The 2023 Abu Dhabi GP saw Max Verstappen bid farewell to his personal trainer – Bradley Scanes, with whom he spent three years from 2020 till the end of this season. As of now, as per a recent report by Formule1.nl, Verstappen has gone ahead and poached Carlos Sainz’s trainer from Ferrari.
Verstappen’s brand new personal trainer – Rupert Manwaring, has been involved with Sainz for eight long years. He was part of the Spaniard’s entourage right from when he was a Toro Rosso driver back in 2015. Coincidentally, Verstappen was Sainz’s teammate in Toro Rosso during that season.
There happens to be another pre-existing connection between Verstappen and Manwaring. Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen had worked with Manwaring’s father during his stint in Formula 1 back in the late 90s. Therefore, the two families have been acquainted with each other for quite a long time.
There hasn’t been any official announcement regarding why Scanes decided to part ways with Verstappen. However, as per speculations, Scanes wants to distance himself from the hectic F1 world and spend a bit more time with his family.
The role of a personal trainer in driver’s life is immense
The personal trainer is an extremely important part of an F1 driver’s life and therefore, Verstappen did not waste a single day in recruiting a new one. Just a day after Scanes departure was announced, news about Manwaring stepping in has emerged.
The personal trainer is responsible for a whole host of things including, but not limited to the physical and mental well-being of a driver. Manwaring himself had described his role in Sainz’s career back in 2020, saying, “I make sure that he’s as prepared as he can be mentally and physically for every time he needs to step in the car. It’s quite a broad role.”
He had explained that his job portfolio includes looking after the physical training, nutrition, sports therapy and the overall fitness of the driver. All in all, he acts like the right hand man for the driver throughout the racing season and even beyond, ensuring that the driver retains his form and fitness throughout the off season.
With Manwaring leaving Sainz for Verstappen, the Spaniard would also be looking out for a replacement and he would want that to be quick. There are still no reports regarding who could Sainz hire as his trainer.
