The Unusual Brain of a Formula 1 Driver

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an F1 driver’s brain and a regular driver’s brain? F1 drivers can drive at 350 km/h on a straight and 290 km/h through a turn, which is too fast for the average person’s brain to process. So how do they manage it?

The answer is related to a deep part of the brain, located at the back, called the retrosplenial cortex. It is mostly responsible for spatial reasoning and memory. People with a damaged retrosplenial cortex, for example those with Alzheimer’s disease, can recognize their home, a shop, or the nearest school, but they can’t build a path between them. F1 drivers usually focus their sight on the turn, and sometimes on the exit from the turn, even if it is not visible. This allows them to predict what comes next. Of course, this isn’t because they are superhuman.. it is the result of hours spent learning the map. Reflexes also play a significant part. F1 drivers train hard and have excellent reflexes, but that alone is not enough to make someone the best.

Another difference is that they do not spread their focus across everything, as we do while driving. When we drive, we usually look around at signs, trees, the dashboard, and the people around us. F1 drivers focus only on the important things and use their brains more efficiently. Moreover, their head movement in the same turn is identical every time. All this allows an F1 driver to concentrate without exhausting the brain.