Ayrton Senna is one of the most well-rounded drivers in F1 history. He was not only one of the quickest on track but also had one of the best fitness levels and a respectful personality off the track. Max Verstappen’s former physio, Bradley Scanes has now explained how it was the legendary Brazilian driver who created his job back in the 1980s.
Taking to Instagram, Scanes put up a detailed post. He explained how Senna was one of the first drivers back in the day to hire a personal physio. Only when his competitors saw the improved results Senna received after undergoing training under a personal physio, did his rivals also follow suit.
View this post on Instagram
Scanes used a quote from Senna‘s former physio, Jo Leberer, to explain why every driver needs one to remain competitive. “After Senna started training, the other drivers soon came to realize that they couldn’t be competitive without being physically fit,” Leberer once said.
After quoting Leberer, Scanes himself used some of his previous posts to explain how a physio helps drivers get the results they desire on the race track. Max Verstappen‘s former physio once wrote,
“You can drive a Grand Prix car whether you are fit or unfit. But for how long you can drive, from the stress of the high temperatures, the physical conditions during a race is another thing”.
Scanes believe that only if drivers are both physically and mentally fit can they keep their focus on the race track. If not, their concentration levels may gradually fade away. While Scanes may be one of the top physios today, it is Leberer who has arguably left a legacy in this field.
Ayrton Senna’s former physio explains how F1 has changed
Having worked as a physio for several world champions from the 1980s until last year, Ayrton Senna’s former confidante, Jo Leberer, has witnessed it all. Some of the other world champions the 65-year-old trained during his illustrious career include Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, and Sebastian Vettel.
With so much experience under his belt, Leberer is well aware of how the sport has changed over the years. He explained in an interview with us.motorsport.com earlier this year that aspects such as nutrition have not changed much from the 1980s to now. However, the one thing that has considerably changed is how the physios handle the mental side of things with their drivers.
Leberer revealed that since no driver back in the day would discuss anything about their mental side, it was very important for them to develop a good relationship with their physio to have someone to discuss their concerns with.
However, Leberer believes that this concern is no longer as significant as it once was as drivers today are much more open in sharing their feelings openly with their physios.
The 65-year-old then revealed that former McLaren CEO Ron Dennis was one of the first team bosses to understand the need for a physio. Dennis believed that it was pointless for teams to spend such high amounts of money on technology and the car if they did not invest in their drivers.
As per Dennis, the drivers were the most important asset in the team. He believed that their drivers could either be their team’s biggest strength or biggest liability. And with his side having won seven of their eight Constructors’ titles during the 1980s and 90s, it is evident how important it is for any side to invest in their drivers.
