F1 star Charles Leclerc reveals his pre-race diet and preparation

Regardless of what Stephen A. Smith thinks about whether or not racecar drivers are athletes, they most certainly are. Now, one of the best on the planet, Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc, has provided some insights into how he prepares for races.

The 28-year-old sat down with "The Do Show" during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend earlier this season and got into his pre-race habits.

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It turns out that there are three pretty simple things he does before hopping in a 200 mph F1 car and pulling the kind of G-forces that would make astronauts queasy.

"Yes, I do, the jumping rope, the cold bath, and the diet," he said, per Yahoo Sports. "I tend to (always eat) the same thing before getting into the car."

Now this is intriguing. I get sick if I eat the wrong thing before a leisurely 75 mph trip on the highway.

So what the hell does one eat before a Formula 1 Grand Prix?!

"Proteins, either white fish or chicken, but in quite small quantities, and a little bit of carbohydrates, so probably rice is the easier one to digest before getting into a Formula 1 car," Leclerc said. "These are the two things that I eat before getting into an F1 car."

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Alright, so one of the keys to being a Formula 1 driver is eating the same diet my dog gets after he pukes.

But, hey, that's what it takes to be among the best in the business, which Leclerc is.

Formula 1 returns from an unexpected month-long hiatus after the postponement of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with the Miami Grand Prix in early May.

Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton have what certainly appears to be the second-best car on the grid after three race weekends, behind only Mercedes.

However, the FIA and Formula 1 are debuting some new regulation changes following team feedback that are meant to improve the racing, qualifying, and driver safety.