Settle an argument: F1 driver or footballer, who's fittest??

[GreatCornholio]

Was having a discussion with my football fan son and the subject of fitness came up.

He believes that footballers have a higher level of fitness based on the fact that they run around for 90 minutes. My opinion is that F1 drivers are fitter but that's only based on what I've seen on TV and read about ie JB and a couple of the others running triathlons.

Opinions and some facts would be good!

[Rick101]

When I met Lewis he told me he did a 10 mile run or 50 mile cycle every day.

I'd imagine top flight footballers are probably fitter though.

[rxtx]

I always thought F1 drivers were due to the constant stresses on the body and losing around 4kg of weight/water during a race.

But I've never been either

[Disco You]

Define fit.

[Tango13]

I'd say the F1 driver.

Footballers are not on the go constantly for 90mins, they stop at half time to suck oranges' then oranges goes home and they carry on for another 45mins.

An F1 race can last for up to two hours in a very hot, cramped cockpit. They will have to contend with some serious G forces on their neck whilst cornering a car with no power steering or power assisted brakes.

[MegaMinion]

It depends on how you are defining fitness. A top footballer wouldn't be able to do a full F1 race, but then an F1 driver wouldn't be able to do a full game of top level football. That statements is solely based on the physical side of each sport, it was ignoring the necessary skills needed to compete in either sport.

Edited by MegaMinion on Sunday 23 February 15:22

[Kiltie]

[Chunkymonkey71]

Darts players.

[Kiltie]

Chunkymonkey71 said:

Darts players.

Put me in mind of the late great Jocky Wilson.

[Crafty_]

A footballer might win a sprint race, but the F1 driver would win the marathon.

[mph1977]

MegaMinion said:

It depends on how you are defining fitness. A top footballer wouldn't be able to do a full F1 race, but then an F1 driver wouldn't be able to do a full game of top level football. That statements is solely based on the physical side of each sport, it was ignoring the necessary skills needed to compete in either sport.

Edited by MegaMinion on Sunday 23 February 15:22

also also doubt that a footballer could manage a 90 minute professional level ballet class or 90 minutes of top flight dinghy sailing in force 4 + winds.

comparing fitness comes down to 2 ways

1. the fairly abstract things done in a sports science lab where people are wired up to all kinds of physiological monitoring and breathe through various gubbins

2. some kind of 'superstars' competition with a decathlon or more of variable sports / fitness activities to assess all rounder ness

[The Terminator]

F1 all day for me . Severe g forces, high temprature , sustained high heart rate . then u gotta drive the car lol.

[anonymous-user]

I expect if you use Vo2 max as an indicator, then top F1 drivers would beat top footballers.

To be flat out every lap requires higher levels of fitness than the stop start nature of Football and most other sports.

[Monkeylegend]

If you watch a football match, I bet in the full 90 minutes a footballer is probably standing/ walking for at least half this time.

I would say an F1 driver is much fitter than a footballer over a longer period at a higher level of sustained activity.

You frequently hear manager say the boys are tired, they have played two games in the space of 4 days, I mean come on, who are they kidding.

I bet an F1 driver could easily play two full football games a week, and a footballer couldn't even manage more than a few laps at full throttle.

I don't like footballers, overpaid, arrogant, talentless tts

[bigandclever]

Which one sits on their arse for 90 minutes?

[Monkeylegend]

bigandclever said:

Which one sits on their arse for 90 minutes?

Footballers generally, always falling down. Watching Norwich and Spurs now and they are constantly sitting on the floor pulling their bloody socks up, lazy tts.

[anonymous-user]

bigandclever said:

Which one sits on their arse for 90 minutes?

Like tour de france cyclists? Sitting there, on their arses for weeks on end.

[NRS]

Monkeylegend said:

If you watch a football match, I bet in the full 90 minutes a footballer is probably standing/ walking for at least half this time.

I would say an F1 driver is much fitter than a footballer over a longer period at a higher level of sustained activity.

You frequently hear manager say the boys are tired, they have played two games in the space of 4 days, I mean come on, who are they kidding.

I bet an F1 driver could easily play two full football games a week, and a footballer couldn't even manage more than a few laps at full throttle.

I don't like footballers, overpaid, arrogant, talentless tts

So if they're talentless why don't you do it then?

[bomma220]

Here's a thought - George Best v James Hunt?

[Monkeylegend]

NRS said:

Monkeylegend said:

If you watch a football match, I bet in the full 90 minutes a footballer is probably standing/ walking for at least half this time.

I would say an F1 driver is much fitter than a footballer over a longer period at a higher level of sustained activity.

You frequently hear manager say the boys are tired, they have played two games in the space of 4 days, I mean come on, who are they kidding.

I bet an F1 driver could easily play two full football games a week, and a footballer couldn't even manage more than a few laps at full throttle.

I don't like footballers, overpaid, arrogant, talentless tts

So if they're talentless why don't you do it then?

Too big at 12 stone to sit in the cockpit