Many special relationships form in the F1 paddock, but maybe none more so than that between a driver and his trainer. Unique, intriguing and some even a little weird – I recently got an eye-opening insight into some of these wicked bromances.
They say behind every powerful man there is a strong woman. Well, in F1, behind every great driver stands an excellent (and usually very muscly) trainer. They are the men behind the men, both inflicting pain and soothing it. When the storm comes, they bring the calm and there are no lengths they won’t go to, to prepare their drivers for every looming battle. They are the trainers of F1!
Thomas Jørgenson Trainer to Kevin Magnussen
He could easily be mistaken for a Gi-Joe with his towering build and chiselled jaw, but there’s no doubt Thomas means business when it comes to Kevin’s training. With an extensive background training high-level elite athletes, the Dane admits he never had an interest in F1 but has come to like it. Thomas stepped into the series in 2012 as Kevin’s trainer, after being contacted by McLaren who were seeking assistance to optimise the racer’s skills. Initially the hulking trainer attended every second race while running his business Pro Treatment back in Denmark, until Magnussen landed the seat with Renault.
“I would have been feeling guilty if I didn’t come (every race), being the person who could help make him successful,” admits Thomas. “I’ve learned there’s so much to optimise around him. He’s taught me a lot of the things you need to know when you’re in racing.”
Checking in every few minutes on Kevin’s media interview taking place outside the window beside us, it’s obvious the two share a unique bond. Others in the paddock have described the Danish duo as more like brothers than colleagues.
“Everything is a little bit in competition, we compete all the time,” Thomas reveals, grinning. “Him and his girlfriend are part of my family. I have three kids and he’s a kid like I am, playing with them all the time and he likes that. We spend so many days together, we have developed a friendship.”
It’s a relationship of mutual respect, which Jørgensen sees as extremely important for any athlete climbing their way to the top.
“I think that’s key,” Thomas notes. “If he doesn’t respect the work that I do then he won’t listen if we are going to do some changes. It can be different things but he needs to respect what I do or it’s a waste of time for both of us. I need to respect that he has some skills that are different from ours so he needs to develop them and I need to understand.”
Kevin’s Training
Surrounded by a range of professional athletes, from footballers to badminton players, Kevin trains 2-3 hours a day, every day at the Pro Treatment facility when at home. The potent team environment is good for him, Thomas points out.
“He gets into the spirit of not being alone, training with other high-level athletes. The team spirit is also good for him and knowing that he is not the only one having small problems, it’s the same for everyone.”
They work on Kevin’s core every day and this year have put much more focus on the neck and shoulders. Combining weights and cardio Kevin follows a set program but adjust it if a particular area isn’t feeling good. And mentally something has changed for the driver in 2017.
“Suddenly he likes it. It hasn’t been like that before,” says Thomas. “Last year he felt that it helped him, being in better shape, that makes the big change. You feel it. For everyone it takes time…3-4 months before you start to feel the benefits.”
Diet
It’s vegetables and chicken on race weekends for this driver but he does relax a little more during the week. Thomas says it’s important for Kevin to be able to feel “alive” and encourages him to have a big steak or ice-cream if he wants one as following a diet can be a boring as we all know.
The best thing about being Kevin’s trainer?
“For me it is learning a new environment, new sport because I’ve been so much into other stuff. I’ve learned that this is a sport, at the beginning I didn’t think of it as a sport so I think I learn from the engineer and coaches the different approaches. For running my own company it’s good to learn and see different approaches.
Kevin says…
“Someone who pushes you relentlessly (makes a good trainer), someone who knows you well and understands your mind. Thomas is all that. We spend half our lives together so it’s really good that we are good friends. We have a lot of fun together and it makes it all a lot easier, when you’re having fun. It’s not often that we don’t have a flight together that we’re not playing cards or doing some sort of activity.”
Tips for trainers wanting to work in F1:
“Be proactive in terms of trying to find new solutions and having other approaches on the way they see training. Keep looking for new options.”
Check back tomorrow to meet Carlos Sainz's trainer, or click here to meet Romain Grosjean's.
