© Patrick Scheiber5 Top Tips To Becoming A Better Esports DriverRed Bull Racing Esports’ trainer Lewis Paris offers five tips on how to improve your game.
Ifthere’sonethingRedBullathletesarefamousforit’sthattheyconstantlysearchforimprovementsintheirskillsandability–that’swhythey’reworld-beaters.AndRedBullRacingEsportsdriversarenodifferent.Thetrophycabinetswellseveryyear,butthereisalwaysroomforimprovement.That’swhyatthestartof2020,theRedBullRacingEsportsteamchosetobringLewisParisintotheTeam.
No, Lewis isn’t another driver, he is a personal trainer and he was set the task of improving the athletic prowess of the drivers. And he has done that, while also creating Esports legends in the process.
Sebastian In The Driving Seat© Will Cornelius
So, we sat down with Lewis to get five top tips from him on how everyone can improve their athletic ability – and life in general. So, if you’re an amateur Esports driver looking to get better, these are for you. And if you’re not and just looking to get a better quality of life, these are also for you too…
When training for an upcoming race our drivers can spend up to 12 hours in their rig a day, so mobility is essential to help them become more comfortable in the seat, and not ache so much when they get out of it. “Your body isn’t meant to sit down for a long time,” said Lewis. “The driver needs to feel loose when they’re in the seat, so we work on ankle, hip and shoulder mobility. They’re in the seat for so long that they’ll start to cramp up and we need them nice and loose.”
You might not think that you’d need major muscles for sim racing, but that’s not the case. As with all of these tips, they’re all interlinked to create a lean, mean, racing machine. “A professional driver really needs to be a master of all trades, it’s not like a boxer, golfer or footballer, where you can train one specific thing,” explained Lewis.
“I train the Red Bull Racing Esports drivers in strength and conditioning. For example, I wanted to get Sebastian ready for the Red Bull Racing junior sim, so we worked on strengthening his legs, his grip and his neck. All of this takes the work away from his joints. So, after a long session his knees won’t ache as much.”
Marcel Shows Off His Training Gains© Patrick Scheiber
“Understand what you’re eating to help fuel you,” Lewis advises. “You can do all the training in the world, but it won’t be as affective if you’re not eating and drinking correctly,” but it’s not only food. So many people overlook the importance water plays in fuelling the body.
“If you’re not drinking your two litres a day, you’ll not be able to concentrate. When you’re dehydrated, you’re not going to have the same concentration levels when you’re driving. So, eat your carbs and have a good breakfast or lunch so you’ve got those energy levels you need to perform at your best.”
Sounds simple enough, but getting enough sleep is essential and one thing people really ignore. “I always have a holistic approach with the drivers training and part of that is sleep. I think this was the hardest thing to get across to the drivers. I had to come down on them telling them they needed more sleep. It’s how the body recovers.”
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, make sure you’re wearing the correct clothing for your activity is Lewis’ last piece of advice. “Dress for the occasion,” he says. “Once you’re in the right clothing your mindset changes. Once I put on my shorts and training vest, I’m telling my mind and body – this is it! If you’re working out, you’re training your body and going to put it in an uncomfortable state, so you don’t want your clothes to be a burden.”
Lewis goes onto explain why it will help the drivers when competing if they’re dressed correctly. “When you’re wearing clothes for racing, you want comfortable footwear, pants or shorts, that are so comfortable. Racing is stressful, you’re going to get hot and you don’t want to feel sticky, you want to feel light, so when your training you’re not thinking about it, so it helps with performance. The body wants to cool down as quickly as possible, so having clothing that can help is essential. Clothing should be the last thing on a driver’s mind, so it needs to be a benefit not a hindrance. It’s very important, no matter the discipline.”
Frede Visits The hummel Store© Kasper Laursen
There you have it, top advice from the Esports team’s trainer Lewis Paris! Follow these five tips and who knows you could become a Red Bull Racing Esports driver. But, if you want to look the part, check out the Team’s new hummel range of performance clothing.
