TELEMETRIC ECG MONITORING OF
F1 DRIVERS DURING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RACES

Belardinelli A, Ceccarelli R+, Belardinelli A, Palagi G, Ripoli A, Franchi D and Bedini RCNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via P. Savi 8, 56100, Pisa, Italy+F1 Minardi Team, Faenza.

A systematic analysis of Formula 1 drivers dynamic ECG during races, for a whole F1 world championship, has been accomplished. The research has been aimed at both the sport-medicine aspect (training and study of the actual driver conditions referring to the specific track) and the investigation of the experimental model of the cardiovascular system standing the high physical and emotional stresses due to the reached velocities, the dangerous conditions and mainly the accelerations otherwise unreachable in other fields (nor in the aerospace one). For example, up to 5 g lateral accelerations can be occasionally reached. The main attention has been paid to the sport-medical aspect and a first methodological approach has been developed in order to support the evaluation of the psycho-physical performance of the drivers. The ECG signal has been collected by a miniaturised and ad hoc developed electrocardiograph and the digitally converted data are stored on the on-board data logger, on-line and/or off-line transmitted through the standard telemetry together with all the environmental and car parameters (velocity, accelerations, position, etc.). The analysis showed that a sizeable physical stress is present, which resulted more relevant than the psychological one. Other interesting correlations have been observed between HR and accelerations. A joined analysis of the HR and the time performance of the driver during the race has been accomplished, giving meaningful parameters of the driver training level.The results of this investigation, in comparison with the data previously collected in other motor sport races and during international marathons, demonstrated, from the sport medicine point of view, that formula one can be considered as a true "endurance" sport.