SAM BIRD hopes turning vegan will be his recipe for success.
The Envision Virgin Racing driver is following Lewis Hamilton’s blueprint for glory after the Formula One world champ claimed the change in diet boosted his performances on track.
Sam Bird, pictured hailing his third place in the Marrakesh ePrix last year, is not resting on his laurels as he eyes the crown this timeCredit: Sportimage
Brit driver Sam Bird says he feels fitter and faster than ever after going veganCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And Bird, who worked alongside his fellow Brit in 2013 when he was an F1 test driver for Mercedes, revealed he is feeling quicker and fitter than ever after ditching meat, eggs and dairy.
The 33-year-old said: “The thinking behind going vegan was that last year I did not have a good season.
“It is fine if you end the season knowing that you had done everything in your power.
“In season four, when I lost the championship, I realised I didn’t have the car beneath me but extracted everything I could from it and myself.
“Last year, I left points on the table and I hated that. So I thought, ‘What could I do to better myself for next year?’
“My wife is vegan. Lewis is vegan. I watched the Game Changers documentary on which he was a co-producer and it was just obvious.
“I thought, ‘I am going to give this thing a go’.
“I am 8kg down on last year without losing any energy. I saw 74kg as a racing driver of my size and stature as too much.
“Now I’m as fast or faster than I’ve ever been. I am fresher and I am happier in myself.
Sam Bird
“My wife does it every day in the kitchen. I just do what she does and it has really worked.
“I emailed Lewis after my first win of the season in Riyadh and he said he was really proud I had gone and become plant-based.
“He said congratulations and hoped the change helped. My energy levels in the gym are off the scale — I am doing more cardio than I used to.
“I was more powerful and bulky before and I have changed my body shape and the way I train.
“I am 8kg down on last year without losing any energy. I saw 74kg as a racing driver of my size and stature as too much.
“Now I’m as fast or faster than I’ve ever been. I am fresher and I am happier in myself.
“Dropping that amount of weight is amazing without having a doctor in Harley Street sucking it out of you.”
Lewis Hamilton was the inspiration for a diet free of meat products now being used by Envision Virgin Racing ace Sam BirdCredit: EPA
Londoner Bird insists he does not miss anything from his old diet and cannot imagine eating meat again.
He said: “I cannot look at a cow on a plate any more.
“I used to think, ‘Wagyu steak, that is going to taste amazing, wow, beautiful’. Now it doesn’t excite me.”
And after winning at the season-opening race in Saudi Arabia, Bird now finds himself sixth in the championship following his disappointing retirement in the Mexico City ePrix.
He was seething after an accident five laps from the end saw him land in the crash barriers.
However, with such a competitive field of drivers he says the title will go down to the wire with the London double-header.
Bird said: “We have the pace but have thrown a lot of points away already. We could be much further down the road.
“We have been one of the fastest cars on track and need to keep that going.
“Margins are tight. We are racing millimetres away from each other because we have to.”
Sam Bird
“It is a massive achievement for this team. We are maybe the smallest team on the grid — but we still pack a serious punch.
“And that’s what I love about Formula E, an independent team can take it to the big manufacturers.
“Isn’t that a nice story? I don’t think that will happen again in Formula One.
“There are 23 guys out here who can win a race, it is the most competitive championship I have ever experienced.
“People from the outside watch some bumping and crashing but these are serious cars and serious racing drivers.
“Margins are tight. We are racing millimetres away from each other because we have to.”
Bird has taken part in every FE race since it debuted in 2014. With 62 races and nine wins, he is one of the veterans of the series after deciding to ditch his F1 dream.
He added: “I am so happy I took this career move.
“OK, I’ll never be remembered as a Formula One great but hopefully I’ll be remembered as one of the early success stories in Formula E.
“A pioneer — the only driver to win a race in every season.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
