[OccumCymn]

Writing in racing magazine Autosport, the psychologist said: "Chinese Buddhists call the voice in your head the 'Monkey Mind' because they believe it resembles a restless monkey swinging aimlessly from tree to tree, commentating on everything you do and how you should do it.

"The monkey is very good at analysing, judging, criticising and logic — but rubbish at racing Formula One cars.

"This is why racing drivers must drive with their subconscious, the right hemisphere of the brain.

"The monkey lives in the left hemisphere (conscious) for words, numbers and technical stuff.

"In Malaysia Sergio Perez was driving with his right-side brain — automatically, instinctively — when he was closing on Fernando Alonso.

"He was so focused on catching. He was 'in the zone'. Until another voice, a Sauber voice, entered his head via the radio and told him to be careful, suggesting he should protect second place rather than go for the win.

"Suddenly the monkey woke up. Perez was now thinking about his driving and had entered the world of 'what ifs'.

"The monkey had grabbed the wheel and within minutes he had run off the track. The win had gone.

"Perez insisted that the message had not distracted him but then rather tellingly admitted, 'I was thinking where I was going to save some KERS. I just touched the kerb and ran wide and it was over.'

Murmuring monkey cost Perez the win | The Sun |Sport|Motorsport A similar explanation of the conscious/subconscious mind, sports psychology and motor racing:

Gavin Gough, explains: “In essence, the unconscious mind is a very relaxed state, kind of like a dream world. You see images, you hear sound, you take in smells and you take in feelings. When race drivers go down into the level of peak performance it’s purely unconscious, where everything just happens on autopilot,” he says. “The moment he begins to push harder, consciously thinking about where he brakes, where he turns in, the line he uses, his performance deteriorates. That’s because the conscious mind is unable to function at the speed of the unconscious mind.

“Senna’s speed came through his ability to understand how he could improve by utilising the power of his mind and developing his mental power. He did this on a practical level - something he learned. There were probably other drivers doing similar things, but getting there by accident. Senna made it his business to understand that process,” says Gavin.

Video: How to turn a gamer into a racing driver - Telegraph

[MARMELADINA]

This is so true, when your thinking about something else and driving you actually get faster. Same thing with go karts, the more you consciously think of going faster you make more mistakes.

[GrileVege]

This is good stuff. Normally I think a lot of modern psychology is rubbish (I'm looking at YOU Nietzsche (spelling?)), but I agree with this.

I sometimes think of what Sir Stirling Moss described after returning from his 1961 crash. He said his driving was no longer "automatic" like it was before. He was now consciously "thinking" about the driving, and it just wasn't the same - and that's why he quit... In hindsight, maybe he just needed more time - he was out for quite a while. Michael is now showing that time and practice will help it all to come back.

(I know Michael isn't as good as he was, but I AM sure he's better now than in 2010. That's what I was trying to say. )

[diseeKeythilt]

Can offer the counter-point?

In Alain Prost's autobiography "Life In The Fast Lane" he mentions at one point that he thought about every corner, sometimes several laps beforehand about how to improve the line and/or how to make use of traffic to either overtake a competitor or put cars between himself and whoever was following and Prost won 4 championships (should have been 7).

If you look at how Michael Schumacher drives, unlike virtually every other driver, he rides the throttle midway through the corner. Senna would tend to blip it but Schumacher tends to four-wheel-drift oh so slightly through every corner, which means that every single corner has to be premeditated and requires car positioning well before the entry to any corner.

If you go to any F1 event there is a strong chance that if you get up early enough, you'll be able to see several drivers walk the track. I'm sure it's because they want to know every nuance of the nature the beast that morning.

So whilst I can understand where this psychologist is coming from, I don't think it's anywhere near as black and white as suggested.

[Âåðåùàãèí]

So, when Lewis talked about the monkeys at the back, he was actually complimenting those drivers on their brains natural instinct... right?

[JNancy46]

So whilst I can understand where this psychologist is coming from, I don't think it's anywhere near as black and white as suggested.

Isn't it to do with natural talent and utilizing extra mental capacity?

Brundle refers/equates to this as strategy and tactics and so forth.

I think it was Derek Warwick who said something along the lines of most drivers concentrate hard on driving close to/to the limit but the gifted ones have the extra mental capacity where thinking affects their driving much less.

[AnetTeilor]

I have heard in the past F1 drivers talking about being "in the zone" with their mindset, like being in another dimension. I have been experiencing the levels of concentration in computer games. On occasions I have felt that special feeling of being "in the zone", I have noticed I could cut down a full second from my laptime. It is complete confidence, lap is driven inch-perfectly. But such automized confidence demands complete knowledge and trust from the car behaviour, conditions and also the circuit characteristics, because if you know these like the back of your hand, you can automatically get everything out of the car without needing to think.

For me it has worked in qualifying and also when I am catching someone in the race (in dry conditions). But once there are some distractions and I actually have to battle with another car, I have started think and analyze the situation, what are the weaknesses of the rival and how to overtake. I'm wondering about Pérez - catching was one thing, but once he caught Alonso, he needed to re-adjust his driving and concentration, because he couldn't keep delivering laptimes in the same manner he was used to doing.

Can offer the counter-point?

In Alain Prost's autobiography "Life In The Fast Lane" he mentions at one point that he thought about every corner, sometimes several laps beforehand about how to improve the line and/or how to make use of traffic to either overtake a competitor or put cars between himself and whoever was following and Prost won 4 championships (should have been 7).

