The F1 winter tests can include very long days for drivers, without pushing the car to the maximum. Last week, drivers were recording over 100 laps within four hours which is almost non-stop. But what is it really like for the drivers?
Triple race distances
On the first day of testing in 2020, Max Verstappen recorded 168 laps. Just over 2.5 Grands Prix at the same venue. It's around what they would do in a weekend if you add up race distance, qualifying distance and the three practice sessions.
For the drivers, it is about constant lap times. The team adjusts things on the car and the more constant the driver can drive, the better the team sees the difference since the adjustment. This way the team can learn a lot, but Marc Priestley dives into the head of the driver before the Formula 1 season.