Lucky underpants? A photo of the Pope? F1 drivers are known for their superstitions \u2013 but do they have any affect on performance? We find out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In Formula One<\/a>, drivers rely on their natural ability and skills that are honed through years of hard work to reach the summit of the F1 mountain. <\/p>\n But when you\u2019re reaching speeds of over 200km\/h on a racetrack, it\u2019s not unusual to find any form of comfort to make sure you\u2019re safe. <\/p>\n RELATED: \u2018Diamonds are created over time\u2019: Lewis Hamilton on the next generation of F1 drivers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Some past and present drivers have turned to rituals and superstitions as a source of guidance \u2013 with these items or practices having an unspoken power that can dictate the outcome of a race, where a hundredth of a second can determine glory or a last-place finish. <\/p>\n F1 driver superstitions come in many forms. Whether it\u2019s the use of \u2018lucky\u2019 garments or tokens, numbers, or religion, superstitions have been around the sport for as long as there have been drivers on the grid. <\/p>\n While less common in 2025, some drivers do still have superstitions. But why are some drivers more superstitious than others?<\/p>\n Courtney Walton, a psychologist and sports psychology researcher at the University of Melbourne, said \u201cSuperstitions and pre-performance routines have similarities [as both] are intended to give the athlete a sense of control, consistency and confidence\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile superstitions can, on some occasions, build confidence, superstitious behaviour is doing this through a placebo effect and coincidence. This is where superstitious behaviours can leave athletes unstuck,” he told Drive<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cCreating pre-performance routines that are well planned, rehearsed, intentional, and evidence-based are much more likely to create the control, consistency, and management of anxiety that athletes desire.\u201d <\/p>\n Pre-race programs can vary depending on the driver and can include breathing exercises, visualisation or rehearsal of the action, and instructional positive self-talk. <\/p>\n In the case of Pierre Gasly, a French driver who currently races for Alpine, his catch reaction test before each race has garnered social media notoriety.<\/p>\n It’s worth noting that superstitions could be a by-product of the high pressure that comes with being an F1 driver, where motorsport athletes are expected to perform at their peak regardless of external circumstances. <\/p>\n Max Von Sabler, a clinical psychologist and Director of Melbourne-based clinic MVS Psychology<\/a> said, \u201cGiven what we know about elite sports… the more pressure [placed on a driver], the more athletes seek tools to manage it\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSuperstitions are often emotion-focused coping strategies, which are a way to settle nerves, focus the mind, and create the illusion of control when outcomes are predictable,\u201d Dr Von Sabler told Drive<\/em>. <\/p>\n Australian F1 legend Alan Jones famously cited his pair of lucky red underpants as one of the key reasons why he won the 1980 F1 Driver\u2019s championship with Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really superstitious and I felt uneasy because I thought I\u2019d lost them,\u201d Jones told media<\/a> after securing the 1980 championship in Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Bev [Jones\u2019s wife] drove to Brands Hatch where I\u2019d left them in a motorhome and rushed them here [to Montreal] by special express,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton<\/a> admits superstitions are a product of the mind, the 40-year-old British driver confessed he wasn\u2019t exempt from incorporating them in his early years.<\/p>\n In a 2021 interview with fellow Brit and talk show host James Corden, Hamilton said, \u201cI had a pair of lucky underpants until my mum shrunk them [in the wash]\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t until I was 17 or 18 that I had a sequence of how to get dressed: right sock first, then left sock. I got in the car in Germany, about to start the race, and my helmet wasn\u2019t done up. So, I\u2019d missed one of the elements of these steps that I had made crucial to getting my job done.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember I crashed several seconds later, and after that, I thought \u2018This is ridiculous, it\u2019s all in my head\u2019. We create those things in our mind,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Sebastian Vettel’s superstition. He keeps St. Christopher medal in his shoes over the race weekend. St. Christopher is the patron saint of the travellers. Medals are given to him by his grandma. Vettel also keeps little metal pig and cent that he found during the 2007 US GP when he debuted in F1.<\/a> Dr Von Sabler said superstitions are “typically formed through coincidence\u201d and are developed throughout the years. <\/p>\n “An athlete performs well and links their success to a specific behaviour or item. Over time that becomes a reinforced ritual. These actions offer structure and predictability, especially in uncertain or high-stake moments,\u201d Dr Von Sabler told Drive<\/em>. <\/p>\n Joanne Ciconte, a 16-year-old Melburnian and aspiring F1 driver, said superstitions and rituals play a role before each of her races \u201cbecause you’re trying to find a small 10th [of a second] in everything\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes we are talking about a hundredth of a second that can determine your place from fifth to pole, so as a driver, it’s like, ‘okay, I did well in this session because I did this’,” she explained. <\/p>\n It’s not just garments that have been touted as lucky charms, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel \u2013 a four-time world champion \u2013 previously carrying objects in his racing suit like a small metal pig or a one-cent coin he found on a street in Indianapolis during his F1 debut in 2007. <\/p>\n However, the retired German driver’s most well-known superstition is a silver medal he puts in his boots each race. According to various reports, the silver pendant is a medal of St Christopher \u2013 the patron saint of travellers \u2013 that his grandmother gave him. <\/p>\n When you\u2019re competing in a sport where safety isn\u2019t always guaranteed, various drivers either established or up and coming turn to religion for comfort and protection.<\/p>\n Former Redbull driver Sergio Perez famously kept a picture of the late Pope John Paul II in his cockpit after meeting the former pontiff in Italy.<\/p>\n \u201cI have it because he touched my hand back in the 2000s. I felt a big connection to him. And these days, although he has died, I still feel a big connection to him,\u201d the Mexican driver said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s someone who I really trust, and feel is on my side all the time. I feel having him in my car is very important \u2013 he gives me extra strength in everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Likewise, Bianca Bustamante \u2013 a Filipino racing driver with ties to the McLaren F1 team \u2013 said her religious faith stems from her culture. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m quite religious. I think it\u2019s the Filipino in me. Back then, my mum wouldn\u2019t let me drive without praying, I still do it every day, before [and] while I\u2019m in the car too. <\/p>\n \u201dI pray two or three times in the span of 30 minutes [because] it gives me peace of mind knowing that in a sport like these where there\u2019s such a high risk\u2026 [where] you can potentially die, that\u2019s no joke,\u201d Bustamante told Drive<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201c[For] my peace of mind [knowing] that someone is looking over you and guiding you in moments where you\u2019re out of control gives me peace for my mental health. I pray whenever there are moments when I feel unsafe or unsure.\u201d<\/p>\n The post ‘A placebo effect’: The psychology behind F1 driver superstitions<\/a> appeared first on Drive<\/a>.<\/p>\n‘A placebo effect and coincidence’<\/h2>\n
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What are some of the most famous F1 driver superstitions? <\/h2>\n
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\u2018Someone is looking over you\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n