Tests, briefings and fitness

A Formula One driver such as Nick Heidfeld is one of those high-performance athletes required to do their very best not only on race weekends. The BMW Sauber F1 Team conducts an extensive programme in between races, as well as in the off-season.

The majority of Nick's programme consists of test drives. "Usually, we conduct tests on at least two or three days in the week following Grand Prix races," Nick Heidfeld says. "Most of the time these tests take place in Spain because the weather there is fairly consistent. On an average day of testing we're on the track from nine in the morning until five O'clock. In other words, we cover far more kilometres than on race weekends."

When Nick leaves the cockpit of his BMW Sauber F1.06, his working day, however, is far from over. Nick assists the engineers of the BMW Sauber F1 Team with the analysis of the record date, which contributes to the further development of the car.

"When I'm at home, my day consists of training to improve my fitness," Nick adds. "I work my way through the training programme I devised with my trainer. Mainly I concentrate on endurance exercises, and then I focus on the specific groups of muscles that are under particular strain - neck, shoulders and back."