Taming Speed (2022) Movie Script
1
When experiencing speed, your body
spurts adrenaline into your system.
Your blood pressure
rises instantly.
Your heartbeat races,
your body temperature rises,
and your limbs start to tingle.
This sensation is fascinating
to some, frightening to others.
Considering my old job
as a grand prix driver,
I fall into the first category.
And Coulthard wins in Monaco!
But I also know that speed...
can have consequences.
In any case, speed seems to come
natural to Aksel Lund Svindal.
Two Olympic gold medals,
five world championships,
36 world cup race wins,
most of them in speed events.
But the question is,
does being great in one category...
give you an edge in another?
And what does it take
to tame speed?
Should I...? No. Just clap? Okay.
It's incredibly exhausting
to be a top athlete,
and maybe especially
in high-risk sports.
So I'm actually
quite happy that I'm done.
When I think about speed,
I think that...
the higher the speed, the better.
And there's an intense rush.
It's almost like
you get a different personality
in the minutes
when you're competing.
And you have the process
of getting better and better.
And I miss that a little.
TEAM PRESENTATION
STOCKHOLM
PORSCHE CENTRE DANDERYD
6 DECEMBER 2021
-Hi.
-Hi.
-How are you?
-Good.
-How are you?
-I'm good.
This will be cool.
That's the most important thing.
Yes, it is.
-You know all of this.
-A little.
-You know it better.
-No, you're a downhill skier.
So you know speed, at least.
-Yeah, but you have to turn, too.
-Not much.
Ingemar Stenmark
and Aksel Lund Svindal, welcome.
It's a huge honour for us
to have you with us here today.
We are here today because
both of these guys will drive
Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia
next year.
Let's welcome them, first of all.
I've always been a fan of racing.
It has fascinated me.
I never thought
I would ever drive a race.
But it was really easy to say yes
when I got the chance,
precisely because there are
some elements that are very similar
to alpine skiing,
and downhill in particular.
I've never done this before,
but now that we're doing it,
I want to do it properly.
First of all,
the team is super professional.
And we have two legends.
Ingemar Stenmark
is the alpine skier who
has won most world cup races.
Teammate number two
is Carl Philip Bernadotte,
who has raced for ten years.
I can learn a lot
from his experience.
What's your goal?
I think I will start out...
-You're an athlete. You want to win.
-I think I'll start out in the back.
The goal is to get
a little bit better all the time.
I've only done one thing
that's measured
in hundredths, tenths,
metres, and first,
second and third place.
I haven't tried
to get good at anything else.
Personally, it will be cool to see
if I can get good at something else.
That it's not just one thing
and that I can get decent
at something else, too.
PRIVATE TEST, KARLSKOGA
GELLERSEN ARENA
A. LUND SVINDAL
The first feeling when I got in
and had to remember how
everything worked was one thing,
but the bigger surprise was
the claustrophobic feeling
of seeing too little.
How can I operate the car safely
without crashing?
The pit lane is free.
Go ahead and drive.
There are so many impressions.
It feels like
your head will explode.
You have to time
everything perfectly.
If you're going to do your best,
you have to push your limits.
And when you come into situations
you haven't been in before,
you lose control a little.
You get scared, because you don't
know how to handle the situations.
That was the first lap. Great.
The thing is,
when you're in control,
you can suddenly lose it
in one tenth of a second.
You need to get experience in order
to know what's happening.
I have a lot to learn.
I'm at the limit. I make mistakes.
I don't have a lot of experience.
That's what we're going to practise.
Let's look at the first corner.
There are 30 metres there
that we can work on.
At the braking point.
You have to get the car
into the first corner
and save those 30 metres,
and then you have to hit
the brakes harder.
In modern racing cars, every
single driver input is recorded,
not unlike a black box
in an aeroplane.
The output is telemetry.
Gear selection,
throttle and brake application,
outright speed,
time gained or lost.
Learning to use telemetry
to your advantage
is a powerful tool to improve,
as well as a link
between driver and engineer.
By overlaying the telemetry
from a particular lap
with another driver,
one can learn a great deal
from all of the scribbles.
The red lines represent
one driver,
the blue lines, his teammate.
Their braking points are similar,
but the blue driver carries
more speed into the turn.
Even though this causes
the blue driver to exit the corner
with a lower speed, the gain is
a few tenths on the red driver
through this section.
Onto the start-finish straight,
we can see that the blue driver
gets on the gas pedal earlier
and with perfect throttle control
and balance
gains just over 0.2
of a second on the red driver.
Now there are options.
The red driver can adapt
and adjust the entry speeds
and throttle inputs on exit,
and the engineer can help
by adjusting the setup.
