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Lando Norris has conceded he has had to be better prepared and limit other activities to help manage back pain in the current, stiffer generation of F1 cars.
The new style of car introduced last year uses ground-effect, offering a performance gain for those able to run the car close to the surface.
That results in the bottom of the car impacting the ground, with firmer suspension, which proves far more physical for the drivers themselves.
Norris has had to change the way he prepares, and even limit his golf game, to ensure he is fit to go racing.
“I wouldn’t say no, if we could have softer cars or something that makes it a bit more like it was in ’19, ’20, ‘21,” the McLaren driver said.
“I’ve struggled a lot with my back. I’ve had to make quite a few seats and do a lot more training just to try and strengthen my back, my lower back.
“I’ve had a lot of issues over the last 12 months or so.”
An avid golfer, Norris has reduced the amount he is playing in an attempt to manage his back.
He has also started working with a physio for the first time.
“It obviously was worse last year than it is this year,” he added when asked more about the issues he has had by Speedcafe.
“Every year until last year, I could get away with just hopping in the car and not doing any physio in a way. Not the best thing. I always did it, but I could get away with it.
“Now I have to do it [physio]. I have to stretch, I have to do all these things morning and evening, before every session.
“If I don’t then I always struggle a lot more with my back.
“It’s not just racing. It is just other things,” added the 23-year-old.
“It’s just something that I’ve had to work on in general anyway but it’s definitely not helped by some of the changes on the car last couple of years.
“It got to quite a bad point last year.
“Every day I was struggling; struggling with sleep and everything, just in constant pain.
“Now I’m in a much better position but I’m also limiting a lot more things around it, you know, doing more stretching all those things.
“Even like golf, I’m playing a lot less golf just because of my back.”
