Driving an F1 car at speeds over 200 mph 24 times a year requires an athlete to be particularly fit. In the pinnacle of motorsports, this is something that cannot be compromised on, as it could affect performance, and cause injuries. But that doesn’t mean they have the best physicality out of all sports in the world, as revealed by Oscar Piastri’s race engineer Tom Stallard.
Stallard, a former rower for the British Olympic team, was quite the star in his sport before also making a name for himself in F1. He represented his country at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where he won Silver in the men’s eight category.
Sure enough, that topic had to be brought up in Stallard’s latest appearance on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast and the prime focus of discussion was fitness. Tom Clarkson, the host, simply asked him how fit he was, before following up with “Were you fitter than Piastri?”
So pleased to meet with @Tom_Stallard on the grid for the #SpanishGP Tom is fascinating, a race engineer for @OscarPiastri & also an Olympic rowing silver medallist, telling his story was a highlight of my book #F1RacingConfidential. Also, he is a lot taller than me… @OMaraBooks pic.twitter.com/gqxDvh02e3
— Giles Richards (@Giles_Richards) June 24, 2024
Sure enough, Stallard was, as he quickly admitted. “The truth is that rowing is a sport where the primary differentiator is physical fitness. F1 is a sport where the primary differentiator is driver skill.”
Therefore, Stallard needed to have a higher level of fitness than what F1 drivers like Piastri normally possess. In fact, the Briton believes that rowers need a level of fitness that is rarely witnessed in any other sport.
What sets rowing apart
Stallard acknowledged that F1 drivers are exceptionally fit. They train to deal with the G-Forces that hit them while driving at high speed and also be comfortable with the heat generated by the car. But rowing, according to him, is a different ball game altogether.
Stallard compared F1 drivers to ‘Premiership footballers’ (Premier League soccer players) in terms of fitness. “Rowers are likened to virtually nothing,” he said. “I think only, really, cross-country skiers have a similar level of fitness to rowers.”
Stallard, in addition to being Piastri’s race engineer at McLaren, is also the Director of Human Performance, which suggests that the Woking-based team trusts his input on health and fitness. He has worked with Piastri since the Australian’s debut in 2023 and was the voice in his ears during both of his victories in F1 — Hungary and Azerbaijan in 2024.
