Bob goes to Silverstone

Salt Rock resident Bob Russell recently had his wildest ‘petrol-head’ dreams come true.
Bob has just returned from a weekend at Silverstone, the Formula One racing circuit outside London, where he worked for the Russian team SMP Racing as their personal sports massage therapist.
Head hunted by former Sharks player Rudi Keil, Bob flew to Europe last Thursday to meet the team before the European Le Mans Series and the World Endurance Championship race.
Rudi is now the SMP Racing team’s Fitness Manager.
“Rudi said he wanted the best, so he called me,” said Bob.
Bob worked as the Sharks sports massage therapist from 1999 until 2013. He now has his own practice at home and continues to run his popular fitness regime, ‘Bob’s Bootcamp’ at Umhlali Preparatory School.
Bob said the races were up to six hours long and required stamina and great endurance.
“The drivers rotate every hour and a half or so. It is quite a process to get in and out of those vehicles because each driver has their own seat moulded to fit them perfectly. But they can change a driver in 22 seconds!”
Bob helped the drivers warm up before their turn in the hot seat.
“The drivers mainly need to have their neck and shoulders massaged as they take a lot a strain in the vehicles. Also their forearms, from clutching the steering wheel and gear changing.”
“I had them put a GoPro behind one of the drivers so I could see the impact of the driving on the head and neck. They are going over 300 kilometres an hour. So they really get thrown around inside there.”
SMP Racing finished well with two second places in the European Le Mans Series and a third in the World Endurance Championship race.
Bob will return for the ultimate of endurance races, the Le Mans 24 Hours in France in June.