Keeping your eyes on the road is vital if your car travels at a speed of 200 mph (322 kph). A strong neck helps.
Neck-strengthening exercises are integral in the fast-paced world of Formula 1 racing. Plenty of drivers will bring specialized training gear for that purpose when they arrive in Florida for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix, the next event of a lucrative, year-long championship which spans the globe.
Working out with weighted harnesses or using deep body-weight stretches stabilize their heads and help them stay focused on the track through high-speed corners while forces up to five times as strong as gravity heave their bodies from side to side.
Adults with “tech neck” don't work in such extreme conditions, but the training techniques of professional race car drivers highlight an often-overlooked muscle group. Paying greater attention to posture while using screens and adding neck-specific exercises to a fitness routine are small changes that could ease discomfort, according to Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, an Atlanta-based sports medicine specialist who works with athletes of all ages from a range of sports.
“Does a normal person need to have a neck like an F1 driver? Probably not,” Antti Kontsas, an experienced performance coach who worked with four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel and other stars of the sport, said.
Still, “the healthy foundations are the same for the normal person and for the driver. Where you would start is exactly the same," Kontsas told The Associated Press.
As with any other fitness activity, neck training needs to be practiced safely and with attention to an individual's physical needs and limitations. When in doubt, seek guidance from a doctor or other medical professional, especially if you have experienced neck injuries or don't know what might be causing your aching neck.
When you’re aware of your limits, “it’s just knowing the loading, exposing gradually. That’s the safe way to progress,” Konstas says.
The days when F1 drivers smoke and drank before a Grand Prix are long gone. Even in the 1990s, fitness was crucial to Michael Schumacher's success; the seven-time champion from Germany emphasized cardio and strength training. After all, fatigue causes mistakes.
A key element of Kontsas’ training programs is not overlooking the neck, otherwise known as the cervical spine, when exercising your back and core.
Body-weight exercises like keeping the head level with the shoulders in a lateral, or side, plank position can help. Another easy exercise can be done lying down.
“The most simple thing is lying on your back on a bench with your head hanging and then holding your head in a complete horizontal line. You’re holding your head still and seeing how long you can hold that. That’s a good way to train, particularly, the front musculature,” Kontsas said.
To increase the challenge, drivers typically use a resistance band or a weighted harness that straps around the head to work their neck muscles.
Training doesn't have to take up a lot of time. Even F1 drivers might only do neck exercises for 10 to 15 minutes a session, two or three times a week, according to Kontsas.
If you spend a lot of time at a desk for work, improving neck health can start with a simple reminder to be aware of your posture and simple stretches like tucking the chin back to compensate for leaning forward toward a screen.
“Computer neck,” a modern ailment that causes neck, shoulder and back pain, comes when “your head sits in different positions off the spine” while working, explains Jayanthi.
“You sit in front of the computer for two, three, four hours, and you never realize that your head was in the wrong position the entire time," he said. "So we can go back to positioning our neck and actually doing chin tucks and isometrics to push your head in the correct position on the spine. Just remind yourself every 30 to 60 minutes.”
There's evidence that having a strong neck and trunk can help with other serious issues, according to Jayanthi. For example, neck training is “one of the most accessible, least expensive” options for concussion recovery and prevention, he said.
Likewise, spine strength can be a predictor of injury prevention or mitigation in tennis players, Jayanthi said.
It’s hard to measure how much faster fitness makes a driver, but it's notable that one of Formula 1's most celebrated non-driver staff members of the last 15 years is Angela Cullen, longtime personal physiotherapist to seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
The physical challenge of racing at the top level can be shock to first-timers.
At age 18, British driver Oliver Bearman made his F1 race debut with two days’ notice as a replacement for Ferrari when regular driver Carlos Sainz, Jr. needed emergency surgery in 2024. Bearman was fit from racing in junior series Formula 2, but the strain on his body from going at F1 speed was in another league.
“Destroyed” was his response to being asked how he felt afterward.
“Physically it was a really difficult race. ... I think especially my lower back and my neck, it’s hurting,” Bearman added.
