For the past year, Max Verstappen has had a new personal trainer, Brad Scanes. In the Talking Bull podcast, Scanes talks about his work with Verstappen, and how he helps the driver get in shape during pre-season.
Scanes can be found constantly near Verstappen during a race weekend. He explains that his duties include warming up for a session, but that he is also his driver. Scanes is also a physiotherapist, so he is always on hand when Verstappen has physical problems. In addition to being a personal trainer, Scanes is also a kind of personal assistant. "My wife says I spend more time with Max than with her," he laughs.
Training six days a week during the preseason
The coronavirus and the accompanying lockdowns weren't such a bad thing as far as the training regime was concerned. "Because there was a lot less travel and fewer media commitments, we were able to spend a lot of time on pre-season training. Normally we wouldn't have had that time. Therefore, we can start the season while Max is probably in his best shape ever," said Scanes.
The pre-season is where most of the work is done anyway. Scanes explains that during the season the focus is on maintaining the pre-season form, as there is much less time to train. There is a lot of focus on the neck then, but cardio training is also very important, especially for races in hot countries. "Three weeks before a hot race we will also train in a hot climate, to prepare him for a hot car," explained Scanes.