How exposure to the right light at the right time can give Formula 1 drivers a competitive advantage
Column by Megan Tepo, Marketing and Product Manager, Signify
Even if you’ve never flown on a jet before you’ve probably experienced some of the symptoms of jet lag: trouble falling asleep or waking up at the right time, general fatigue, lack of concentration, unpredictable spikes in hunger, and quite often irritability.
None of these are caused directly by flying. Instead, they’re the result of your body clock falling out of sync with the environment, which very often happens when you change time zones. Fortunately, jet lag usually goes away after a few days, as your internal body clock readjusts to the new time zone.
Unfortunately, professional athletes don’t usually have the luxury of being able to wait a few days for their jet lag to wear off. If not addressed effectively, unsynchronized sleep/wake cycles (caused by jet lag or otherwise) can put athletes at a serious competitive disadvantage. This is as true for Formula 1 drivers as it is for athletes in any sport.
The challenges faced by Formula 1 drivers
Since entering into partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in 2024, Signify has learned a great deal about the intensity of the Formula 1 racing schedule and the unique challenges that drivers face to achieve and maintain peak performance.
Every year from March to December, drivers compete in 24 races across five different continents. With all the shifting time zones, long international flights, and races taking place at night, as well as during the day, jet lag is bound to occur.
But in a sport where racers can hit speeds of 378 km/h (234.9 mph), milliseconds can mean the difference between winning and losing—so feeling sleepy at the wheel isn’t an option.
Read the full article from ISSUE 44 below: