How padel became so popular among F1 drivers

Off the track, many F1 drivers have been spotted playing padel together on numerous occassions. On the Stompcast with Dr Alex George podcast, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri shared what he loves about the sport, and what it's like playing with other drivers.

Padel is becoming an increasingly popular sport, especially among Formula One drivers. When they aren't racing, many have been spotted playing together. Recently, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were seen playing a game of doubles together after Imola. Piastri has also been seen playing in the past with Alex Albon.

In February, Albon mocked online that Piastri was the worst padel player on the grid. In response, Piastri shared a video on social media of a struggling Albon on the court, creating an entertaining online padel war. When asked what it's like playing with such competitive drivers, Piastri told the Stompcast podcast said: "We take it far too seriously, yes. But it's very good fun and a good way of, you know, just keeping yourself awake."

Why do the drivers play padel?

For Piastri, playing padel is an important way of taking care of himself when he isn't racing. "I think just getting the adrenaline, getting your heart rate up, kind of keeps you awake a little bit. I don't drink coffee, so I don't rely on that to keep me awake, which bites me sometimes, but I think overall, probably not a bad thing," he said. In a recent interview, Verstappen also revealed that he has invited George Russell on numerous occasions to play a game with them, but he is often too busy in the gym. The world champion told Canal+ "We have invited him many times to padel but sometimes his training schedule didn’t allow him to go to padel."