German driver Adrian Sutil has tried not eating for 2 days to lose weight ahead of the 5th race of the 2014 season.
Sauber driver Adrian Sutil revealed on Thursday his drastic attempt to lose more weight. The driver confessed that he had tried a “no food” diet for 2 days ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. During those two days he only drank and said of the result that it was “interesting”.
Last month, Sutil admitted that he had stopped taking a bottle with him to avoid the extra weight. He said that he had been forced to do so because of the new engine regulations.
The shift from V8 to V6 earlier this year caused the cars to be heavier but the FIA has not changed the minimum weight of the cars. Teams and drivers have been struggling to meet the requirements but Sutil says taller drivers, like him, are disadvantaged.
To make up for this disadvantage it seems the German driver has resulted to drastic, and dangerous, measures. He admitted that during his experiment he wasn’t in the best shape. “At the time I didn’t eat I couldn’t do much sport because the power was missing. I did it because I wanted to see and go on the limit to make sure I did my maximum.”
Sutil claims the decision to starve himself was all his “I don’t want to be in the car and say I could have done more. I like to be on the limit and if it’s not enough I go really hard on the edge. And it was my own decision and that’s an important thing. It helps now to have a lighter car so we are close to our weight limit, but it’s just my target and I want to improve myself whatever it takes. I’m willing to do it.”
Though, he tried to be reassuring, “I tried it, but I’m still alive, don’t worry too much” this attempt is still scary. Sutil is not the only one tall driver on the grid, as Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) and Jenson Button (McLaren) also tower over the rest of the pack.
The consequences of a driver’s strict diet proved to be harmful earlier this year when Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) had to be taken to the hospital at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.
Let’s hope the FIA takes notice and changes the regulations to avoid any accident and preserve the drivers’ health.
Smiles better: Jean-Eric Vergne, speaking to the media on Thursday, was hospitalised earlier this season.
Sutil’s revelations come after Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne admitted he was hospitalised after the season opener in Australia due to a strict diet regime.