Singapore Sling: F1 Race Team Cognitive Function and Mood Responses During the Singapore Grand Prix

O'Neill, BV, Davies, KM, and Morris-Patterson, TE. Singapore sling: F1 race team cognitive function and mood responses during the Singapore grand prix. J Strength Cond Res 34(12): 3587-3592, 2020-The current investigation measured cognitive performance and subjective ratings of mood and sleep in Formula 1 (F1) race team members during the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix. Two weeks before the Singapore Grand Prix, subjects (n = 16; mean age 33.5 years, range 22-48 years) underwent baseline cognitive assessments and a questionnaire on mood and sleep quality/duration. These assessments were repeated on the race weekend before practice (S1) and after qualifying (S2). A significant increase in simple reaction time (SRT), i.e., slowing of total response time was observed from baseline to S1 (33.69 ± 6.52 ms; p < 0.001) and from baseline to S2 (34.63 ± 8.19 ms; p = 0.002). Mood-related effects were observed with subjective stress levels increased from baseline to S1 (18.06 ± 6.18; p = 0.032) and a decrease in how refreshed the race team members felt between S1 and S2 (18.56 ± 6.14; p = 0.029). In addition, a negative association between change in SRT and change in quality of sleep (R = 0.47; p = 0.016) as well as negative association in how refreshed individuals reported feeling and SRT between S1 and S2 (R = 0.37; p = 0.017). The findings suggest that the demands presented by an F1 race environment have significant effects on cognitive function and mood; however, the exact cause of any decrements would most likely be a combination and interaction of multiple factors. Future research should endeavor to adopt a holistic approach and investigate physiological and cognitive endpoints to fully explore the demands of this challenging motor sport.