Though you can't see the strain, there's plenty of pain
Some sports seem eternally destined to defend just how sporty' they actually are.
If only I had a pound for every time someone's questioned the physical prowess of the world's highly-skilled darts players or smirked when snooker stars have been referred to as athletes.
It seems to me that Formula One suffers the same affliction and I'm not surprised by this, here's why. An F1 driver's efforts to wrestle 750 horsepower around a track for 90 minutes in searing heat whilst experiencing incredible G-forces is totally hidden from view.
The issue is that we see so very little of the hostile environment of an F1 cockpit. So what's it really like inside? Well, cosy actually.
The average cockpit is just shoulder-width wide, with the seat moulded to a driver's exact body shape to aid them with the constant strain.
Sitting just millimetres above the floor, the suspension is so stiff every bump feels like a sledgehammer to the spine. If accelerating from 0-100mph in 3.5 seconds isn't enough, under braking the car generates 5G-force — like being kicked by an elephant.
And that's just the start. Mark Webber famously vomited in his helmet during a race in Japan — and carried on!
For well over an hour, drivers can't take their eye off the ball for a moment. Mind you, when you cover 100 metres a second at top speed, that could prove a little dangerous. And when you do survive a life-threatening accident like Felipe Massa, you need the nerve to jump back behind the wheel. So, there you have it. You might not see the veins bulging in their neck or the exhaustion etched on their faces — but trust me, they're working hard, in their secret carbon fibre world.
Still not too sure? Well then, sign up to the London Triathlon in August, raise a few quid for charity — oh, and try and beat Jenson Button's time of two hours, seven minutes — good luck!
The Chinese Grand Prix will be available on BBC1 via the red button, BBC online and Radio 5Live. Qualifying tomorrow at 6am with Sunday's race from 7am