A bit of both might do the trick.
They'll know
the next time out on track.
You're trying to find
the braking point
and brake later in the corners.
You have to go full throttle
until you hit the brake.
It feels completely wrong
to drive straight into a corner
and just wait, wait, wait
without braking.
It's the balance
between the right braking,
the right turn in, and how much
you should accelerate,
and I haven't found that balance.
It feels a little safer now,
because I have tried the car
in the environment
the races take place in,
and I have started to learn about
the different settings.
And...
When you get more information,
you can visualise what's coming,
and then it feels safer or better.
If you just practise,
you'll be able to drive quite fast.
It's hard to answer...
how you become good, but...
I don't think anyone stays
at the top level for a long time
without being the product
of hard work.
If you think you can do less and
with lower quality than anyone else
and still be better,
I think you're fooling yourself.
It can't be done.
I think it's several small things.
And when I say small things, I mean
small choices you make all the time.
It might be during practice
or a competition
or during a dinner with friends
when you decide to go home early
or you decide not to drink
because you have to practise...
If you have the will or the passion
that this is something
you want to achieve,
I think the chances are greater
that the choices
you make will be good.
And that doesn't mean
good choices in life generally,
but good choices for becoming
a good downhill skier.
OFFICIAL TEST, MANTORP
MANTORP PARK, 28 APRIL 2022
This might get scary.
I saw a video online,
and there are curves here
where you have to drive 150 kph.
It's always exciting
to do something new.
Oh, yes.
Morning.
There's more throttle over the crest
and a higher speed over the crest.
After the crest,
should I hold the brake a little
or just touch the brake
and then release it?
Yes. And if you see there,
you will brake soon after the crest,
or maybe even on top of the crest,
but you can brake even later,
and as you say, it's just a touch
to calm down the car.
Try to stay with each other.
Try to stay behind him
and see his lines and braking.
It might be hard
to keep up with Carl Philip, but...
In that case,
I'll stick with Ingemar.
You can go.
Very good pace, Aksel.
-That's good.
-He's doing well.
In alpine skiing,
you will rarely achieve good speeds
or a good performance
if you're struggling a lot.
You need to have a flow.
If you're struggling
against the forces of nature,
you'll go slower
than if you find a rhythm
where you're at the limit
but find a flow.
Amazing, Aksel. Only three tenths
behind Carl Philip.
-Great driving!
-Thanks.
-Awesome!
-Thanks!
-That was great!
-Damn fun!
-Great, Aksel.
-Thanks. This went well.
You're an expert.
I almost kept up with Carl Philip
in the beginning.
When we got new tyres,
I got a confidence boost,
so it felt better immediately.
It's like having sharp edges
on your skis.
In everything you do,
the higher the level is,
the more demanding it is
to get better.
Just being able to do it safely
doesn't require a whole lot.
But being able
to do it competitively
requires a bit more.
And being able to compete to win...
requires a whole lot more,
especially if you're competing
to win every single time.
In the beginning,
you get a really fast progression
with a low amount of effort,
but at a certain level,
the effort, the time
and the difficulty level
go straight up.
It gets a whole lot harder.
But you don't progress as much even
though you spend a lot more time.
It's hard to improve,
and it requires a huge effort,
both to become better
and to stay at your current level.
QUALIFYING PRACTICE, KARLSKOGA
GELLERSEN ARENA, 5 MAY 2022
It's the last test day.
And then we'll drive a race
at Anderstorp.
We have to get good at qualifying.
Achieving one good lap
and feeling when it's perfect
and when to do the good lap,
that's probably one of
the most important things you do,
and that's what
we're going to practise.
The pit lane is free. Go ahead.
You're going to do ten laps.
In alpine skiing, the differences
are hundredths of seconds.
And on the skis, you can adjust
the angles of the edges.
0.3 degrees. 0.5.
And then you have the stiffness
of the skis, the width, the sidecut.
There's a lot to test,
and most of the time,
you're testing tiny details.
Some things feel good,
and some things feel bad.
If the difference is big,
you'll know,
but in the end,
your time is the deciding factor.
In a one-make series,
such as Porsche Sprint
Challenge Scandinavia,
all cars look the same.
But that doesn't mean
they are the same.
Golfers have different swings.
Ronaldo is right-footed.
Messi is left-footed.
Rafael Nadal is right-handed
but hits with his left.
And racing drivers
have different driving styles.
A driver will have
to adapt his style
to suit the car or circuit,
just like a tennis player would
when switching
from grass court to clay.
But a race car also needs
to be set up
to get the car suited
to the driver.
The setup possibilities
are basically endless.
