4.5 G under braking in F1
Drivers experience up to 4.5 G of braking force in an F1 car, creating enormous strain primarily on the neck muscles.
Snapshot · Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Susie Wolff (Managing Director of F1 Academy)
Explore episode
Jun 24, 2026
Where this was said
The Physics of an F1 Car: Downforce, G-Forces and Counterintuitive Speed
At 1:08:16 · chapter starts 1:08:00
This chapter is a mini-masterclass in F1 physics for the uninitiated. Dax breaks down why an F1 car is a 'reverse airplane': it uses aerodynamics to push the car into the ground rather than lift it off. At Silverstone, a driver can take a sharp right-hander in 7th gear at 190 mph and stay glued to the tarmac because more speed equals more downforce equals more grip. The counterintuitive leap of faith this requires — going faster into a corner to go faster out — is what separates F1 from other motorsport. Susie adds the emotional dimension: when you're truly on the limit in an F1 car, there is not a single stray thought about anything else. It's hyperfocus unlike any other state. Some drivers prefer qualifying to races because of this.
Driving a Williams F1 Car: The Physical Reality
Driving a Formula 1 car at race distance means 72 laps of sustained neck-load at 4.5 G under braking. Lewis Hamilton told Susie to use a white neck pad so it wouldn't be visible — the same tip he used at the start of seasons before his neck muscles built up. She used the machine Michael Schumacher had built specifically for neck conditioning.
22 years since a woman drove in F1
When Susie Wolff drove in FP1 at Silverstone for Williams, it had been 22 years since any female driver had been on track in a Formula 1 car during a race weekend.
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