Kart CRG: The importance of the mind for a driver
In order to go fast on the track, it is not enough to have a high-performance go-kart and a heavy foot. Studies and research in recent years have confirmed how much the mind can affect performance behind the wheel. Taking care of one's psychic form today counts more than physical training and specific studies indicate that it affects the results for about 70%.
This explains why drivers of a certain calibre, especially in Formula 1, heavily rely on "mental training" to optimize the performance of their brain, through specific exercises of concentration, coordination, reactivity, mental flexibility and multitasking.
It is not important at what level you play a sport because the difference from a mental point of view can be made in Formula one, as well as in a regional go-kart race.
According to various studies conducted by industry experts and respected mental coaches, drivers, as well as the most successful athletes of each sport and even those who are able to particularly distinguish themselves in the job market, are themselves subjects who have got an “extreme brain efficiency”. This allows them to perform difficult tasks with minimal mental energy expenditure, even in high psychological pressure situations.
In "normal" people, excessive stress leads to a reduction in attention and consequently to a delay in decisions that must be taken quickly. However, this does not happen in those individuals who train their minds to better control striving. These aspects in karting are always crucial, but in particular in some specific stages of the race, such as qualifying, the race start and close duels that provide quick and precise decisions for the attack and defence phases.
Even what we think becomes fundamental for our sports performance. It is not always true that our greatest opponent is impossible to overcome: sometimes it would be enough to get rid of the obstacles that our mind places between us and our goals, to discover that a different trajectory and a little more self-confidence would have been enough. The work of "mental training" in an athlete increases the ability to concentrate, improves reaction times and above all increases the awareness of one's abilities.
In the motorsport world, there are many structures that work together with the athletes of all levels on these issues, even with internships and not demanding courses from a time and economic point of view. A driver often focuses a lot on how to improve his/her vehicle but neglects how he/she could improve his/her performance.