System E’s 2023 world champion Jake Dennis has been chasing a second title with Crew Andretti, racing on tracks throughout the globe in areas comparable to Jeddah, Miami, and Monaco. Now readying for motion in Jakarta, the 6’ 2” driver managed to remain nonetheless lengthy sufficient as a way to speak coaching with M&F, revealing among the challenges that taller racers face.
“Yeah, I’m most likely a bit too tall to be trustworthy,” jokes Dennis, the British driver who first started racing with karts aged 8 and by no means regarded again. “It positively has its limitations. Clearly, the most important one is becoming within the automotive,” he explains. “Typically, for many of my profession, it’s been fairly tight. To be truthful, System E have really made fairly an enormous automotive, so this one is a little bit of a luxurious for me proper now, not having my knees kind of bent loopy quantities or my elbows.”
Having competed in System 3, Jake Dennis has additionally served as a improvement driver, testing System 1 vehicles, so he has examined all kinds of racing vehicles. The most recent System E automobile is the GEN3 EVO, and whereas it may be slightly roomier than its conventional counterparts, this automotive can severely transfer. Actually, with its functionality of 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds, the GEN 3 EVO accelerates 30% quicker than a present F1 automotive.
Nonetheless, house is just not the one difficulty that taller drivers like Dennis should navigate. “The opposite facet is my weight,” he tells M&F. “Making an attempt to maintain your weight down as a tour driver is at all times slightly bit difficult. They at all times set these weight limits based mostly across the common racing driver, which might be 5’ 8” to five’ 10”, so it’s been difficult.” The general weight for each driver and automotive presently sits at 856 kilograms (1,887 kilos). Typically, a person might want to weigh round 80 kilograms (176 kilos) as a way to keep inside the guidelines, so being tall can positively have its drawbacks.
System E
How Jake Dennis Trains for System E
With no energy steering in System E vehicles, Jake Dennis explains that his wrists and arms take probably the most punishment throughout a race. “The load of steering is fairly extreme, particularly on the road circuits,” he explains, noting that muscle fatigue within the shoulders and forearms comes because of holding onto the wheel so intensely.
Whereas Dennis does practice his core, he explains that the GEN3 EVO automotive seats match across the physique snugly, so the core is way extra supported than in different varieties of vehicles. “I simply typically try to at all times concentrate on energy,” he tells M&F. “Power coaching for me is an enormous factor.” Nonetheless, Dennis must hold his physique mass in-check, so he doesn’t go too heavy on leg day. “I can’t afford to have large muscular legs, as a result of it will take me method over the load restrict,” he notes.
Dennis splits his higher physique classes into chest/higher again and biceps/triceps days. To copy the changes required in a transferring automotive, he focuses on free weights fairly than the mounted path of machines. To construct his shoulders, Dennis performs pullups and bent over rows to organize for the pains of the highway. The motive force does like to make use of cables, nevertheless, and performs workout routines like pec flies. “I discover the cables tremendous helpful for focusing on particular areas,” he explains. Regardless of the transfer, Dennis says that he likes to coach near failure with out pushing himself to the restrict and risking damage.
How Jake Dennis Approaches Diet for System E
Now residing in Monaco, Dennis reveals that the tradition of strolling has seen his step rely improve from 10K within the UK to 18K in current instances. “It’s a lot nicer to only be outdoors. The climate’s nice!” he beams. Burning these additional energy has been a large enhance for the racer, however he additionally must hold a good watch of his vitamin to remain inside these System E weight limits. Dennis explains that his calorie consumption in the course of the race season sits at round 1,800 energy, whereas ensuring to his 180 grams of protein.
“I try to keep away from carbs,” he provides. “My physique now’s so used to not having them, I don’t actually crave them.” This technique retains Dennis’ weight slightly below the 80-kilogram allocation for drivers. “I’m targeted on my protein, slightly little bit of wholesome fat, after which I most likely hit like possibly 30 to 50 grams of carbs a day, however actually not lots.”
Whereas Dennis does have management over his train regime, and his technique round vitamin, one side of racing that he does get a say in is the warmth of the race. “It is rather scorching in within the race automotive,” he shares. “Not simply inside a System E automotive, however different sports activities vehicles too.” To arrange, Dennis exposes himself to excessive temperatures by way of warmth chamber classes or the sauna. “Simply to try to get your physique acclimatized as greatest you’ll be able to,” he explains. “However to be trustworthy, nothing actually prepares you for it.”
Dennis will subsequent race System E for Crew Andretti on June 21, 2025, in Jakarta, the place the common temperature for this time of 79.4 °F, 26.3 °C with a humidity issue of greater than 80%. Now that’s a tall order.
