Evolving human performance

There isn’t a definitive catalyst for the increasing importance of human performance and preparation, but there’s certainly a link between the greater focus on physical and mental fitness and the expansion of the calendar over the last decade, even if it isn’t a direct domino effect. A lot has happened in a short period of time.

In addition to being Oscar Piastri’s Race Engineer, Tom Stallard is our Director of Human Performance – a job that didn’t exist a decade ago. “It’s an interesting topic,” says Tom. “When I took on this role, at the end of the 2019 season, the human performance support for the race team consisted of access to a single doctor, shared by all of the teams in the F1 paddock.

“At that same point, we also took on a strength and conditioning coach, who travelled to all the races to support the team – effectively a team personal trainer – and we built from there. Today, we have a full complement of personnel, as well as all the kit we need and the new ON MPH. We’ve come quite a long way in five years.”

Investment in equipment, investment in staff

Once the decision was made to invest in human performance, the team didn’t employ half measures. The ON MPH has been fitted with the latest Technogym equipment, including their state-of-the-art Biostrength REV system, while the staff roster includes hugely talented people in medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and psychology.

“We’re trying to reduce fatigue across the team,” says Emer Acton, Head of Human Performance and Physiotherapy. “We know fatigue is our greatest enemy as we travel across multiple times zones. Fatigue is linked to injury, illness, errors, and reduced cognitive function, all of which plays a huge part in performance.

“By increasing someone’s physical fitness, and by improving their immunity through good sleep, good recovery, diet, and nutrition, we reduce the risk of exposure to injury and illness. That has a knock-on effect: we reduce errors, whether those be cognitive or physical.”

There is a strong sporting pedigree across our Human Performance team, who have worked with a wide range of athletes, from the British Olympic team – Tom is a World Champion and Olympian rower himself – to the Premier League and World Cup football, rugby, and the top levels of swimming.