Esteban Ocon Reveals Physical Deformity Common Among F1 Drivers: 'One of the Dark Sides of Driving'

One of the most striking details of an F1 car is how snug the cockpit is. In fact, the seat is tailor-made for a specific driver with hours of sitting in modeling foam to get the shape of the driver down to a tee.

Naturally, this means that their entire body — and especially their back — is constantly rubbing against the cockpit. This leads to a particular deformity just under the shoulder blades, as explained by Ocon.

“You might be wondering what’s that in the back. This little [bulge] that you see here, it’s not muscle. It’s years of sitting in the car. I’m quite lean so, basically the body tries and creates something to protect the bone, and it creates like a little ball of skin around it. Few drivers have it, and unfortunately, I have it as well,” he revealed.

“Well, that’s one of the dark sides of driving,” he added.

Ocon, like all the other F1 drivers, takes a lot of care when it comes to his body. He has a very rigorous training regime to maintain his health, his neck strength, and his core stability. Moreover, he also has to go through a very dedicated nutrition plan to ensure that he performs at his peak, but maintains the regulated weight limit.

However, he did concede that not everything about his lifestyle as a racing driver is healthy, like the little bumps on his shoulders. That said, he has made peace with it and knows that it is part and parcel of competing at the highest level of motor racing.