17 Amazing Bodies of Female Race Car Drivers

Behind every high-speed corner and blistering straightaway is a dedicated race car driver, meticulously preparing their body and mind for the grueling demands of the track. This article shines a spotlight on 17 trailblazing female race car drivers, unraveling their personal fitness regimens, wellness routines, and the passion that drives them. From Danica Patrick's counting method during workouts to Simona de Silvestro's intense gym and cardio sessions, these women showcase that success on the asphalt isn't just about horsepower — it's about heart, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Dive in and let their stories inspire your own journey.

1. Danica Patrick

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Danica Patrick shared some of her tips for working out with USA Today. She says that counting helps her workout. “While you’re in the middle of it when things are difficult, give yourself a certain amount of time to count to,” she explains. “So — and I literally just did this today — when you’re tired and you stop for a second, just count to five, and when five is up, start again.”

2. Simona de Silvestro

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Simona de Silvestro talked about how she trains for racing to A Conscious Collection. “A lot of training outside of the race car, we spend a lot of time at the gym and doing cardio as the races are quite long and the heart rate stays very high for long periods of time. There is also lots of cycling, running and heat training when we go to the hotter events.”

3. Christina Nielsen

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On her website, Christina Nielsen talked about being a female racer and what she wants to prove. “At the end of the day, I am proud to be a female competing on such a high level, but most importantly, I am proud to be a driver who competes at that level. My personal statement is about the fact that nothing, including your gender, should stop you from pursuing your dreams and doing what you want.”

4. Katherine Legge

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Katherine Legge broke down her wellness routine to Women Fitness. She says that she has to do exercises that build stamina. For this reason, Legge says that she likes to run. “Racing is an endurance-based sport. You are in a hot cockpit for hours at a time, dealing with high-g loads under braking, acceleration and cornering; very heavy steering and even greater braking forces, so it’s important to do plenty of hot sweaty running outside in the heat to adapt!”

5. Pippa Mann

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Pippa Mann shared some of her favorite workouts with Blog OrthoIndy. She says that she does a lot of muscle building exercises. “I train at PitFit Training Indianapolis where we have weighted steering wheels, cross core trainers, a surge 360 machine, tractor tires and battle ropes to pound up and down until our shoulders feel like they are going to explode and our arms feel like they are going to fall off. We also work on grip strength and neck strength fairly regularly as these are both very important muscle groups for drivers.”

6. Natalie Decker

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Natalie Decker talked about the success of female racers to Forbes. “I’m all about women supporting women, whether it's racing or being an engineer in racing, or any other sport or profession we’re in. I like to reach out to the other girls as much as I can, and it’s really fun because we can sit together and get our nails done while talking about race cars. How much better can it get?”

7. Sabre Cook

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Sabre Cook broke down her life and career in an interview on Shondaland.com. In it, she talked about how she stays fit. “Physically, I usually train at least six days a week. We do various combinations of things, and that changes in season and out of season. We have different phases. So, we’ll do circuit training, strength training, neck training, reaction training.”

8. Angela Ruch

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In an interview with FoodSide.com, Angela Ruch talked about what healthy foods she incorporates into her die. “My fridge is always stocked up (with) lots of veggies and fruits. Varieties of colorful peppers are the daily snack in The Ruch house, as well as cucumbers, which we snack on for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

9. Jennifer Jo Cobb

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Jennifer Jo Cobb shared her workout secrets with Women Fitness. “I love to lift free weights. I do reps to absolutely exertion and I think because I was a dancer and in gymnastics as a child, my muscles have great memory.I tend to get bored easily so I really mix up my workouts between cardio and strength classes, yoga, Pilates and some days I do 30 minutes cardio on the gym machines (usually treadmill or elliptical) and then 30 minutes of free weights.”

10. Brittany Force

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Brittany Force shared her wellness secrets in an interview with Autoweek.com. “I definitely eat a lot healthier and work out more than I did in my Super Comp days. I think you can feel a difference in the race car because you have a clearer mind. Having a better fitness routine makes you feel less sluggish in the race car. When you feel good about yourself, I think you race better.”

11. Leah Pruett

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In this post on her website, Leah Pruett talked about why she loves doing up and down plank exercises. “I like this move because it's a spin on a traditional plank and it exercises my arms in the specific areas that I like to focus on. This targets my biceps while at the same time working the abs because you never release your core. This exercise is one of the most comprehensive strength training moves you can do within a short time span.”

12. Tatiana Calderon

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Tatiana Calderon talked about joining the Formula One team with CNN. “When I was asked to join the team, to join the Formula One team, it was definitely a very special day,” Calderon recalls. “I mean, I didn’t know if I was actually dreaming or if it was happening. Because my whole life I’ve been preparing for that moment, to get that opportunity. It’s amazing. There hasn’t been that many girls, but also guys, who can reach Formula One. So it was a very proud moment. And of course I enjoyed it but I also knew I had to push all the limits to make it count.”

13. Jamie Chadwick

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In an interview with Williams Racing, Jamie Chadwick talked about how she approached her first race. “For my first Indy NXT race, I went in it without expectation – instead trying to focus on taking in everything as it came.That way, I didn’t put too much pressure or expectation on myself. I was a bit disappointed with the result, but there are so many things I can take away from the race, and I was just happy to get that first race distance under my belt.”

14. Sophia Florsch

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Sophia Florsch likes to run to keep herself in shape. She shared this video of herself running on Instagram. Florsch captioned the post, “Sunday evening run 🏃🏼‍♀️ at home 🏡 before travelling again Tuesday onwards.”

15. Carmen Jorda

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Carmen Jorda shared her typical day of a race in an interview with Magzter. In it, she shared how she approaches meals. “My food intake is very regulated and specific,” she said. “I can’t eat certain foods, for example lactose and gluten, and my diet compliments my fitness routine and goals. Typically, I have fresh grapefruit juice and another fresh juice with 6 carrots, 2 green apples, half a lime, oat milk and chia.

16. Alice Powell

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Alice Powell talked to The Guardian about being a female racer and wanting to be a role model. “I had no idea there were so many talented females out there. You would think since there are so few you would know everybody but you don’t. It’s increasing the experience for drivers who want to try and progress into higher levels and on the engineering side, the W Series will encourage more females into engineering because they can see women participating in racing. I hope I can be a role model.”

17. Marta Garcia

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Marta Garcia talked about her journey with getting sponsors as a female driver to SkySports. “When I was trying to find sponsors, it was a bit more difficult also because they didn't really see a woman racing as an investment going forward. But I think for a sponsor, right now, it's interesting to sponsor a woman in motorsport and in other sports. At the end of the day, you need to be good - you need to have the talent, but need the support to be able to show that."