.600] cars from this year, you've made that adaptation as well.
[15:38.600 -> 15:41.120] And we've heard how these cars are far different
[15:41.120 -> 15:42.720] from their predecessors.
[15:42.720 -> 15:46.400] But sticking to a comparison, you know, did any of
[15:46.400 -> 15:51.680] the previous era of Formula One cars that Daniel has driven suffer from porpoising at any point?
[15:51.680 -> 15:56.400] From what I'm aware of, no, no. There was, there was from the previous eras, I mean,
[15:56.400 -> 16:10.000] I've been with Daniel since start of 18 and I haven't seen any of these characteristics that we're seeing this year be similar within 18, 19, 20 or 21.
[16:10.000 -> 16:14.000] So clearly it is the ground effect cars that are a bit more of a handful.
[16:14.000 -> 16:19.000] And I assume that they're also laying more emphasis on the role of a physio this season.
[16:19.000 -> 16:29.360] I mean, with the porpoising and all the effects that you had to train for, especially then with the recovery and the likes. Do you sort of have to do more work with Daniel through the course
[16:29.360 -> 16:36.320] of a season? And we've got back-to-back races, so recovery time is also not as much as before,
[16:36.320 -> 16:37.320] I guess.
[16:37.320 -> 16:45.520] Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say we're more important this year than any other year. I think definitely if people understand the role of a coach, it's a very
[16:47.200 -> 16:52.720] diverse role, from strength and conditioning, from the nutrition, from preparing them to race,
[16:53.680 -> 16:59.120] being a sounding board, and even just being a mental coach for them and helping them through
[16:59.760 -> 17:07.120] the tough times and the pressures that Formula One bring. And that's not just the internal pressure,
[17:07.120 -> 17:08.800] like the external pressures are massive as well.
[17:08.800 -> 17:10.960] But we talked about 23 races,
[17:10.960 -> 17:15.200] I think jet lag itself is just a massive pressure itself.
[17:15.200 -> 17:18.720] So yeah, I wouldn't say I'm doing more work
[17:18.720 -> 17:21.160] than the year prior, to be honest.
[17:21.160 -> 17:22.120] I think if anything,
[17:22.120 -> 17:25.600] it's getting a little bit easier pre-COVID. I felt
[17:25.600 -> 17:31.760] the COVID years were quite difficult because of the restrictions on traveling and our requirements
[17:31.760 -> 17:36.880] and what we needed to do in order to get to one place to the other and how restricted we were
[17:36.880 -> 17:43.280] within the constraints of a hotel. So, I actually found that was more difficult than this year. I
[17:43.280 -> 17:45.920] think this year is actually becoming more normal.
[17:47.360 -> 17:49.880] So yeah, I'm actually, I think this is more enjoyable
[17:49.880 -> 17:52.440] to be honest, putting the porpoising out of it.
[17:52.440 -> 17:54.200] Yeah, hopefully they find a solution
[17:54.200 -> 17:57.440] and it sort of goes away soon enough for the drivers
[17:57.440 -> 18:02.440] as well as you guys, because I'm sure it's something new
[18:03.880 -> 18:05.100] that you have to cope with.
[18:05.100 -> 18:08.240] And like we discussed just before recording,
[18:08.240 -> 18:10.000] even Kevin McNewson's trainer said,
[18:10.000 -> 18:11.880] yeah, it is a sort of a safety thing,
[18:12.840 -> 18:17.940] because you sort of tend to feel your car from your lower back.
[18:17.940 -> 18:21.640] But which is the most popular topic,
[18:21.640 -> 18:24.980] it's like the buzzword for the season, porpoising.
[18:25.520 -> 18:32.480] the most popular topic, it's like the buzzword for the season, you know, porpoising, you know, what are the effects that you have seen on drivers and more specifically Daniel Ricciardo
[18:32.480 -> 18:38.720] this season when it comes to porpoising? Yes, porpoising has been the hot topic this year for
[18:38.720 -> 18:46.440] sure. Lucky enough for McLaren, they didn't experience porpoising the first five, six rounds.
[18:46.440 -> 18:49.640] So we were one of the teams who were kind of
[18:49.640 -> 18:51.840] outside the limelight when it came to porpoising
[18:51.840 -> 18:55.600] and Mercedes and Ferrari were kind of the more
[18:55.600 -> 19:00.140] aggressive cars that showcased the aggressive porpoising.