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Argentine Alpine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto drives during a demonstration run in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Argentine Alpine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto drives during a demonstration run in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — When Hampus Lindholm got the puck inside Boston's blue line after teammate Fraser Minten broke up the Buffalo Sabres' rush, and the Bruins defenseman knew immediately who to look for.
Sure enough, there was David Pastrnak already heading toward Buffalo’s zone.
Set up by Lindholm, Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 9:14 into overtime, and the Bruins avoided elimination with a 2-1 win in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
“He’s pretty special when it comes to those opportunities, too, so it was fun to see it go in,” Lindholm said.
Pastrnak said the chemistry he has with Lindholm is a result of them being neighbors.
“We always call it the neighbor connection,” Pastrnak said. “Seems like anytime he has the puck and I have an opening, I have the confidence that he’s gonna find me.”
The series shifts back to Boston for Game 6 on Friday night, with Buffalo still seeking to clinch its first playoff series victory since eliminating the New York Rangers in six games of a 2007 second-round series. The Sabres are in the playoffs for only the third time since, and after snapping an NHL record 14-season playoff drought this year.
Elias Lindholm also scored for Boston which overcame a 1-0 deficit. Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 shots, including foiling Jason Zucker set up in front 3:30 into the extra period.
Rasmus Dahlin scored for Buffalo and Alex Lyon stopped 27 shots.
“He’s always lurking,” Lyon said of Pastrnak, whom the goalie robbed on several chances. “Obviously, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Lyon added of a player who reached the 100-point mark for a fourth straight season. “It’s just one play at the end from a really good player. That’s usually how these things go. And now it’s just incumbent on us to move forward.”
The Sabres were caught up ice, and the Bruins jumped into making a line change, with Pastrnak coming off the bench as the turnover occurred.
Accepting Lindholm’s pass in stride as he crossed Buffalo’s blue line, Pastrnak drove in on net a step ahead of Buffalo’s Mattias Samuelsson. He faked cutting across the front and nearly lost his balance before slipping the puck inside the right post.
“He always gets it done. And what a nice finish from him,” coach Marco Sturm said of the 12th-year player. “I’m just very happy because this guy puts a lot of pressure on himself and he wants to be the difference. And today he was.”
The goal was the 41st of Pastrnak’s playoff career, and second in overtime. He scored Boston’s last overtime goal, also coming in an elimination game, to seal the Bruins’ 2-1 win over Toronto in Game 7 of their 2024 first-round series.
Lindholm tied it 9:24 into the second period after his bad-angle shot bounced into the slot. Lindholm got to the loose puck first and, with his back to the net, spun around and fired in a low shot through a crowd.
Dahlin opened the scoring at 3:35 with his first playoff goal, and Buffalo’s first power-play goal in nearly a month. Driving up the left wing, Zucker’s initial pass attempt was blocked before recovering the puck and feeding Dahlin for a one-timer in the right circle.
The Sabres had gone 0-of-17 with the man advantage this series, and entered the playoffs failing to convert 22 straight chances, dating to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on March 31.
The Bruins played without second-line forward Viktor Arvidsson, who was hurt in the first period of Game 4 on Sunday.
Buffalo lost rookie forward Noah Ostlund to a lower-body injury in the first period.
Coach Lindy Ruff didn’t reveal what the injury was, but said, “it doesn’t look good.” Ostlund had just returned to the lineup from an upper-body injury in Game 3, in which he had a goal and assist.
The Bruins have won back-to-back outings in Buffalo after squandering a 2-0 lead in the final 7:58 of a 4-3 loss in Game 1. The Sabres won both outings in Buffalo, and were coming off a 6-1 win on Sunday.
“We’re in a good spot. We should be ready for the next one,” Dahlin said. “It’s a tight game and stuff happens, so we’re ready for going to Boston.”
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Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) puts the puck past Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) during the overtime period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates his goal during the overtime period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) makes a save during the third period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) stops a shot by Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (17) during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) makes a save during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm (28) celebrates his goal with defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73)during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Buffalo Sabres teammates celebrate a goal by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
