FITNESS TRAINING FOR RACERS.

How BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist stays in shape.

Fitness training for racers.How BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist stays in shape.

18. Jul 2017

In motorsports, race cars reach their thresholds, but so do the pilots. In this interview, BMW factory driver Tom Blomqvist explains how he brings his body into top form. The 23-year-old Brit also reveals who he would really like to train with.

Tom Blomqvist, what muscles does a professional race car driver need that a regular driver or hobby sportsman wouldn’t train?
(Laughs) Your average car driver only needs his heart and head to stay alive. My BMW M4 DTM requires a whole other set of strengths: at curve speeds of up to 200 km/h, I have to withstand forces of 2.5–3g. That’s about three times my body weight. So it’s essential for a race car driver to have very well-trained torso muscles. They ensure stability in the car. Also, the neck muscles have to endure a lot, otherwise the head would just bend from side to side. You need a lot of strength in your legs to brake. And arms and shoulders are important for steering.

Is this kind of strain closer to a marathon or a 100-metre-sprint?
The races take almost an hour, so it tends to be more like a marathon. But honestly, a DTM race feels like a marathon at a sprint’s pace. My pulse is about 170 beats per minute. Also, I consume an enormous amount of energy – up to 700 calories. And, depending on the weather, it can get very hot in the vehicle. All these challenges are overcome through a lot of cardiovascular training.

Tom Blomqvist and his DTM team mates at the training.

5 Facts about Tom Blomqvist.

01 Greatest success: DTM victory in Oschersleben 2015
02 DTM favourite circuit: Zandvoort
03 Private car: BMW M4
04 Hobbies: biking, travelling, good food
05 He’s a fan of Jamie Oliver

How strict is your training plan? How often do you practise?
I usually spend the winter break in my second home in New Zealand. There I practise almost every day. I ride my bike a lot, go jogging or to the gym and do stability exercises, spinning or strength training, so that I am strong enough to control my BMW M4 DTM. Still, the ideal race car driver doesn’t carry around a ‘mountain of muscles’. The perfect race car driver is small and light. In the winter, I lay down the foundations for my physical condition during the race season when, due to the frequency of races, I reduce the amount of training. But, still, I try to exercise as often as possible to keep my muscles in shape and not lose too much weight. The Monday after a race weekend is then set aside for recovery.

You do not only practise stamina and strength – but also reaction time?
Yes, of course. As a race car driver you need to have above-average reactions. We have to be able to react quickly particularly at high speeds to prevent an accident. In addition to physical requirements, mental strength is just as important. Fit in your mind. This strength is acquired mostly through driving. Sure there is also mental training, but practice makes the best trainer. Our Partner Formula Medicine offers a simulator.

Who would you like to have as a training partner?
Cristiano Ronaldo.

Many thanks for these insights. We look forward to a successful season in 2017 with you.

The Discoverer.
Tom Blomqvist did not need long to ensure his well-known name left its mark in the DTM. Unlike his father Stig, the rally world champion in 1984, Tom found his calling on the circuit. At the end of his DTM debut season in 2015, he was voted “Rookie of the Year”. Last year, in his BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM, he was the second most successful BMW driver after Marco Wittmann. Blomqvist is a world traveller, and first made his home in England followed by Monaco. In the winter, he is drawn to the other side of the world – to New Zealand, where he grew up.

BMW M4 Coupé:
Fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined): 8.8 (8.3)
CO2 emissions in g/km (combined): 204 (194)
The figures in brackets refer to the vehicle with seven-speed M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic.

Further information about the official fuel consumption and the official specific CO2 emissions for new passenger automobiles can be found in the 'New Passenger Vehicle Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emission Guidelines', which are available free of charge at all sales outlets, from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern, Germany, or under http://www.dat.de/en/offers/publications/guideline-for-fuel-consumption.html. The figures are not based on an individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the product offer; they are provided solely for the purposes of comparison between different vehicle types. CO2 emissions caused by the production and provision of fuel or other energy sources are not taken into account in the determination of CO2 emissions pursuant to Directive 1999/94/EC.

All vehicles, equipment, combination possibilities and varieties shown here are examples and can differ in your country. In no way do they constitute a binding offer by the BMW M GmbH. Visit your local BMW website or see your authorised BMW M Retailer for accurate details on the offers in your country.

FITNESS TRAINING FOR RACERS.

How BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist stays in shape.

Tom Blomqvist and his DTM team mates at the training.

5 Facts about Tom Blomqvist.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS:

BMW M4 DTM creates a sensation.

The new BMW M4 DTM.

500 hp and an autograph.

DTM: Season finale in Hockenheim.

DTM: René Rast wins in Spielberg.

Legends of motorsport.

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FITNESS TRAINING FOR RACERS.

How BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist stays in shape.

Tom Blomqvist and his DTM team mates at the training.

5 Facts about Tom Blomqvist.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS:

BMW M4 DTM creates a sensation.

The new BMW M4 DTM.

500 hp and an autograph.

DTM: Season finale in Hockenheim.

DTM: René Rast wins in Spielberg.

Legends of motorsport.

Website currently not fully available