[19:01.160 -> 19:08.560] However, I will say as of Baku, McLaren have made some changes and the
[19:08.560 -> 19:10.080] porpoising has started to occur.
[19:10.760 -> 19:15.240] And what I have noticed is that it does impact the driver.
[19:15.240 -> 19:21.480] I mean, it's very, very, I think, clear and predominantly obvious when the
[19:21.480 -> 19:24.400] athletes are getting out of the car that you can see that they're in a
[19:24.400 -> 19:31.180] little bit of discomfort. I think Baku was a great example of how extreme the paupusing
[19:31.180 -> 19:38.880] can be. I think that's as worse as it will get for the season when it comes to paupusing.
[19:38.880 -> 19:46.200] I also think, yeah, Daniel, I mean, I can only comment based on my driver, of course.
[19:46.200 -> 19:52.280] What the porpoising caused, I think Daniel had quite a severe headache after Baku and
[19:52.280 -> 19:54.520] a lot of lower back pain.
[19:54.520 -> 20:00.880] So that was the two main, I guess, parameters that came with the porpoising effect of the
[20:00.880 -> 20:01.880] cars.
[20:01.880 -> 20:03.360] And how do you sort of deal with it?
[20:03.360 -> 20:08.460] So what's the recovery process for you? I'm sure it's different than the previous season. So
[20:08.460 -> 20:13.480] how did you sort of help Daniel recover from you know the lower back pain first
[20:13.480 -> 20:18.840] and then of course the headache? Yeah so a lot of massage. So we got a lot of
[20:18.840 -> 20:22.620] massage into him straight after the race, Monday, Tuesday. A lot of static
[20:22.620 -> 20:30.240] stretching, a lot of dynamic stretching and just keeping him moving. I just didn't want him just doing nothing and sitting on a couch
[20:30.240 -> 20:34.760] all day. I think it just made matters worse and it was really just lock him up. So, yeah,
[20:34.760 -> 20:40.240] there was a strong emphasis on recovery and then not much of an emphasis on training or
[20:40.240 -> 20:44.280] exercising just trying to get him feeling right because it's something that his body
[20:44.280 -> 20:49.600] hasn't endured before. You know, you can't really train for porpoising. You can do a little bit
[20:49.600 -> 20:53.920] from spinal loading, but it's something that his body had never experienced before. And then he
[20:53.920 -> 20:59.360] went straight to Baku and that's the extreme of the extreme. So, he kind of went from zero to 100.
[20:59.360 -> 21:11.200] And yeah, to be fair, his body felt it, but he wasn't as bad as what I thought he'd be. So, yeah, a lot of emphasis on recovery and sleep.
[21:11.200 -> 21:27.580] But look, he's fine and I think these teams will definitely find a way around it for sure. And like you said, I don't think there'll be much papoise in Silverstone, so that's a good thing. But thanks so much for this quick chat
[21:27.580 -> 21:29.600] and a very insightful chat, Michael.
[21:30.480 -> 21:35.480] Wish you and Daniel a fantastic upcoming race at Silverstone
[21:36.040 -> 21:39.500] and as the season progresses, I hope to have
[21:39.500 -> 21:41.940] bits and pieces of more insights on driver training,
[21:41.940 -> 21:43.780] performance and recovery.
[21:43.780 -> 21:45.640] So you'll hear from me fairly soon.
[21:46.880 -> 21:47.800] No, no worries Kunal.
[21:47.800 -> 21:49.560] Thank you so much for having me on
[21:49.560 -> 21:51.620] and yeah, thanks for the interesting questions.
[21:51.620 -> 21:55.880] I always like when you've got a passionate F1 person
[21:55.880 -> 21:58.040] asking some pretty technical questions.
[21:58.040 -> 21:59.580] It's good, so thank you.
[22:01.800 -> 22:04.400] You're welcome and I promise to keep you stumped
[22:04.400 -> 22:07.240] the next time then Michael.
[22:07.240 -> 22:08.240] Bring it on.
[22:08.240 -> 22:12.160] Thank you for listening to this particular episode of the InsideLineF1 podcast folks.
[22:12.160 -> 22:16.160] I hope you had a great time listening in and if you did don't forget to subscribe to the
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[22:22.760 -> 22:27.720] But this is of course as I mentioned at the start the first of many special episodes in the
[22:27.720 -> 22:31.280] summer we've got lots of fun stuff coming about and if you want to know
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[22:59.590 -> 23:01.650] you