Like other athletes, F1 drivers also require peak fitness levels to compete at the highest level. So, even the thought of consuming fast food such as bacon and sausage is like toxic bait for them.
Such food only feels good for that particular moment but can be devastating in terms of affecting a driver’s performance. This fear is what resulted in Williams‘ new signing Carlos Sainz running away from their canteen before the appetizing food lured him into making a cardinal sin.
Revealing his first experience in the Williams canteen, the Spaniard said, “I saw the bacon and sausage wraps. I went to them and then I said…I reminded myself I was training. And I had to run away“.
Even though the winter break is ongoing currently, drivers have started training with the pre-season period beckoning and cannot have any junk food even if they want to. In fact, some drivers like Lewis Hamilton have started testing work as well to familiarize themselves with their new teams. Sainz is also one of them.
the first thing carlos sainz did when visiting williams HQ was… check the canteen and food options pic.twitter.com/UsuXxAiDW1
— yoyo (@williamssainz) January 27, 2025
With only a month remaining before the 2025 season gets underway, the Spaniard would be training extremely hard, like everyone else, to get himself in the best shape he can. For the 30-year-old, a healthy diet is paramount at the moment. So what do F1 drivers like Sainz usually eat?
Sainz feels he is luckier than other drivers
F1 drivers usually have a very strict diet that they need to follow but Sainz feels he is “very lucky” as, more often than not, he can eat as much as he wants. “I can eat as much as I want and I will never go above 73 kilos,” he said in an interview in 2023.
However, that does not mean that he does not follow a diet. He makes it a point to eat a protein-rich diet and consume several calories that he can burn while undergoing his stringent workout routine.
Train, eat, sleep, repeat!! Great to be back training!
–#Carlossainz pic.twitter.com/PefqZzea7T
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) January 14, 2022
The off-season is arguably the biggest test for drivers as this is a time when they can slack if they are not careful since there are no race weekends, and hence, no urgency to maintain optimum fitness levels week in and week out. However, Sainz enjoys staying fit so much that he believes this is never an issue.
In an interview back in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic had brought life to a standstill, the Spaniard revealed the various exercises he did to stay fit. For cardio, he said he often uses the treadmill, the bike, and the cross trainer.
Since strong neck muscles are arguably the most important to manage the high G-forces in F1, Sainz stated he often uses resistant bands to strengthen his neck. With the physical demands of F1 being so high, it makes sense why drivers can’t feed themselves with bacon and sausages.