Wheel angles, throttle response,
gearing, tyre pressures,
roll bars, wing angles...
I could go on.
If a car is set up correctly
for the circuit
but not for the driver...
Well, I'm sure
Nadal can hit a tennis ball
with his right hand too,
but probably not as well.
It all has to do with confidence.
Confidence to push the car
and yourself to the limit.
When the equipment
works perfectly,
it helps make your driving
technically perfect.
Both in terms of how you move
and in terms of the line
that gives you the highest speed.
The timing is right, and it feels...
The equipment flows.
I think I'm finding the setup that
makes it a little hard to drive,
but not so hard that I make a lot
of mistakes. I think I've got it.
The range is a lot smaller,
and I need some small adjustments,
but I think I've found a setup
that suits me well.
It's been both good and bad.
I think the lap time in itself,
if you put together
different pieces, is very good,
but what Aksel hasn't really managed
is to unite the pieces in one lap,
and that's going to be
a challenge for him to do.
In downhill,
you have some practice runs,
and on the race day,
you only get one try.
So it should be more similar
to a qualifying than a race,
but it took me about 20 years
to get to the level
where I know where the limit is
and I can push it to the limit
on that one try.
But knowing where the limits are
and being able to push them...
I'm nowhere near that yet.
RACE, ANDERSTORP
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY, 14 MAY 2022
My name is Riccardo Ceccarelli.
I am a medical doctor specialised
in sport medicine.
I've created Formula Medicine,
which is a company
nearly fully dedicated
to motorsport.
That's why now
it's the leader worldwide.
Every year,
we see like 200 drivers.
We train the drivers, and we
assist the circuit in every category
from go-kart to Formula 1.
I was bringing
some instruments for you.
Okay? We can take
a measurement of your stress.
I was invited to assist
and to work with Aksel.
The challenge is to see
how a champion from the ski
can adapt to a car.
What exactly will you measure?
It's possible to see
the heart rate variability,
which is an index of the stress.
It's possible
to see the breath rate.
And with some algorithm,
we can have also
like a kind of commitment.
So what we try to understand is
how much you have to put of
energy, of commitment, in driving.
Because the goal is
the best balance
between brain, body and car.
So we say maximal performance
with less energy consumption,
because every time you think
too much, you are slow.
If you think too much at the point
of braking, you become slow.
I think I understand
what you're talking about,
because now, from just
driving four days, I already feel
that it's less stress
and a little more automatic.
So I can...
It's easier for me to lift
and look ahead.
I can focus
on what's coming more
because this is happening
more naturally.
I assume that being in a race mode
and having the right amount
of tension and things like that
are things that are comparable
in alpine skiing and motorsport.
So I assume that he will see
some patterns that are good
but also several things
I will have to work on.
Porsche Sprint Challenge
goes over two days.
The first day is the qualifying.
On day two,
there are two 20-minute races
where the starting order is
determined by the qualifying.
QUALIFYING
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY
There's a lot
to think about in qualifying.
One thing is
to find the right setup for the car.
You have to feel the tyres and check
that there's no traffic in front.
Get the tyre temperature up, Aksel.
It's time to push it, Aksel.
You have time for three laps.
At first, I was a little stressed
because it was raining.
But once I knew
that I had three laps left
and it was drying up
and I had to get a good time,
I just felt really focused.
I was a little more in the race mode
that I would like to be in.
That's good, Aksel. P2, P2.
-Yes!
-Impressive!
I knew I drove quite fast
because I could see the times,
but you don't know
how the others are doing.
But when I passed the goal flag,
I heard that it was P2,
so that was actually perfect.
-Nice!
-Congrats! Really good!
I had three quite similar laps.
I think it was
your second-to-last lap.
In racing, time is everything.
It's a measurement of how well
or how poorly you're doing.
0.2 of a second in the grand
scheme of things is nothing.
It's a blink of an eye.
It's this beep.
The average speed of the fastest
lap in qualifying
was 147.8 kilometres an hour.
Aksel's was
0.4 kilometres an hour slower.
A mere 11.2 metres
if you look at the actual distance
over the finish line.
Not much considering
the Anderstorp Raceway
is slightly over
four kilometres long.
But let's complicate things
a little.
Being two tenths behind
over a race distance of 20 laps,
that gap will then grow
to 5.5 seconds
and 225 metres.
Suddenly,
0.2 of a second isn't nothing.
It's a significant margin.
RACE 1
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY
Welcome to Porsche
Sprint Challenge Scandinavia 2022.
The series that started last year
is back in a new version
with a new dream team
with Aksel Lund Svindal
and Ingemar Stenmark.
