In Formula 1, even sleep is about performance Eight Sleep’s The Pod is reshaping the landscape

Formula 1 has always been synonymous with speed, courage and adrenaline. But today, performance is no longer defined solely by what happens on track. A growing number of factors have become an essential part of both racing and preparation, with sleep increasingly taking centre stage. It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Formula 1, yet drivers are paying closer attention than ever not only to how much they sleep, but to the quality of that sleep. Rest has become another performance tool, one that can make a difference from one race weekend to the next.

This is where the concept of sleep fitness comes into play. Among the companies helping athletes optimize their recovery night after night is Eight Sleep. Founded in 2014, the company has established itself as a key player in the sleep-performance space, developing technology designed to help people achieve better, more consistent rest. Today, that expertise has also made its way into Formula 1, with Eight Sleep serving as the Official Partner of Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.

At the centre of this approach is The Pod, Eight Sleep’s intelligent sleep system, designed to turn rest into another measurable aspect of performance. By combining temperature regulation, sleep tracking and personalised insights, the system creates an environment that adapts to the body throughout the night. The goal is simple but ambitious: helping users sleep better and potentially gain up to an extra hour of sleep each night. Through The Pod’s connected ecosystem and dedicated app, sleep becomes something that can be monitored, understood and optimised – much like any other element of an athlete’s preparation.

To explore the role of The Pod and how sleep has become an increasingly important part of an F1 driver’s performance, we met Jak Crawford, Aston Martin’s third driver, and sat down with him on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. “Yes, sleeping it's certainly very important - he tells us when we asked him the importance of sleeping in the preparation of a race -. I think it's especially important for training. It's important when you're doing big training weeks and trying to build muscle. It's important to get a good night's sleep and recover properly. So, yeah, it's very important. I always try to get eight hours, no matter what. I always enjoy sleeping very much.

I like an early bedtime. Usually around nine o'clock. If I can get more than eight hours, I'll take it. Nine to seven would be perfect, but it's a bit harder on Grand Prix weekends. It's especially hard to go to sleep early. You usually want to stay at the circuit quite late. Maybe there are some events at night. You don't go to dinner until eight or nine. So you can normally go to bed quite late. But luckily, with the way the F1 weekends are scheduled, you don't arrive at the track too early. So you can still get a decent eight hours”.

What many fans may not realise is that the demands of a global F1 calendar extend far beyond the track. With races taking place across different continents and time zones, drivers constantly have to adapt their routines and body clocks to their surroundings. Adjusting their sleep schedule to the local time of each Grand Prix has therefore become an essential part of staying rested, focused and ready to perform.

“When travelling, especially if you're trying to avoid jet lag, it's always good to plan ahead - keeps explaining Jak - . So do some preparation wherever you're going. We usually do a lot of preparation when we travel to the US or further east to Asia or Australia, because then it's much more important and you can experience jet lag. So, you know, adjust your bedtime in advance to cut the deficit. Try to do that as much as possible. The most important thing is to sleep when you're tired because that's what matters most. If you try to push through during the day, it can be quite rough. So I always try to sleep whenever I get tired”.

Drivers are constantly searching for ways to find that extra tenth of a second on track. In Formula 1, nothing can be overlooked, especially when it comes to physical preparation, concentration and reflexes. Learning how to sleep better, understand what the body needs and manage every possible variable has therefore become another essential part of the modern driver’s toolkit. “Yes, it’s marginal gain - says Jak, confirming the theory -. You know, it's not going to change the world, but every little bit helps. You might not even notice it, but you might notice that you have a lot more energy this week or this month. You can definitely tell the difference over a long period of time”.