Hmm... I assume this subconscious mindset may mostly apply to plain flat-out driving. But if we go to 80's - the Prost era - F1 races were quite complicated and instead of flat-out driving it was needed to take care of tyres, fuel, etc, all the time. Everything was so fragile that you needed to adapt all the time to make the car last and actually maximize its potential.

[FinanseMikky]

One example of why I personally believe this is true is;
many times when drivers who have driven a brilliant race and have an insurmountable lead suddenly have an off or just make a mistake in the closing laps of a race.
I think this may in many cases be the product of thinking too much after his race engineer tells him he can take it easy, which takes the driver out of “the zone”
Of course it could also be argued that the driver just lost concentration

[videolkif]

Can offer the counter-point?

If you look at how Michael Schumacher drives, unlike virtually every other driver, he rides the throttle midway through the corner. Senna would tend to blip it but Schumacher tends to four-wheel-drift oh so slightly through every corner, which means that every single corner has to be premeditated and requires car positioning well before the entry to any corner.

Schumacher actually said in one of the documentary from the 90's he thinks about his family or something not necessarily of the corner ahead, and goes to show he is not really premeditating, and it has become part of his driving style subconsciously.

[ådrrraj]

How many of you think all the time about the next step when you're walking on the street? Walking or running aren't things we think about all the time - we just do them and they happen automatically. It's the same as cycling and driving - how many of you stop all the time to think whether you should keep pedalling or stepping onto the throttle? We do this kind of stuff all the time and it's natural for us.

So it's logical that drivers won't be thinking about what they're doing all the time - they just do it, and it is just fine because they are already used to it, in the same way that they already know how to walk and they don't have to think how they're going to move their leg so that they won't fall down as they take the next step.

[feroiodpiop]

How many of you think all the time about the next step when you're walking on the street? Walking or running aren't things we think about all the time - we just do them and they happen automatically. It's the same as cycling and driving - how many of you stop all the time to think whether you should keep pedalling or stepping onto the throttle? We do this kind of stuff all the time and it's natural for us.

So it's logical that drivers won't be thinking about what they're doing all the time - they just do it, and it is just fine because they are already used to it, in the same way that they already know how to walk and they don't have to think how they're going to move their leg so that they won't fall down as they take the next step.

I'd add that the difference between random walking on the street and F1 driving is "ultimate concentration". During a walk you can think about anything, yet not lose your rhythm. In order to extract the maximum lap-time from the car, mind shall be empty of thoughts, yet fully concentrated in a relaxed and subconscious manner. I'd say the issue here is that thinking process or any kind of lack of relaxation of the mind would use extra energy, which in other case would be utilized in full concetration in co-ordinating body movements (steering, pedals) for racing efficiently.

[turbutbamethyg]

I think a factor is adrenaline, some people achieve with it, others find it counter-productive. In most situations a sudden rush of adrenaline will make you do one of two things fight or flight.

[varrozans]

fight or flight.

Also known as Ryanair check-in.

[ValintinoV]

Also known as Ryanair check-in.

[Nubtoubrem]

Sir Sterling Moss, said recently in an interview on TV, that it is all about instinct, fight or flight caveman type instinct, although he sed words far more elaquneet than mine. After his crash he said he had to think about where to break and where to turn in. Previously it just happened.

[boxcigsnick]

Isn't it to do with natural talent and utilizing extra mental capacity?

I would imagine so, for it is clear that natural talent must come into the equation, otherwise it might be argued that becoming a great racing driver could somehow be taught.

[idertedype]

I ran accross this: while I was surfing;
NewsNow: F1 News | Formula One News | Every Source, Every Five Minutes, 24/7

“What do you think of when you’re on track?”
FA: “It depends, usually I’m thinking of the next corner, how to take it faster than on the previous lap. However, it’s true that at some tests or on a long run, I can think that some day I’ll do this or that, or that I need to sort a visa in my passport for the next trip… Really everyday things.”

I'm not trying to contend that this is in any way a definitive answer to questions
about F1 driver’s thoughts (or lack of them) when they are racing. It is one driver’s declaration, and quite possibly someone else that Alonso has to answer his tweets. I suggest you take it for whatever you think it is worth

[km2000]

otherwise it might be argued that becoming a great racing driver could somehow be taught.

Indeed that's what sports psychologists are there for. The majority of drivers aren't in the top percentile and therefore need help with brain training.

[WelcomeMe]

Some interesting comments (IMO) about Perez:

Ferrari believes that Sergio Perez's return to form in the Canadian Grand Prix was helped by him learning to tame his aggression.

Up until last weekend's race in Montreal, the Mexican had not scored a point since he finished runner-up to Fernando Alonso at the Malaysian Grand Prix back in March.

That run of disappointment prompted talks between the Sauber driver and Ferrari Driver Academy head Luca Baldisserri to work out exactly what was happening.

And Baldisserri suggested in an interview with the official Ferrari website that Perez's recent plight was not being helped by him being too aggressive in the races.

"After Monaco, we had a discussion with Sergio," said Baldisserri. "We wanted to find out why recent results had not lived up to expectations after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

"Perez is undoubtedly talented, but he often lets himself down by being too aggressive which, especially in Formula 1, does not deliver results.

"The Montreal race was a great response, a race in which Sergio not only ran at a great pace, but also managed his race very well, managing to stay on track for fifty laps on the same set of tyres."
Ferrari says Perez's podium in Canada was helped by him taming his aggression - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

[Psymoussy]

I ran accross this: while I was surfing;

Errr, how do you keep the laptop dry?