Formula One is certainly one of the most intense motorsport series in the world that requires a lot of mental and physical stability. Not many can handle it which is why the drivers that compete in F1 are often hailed as a group of elites.

Incredible mental strength, in particular, is quite mandatory as the pressure, at times, can be extremely unbearable. So, in such high-pressure situations, how does a driver manage to keep themselves calm and composed? Well, there are a lot of ways to obstruct the pre-race jitters.

Yes, the biggest mental stress usually happens prior to the start of the race and in order to block themselves out of the situation, some drivers would prefer meditating while some would keep themselves occupied by going through the strategies with their engineers. But, the most preferred way to deviate the anxiety is music!

What music do F1 drivers listen to?

Back in 2016, Sky Sports asked the drivers to pick their all-time favorite songs and artists and the responses were quite astonishing. F1 indeed houses a group of drivers with incredible music taste.

Let’s start with the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton. The Briton revealed that he is a fan of The Weeknd. Apart from the Canadian singer, Hamilton also chose American rapper Ty Dolla $ign and hip-hop artist MadeinTYO.

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Former F1 teammate of Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, chose U2’s Beautiful Day, Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys and Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon. Max Verstappen, the 2021 world champion, picked Michael Jackson and all of his creations as his all-time favorite.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, and Kevin Magnussen preferred the same song in the classic Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg, revealed that his favorite song is Hotel California by The Eagles. Daniel Ricciardo, who enjoys heavy metal, chose an Austin-based band called Uncle Lucius. Kimi Raikkonen picked A Horse With No Name by America and Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf.

Finally, Sergio Perez revealed his favorite songs; Vertigo by U2 and Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

Do F1 drivers listen to music while racing?

A big NO! All drivers must stay within the radio frequency of their respective teams. Hence, instead of music, the only voice they are likely to hear through their earpiece is their own race engineer or other crew members, be it the team principal or the lead strategist.

But, of course, there are occasions where the race engineer or the driver themself end up singing on the radio. For instance, Carlos Sainz sang a song called Smooth Operator over the 2019 Hungarian GP. There are more such instances with Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button as well.

What music do F1 drivers listen to before a race?

Ricciardo opened up why he listens to music before every single race. “It shuts out the noise of people like just getting in your ear and ‘hey, good luck’ or ‘hey, do that’ or ‘hey, can I have a photo?’ So, it kind of just puts you in that quiet moment, and the lead up to the race is so busy and so chaotic that it’s actually nice to have a moment of quietness,” he said.

Hence, amidst such immense value for music in F1, here’s the kind of music the drivers listen to before the lights go out. Kimi Raikkonen said, “Yeah, I listen to music for sure. More Finnish music than anything else.”

Gasly meanwhile said, “Before the race, I listen to American rap and French rap, just trying to get that spirit and mentality to feel strong.” The Honey Badger prioritized the lyrics over beats, as he reckoned, “I tend to maybe listen to songs with powerful lyrics; Something that means something or motivates me and gets me pumped up.”

Esteban Ocon preferred movie songs over exclusive album songs. “I like the music of movies, you know? Like epic movies or something like that,” the French lad said.

What is said over the radio?

No music whatsoever! All that happens through radio are conversations between the driver and their race engineer. Race engineers are more like a third eye to the driver and hence, mostly, help the pilots in keeping the car in an optimum condition.

Why? Well, there is always a high level of chance that a driver might unknowingly operate their car in a way that triggers an unusual tire or engine temperature or other similar concerns.

Furthermore, the race engineers also keep the drivers up to date about the happenings on the track, from crashes to flags to rivals pitting for fresh tires or retirement. At the same time, the drivers, too, can check with their race engineers if they feel like they are being chased by a fellow competitor or if they feel like their car’s dealt with damage.

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