Thank you.
I'm nervous,
because I've never done this before.
It's the first time
I'm driving a race.
I'm especially nervous
because I'm feeling really good.
The practice went well, so I know
that I can perform really well.
-It's all okay?
-I'm okay.
I'm a little bit nervous,
but that's normal.
-It's how it should be.
-Yeah. Has to be.
Without adrenaline,
it makes no sense.
A little close now.
Once the race starts,
I think it's going to be tough.
I've driven in traffic,
but now,
there will be cars all around me.
That will be a new experience,
so it's a little exciting.
Go as fast as you can, Aksel.
The first Sprint Challenge race
has begun.
Good start from Ludwig Ellhage.
He tries to overtake
Aksel Lund Svindal on the inside.
Svindal hopes Kenneth Ahnelv
is in control as Svindal brakes past
on the way down
to the second corner.
Great, great, great. Good.
Svindal is back
in William Siverholm's slipstream.
He tries to overtake on the inside,
letting the ABS work all the way.
He squeezes past on the inside.
A daring manoeuvre from Svindal.
Great, Aksel! Amazing! Keep going!
2.30 left on Anderstorp Raceway
for Ludwig Ellhage.
Look at the car... Ludwig Ellhage
wipes out in the second corner!
Down from first place!
Ludwig Ellhage!
-That's great!
-It's P1!
Final lap.
There are a few drops in the air.
Aksel Lund Svindal
in front of William Siverholm.
One lap to go.
A key braking point
for Aksel Lund Svindal.
He presses hard
and makes no manoeuvre to move.
A small blink from the headlamps
heading down to the second corner.
Siverholm is closing in
on Aksel Lund Svindal.
The final corner.
He brakes as late as he can.
The goal flag is in front,
and Aksel Lund Svindal wins
his first race
in Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
Fantastic, Aksel!
Yeah!
-That was cool.
-Damn great!
Damn cool!
P1!
Yes! That was amazing!
-It was a real fight, too.
-It was damn great!
Hey!
I don't believe
it's the first race.
It's not the first race.
Come on, tell the truth.
You did already ten races.
That was damn cool.
-And it was a real fight, too.
-A really good fight.
Hey!
Aksel Lund Svindal!
Winning the first race
was just perfect.
Especially after all the action
and the overtakings.
Winning a race after a lot
of fighting is especially cool.
We'll have to wait and see.
-Should we...
-Yeah.
The second race
will be more difficult
because it's difficult
to get back to the focus.
I'm trying.
I told him it's like slalom
with the second match,
and normally, between
the first and the second,
you are completely focused
on yourself.
It's back to the focus,
because he was very distracted
by many things, so...
-No problem.
-Yeah.
The lights are still red.
And the race is on.
Clean start with
Janne Gustavsson on the inside.
Aksel Lund Svindal has room
to squeeze past.
Svindal is on the outside.
Krister Andero is far out
and loses ground to Stenmark.
He tries to overtake Ludwig Ellhage.
Siverholm collides
with Janne Gustavsson!
Safety car, Aksel. Safety car.
It will be exciting to see
what Aksel can do.
He had a fast car
before this happened.
The safety car is spinning laps.
The cars are led into the depot.
But not Aksel Lund Svindal.
No, no, no, Svindal!
What's happening now?
What's happening?
You have to get off the track.
Svindal made a mistake.
-You have to go into the depot.
-Into the depot?
All the cars follow the safety car,
and when the safety car
drives into the depot,
or whatever the safety car does
when the lights are on,
you have to follow the safety car.
Rookie mistake,
but it's still really annoying.
In my head, I just thought,
"Restart, restart, restart."
So I went from a complete focus
on just looking ahead
to feeling like I screwed up.
I lost the race,
and I also broke the rules,
so it feels twice as bad.
We're just running laps
towards the goal flag,
and we can declare that
Kenneth Ahnelv will win this race.
-What a shame.
-That sucks, Aksel.
-It wasn't even a race.
-No, it was nothing.
I made a rookie mistake
in the beginning.
I think I just have to get
more experience
so I do more things automatically.
I feel I've learned
a lot this weekend.
That doesn't mean I know everything.
I probably only know 10%.
But it was a big step to go
from practice to a real race.
-We'll take it.
-Yeah.
So now, when I go back home, I go
to Formula Medicine with my crew.
We will analyse all the data
just to find the best suggestions
to give to him, how to optimise
his results for the next races.
ANALYSIS AND MENTAL TRAINING
VIAREGGIO
FORMULA MEDICINE
11 JULY 2022
I think many of the same qualities
you need
to be a fast downhill skier
are the same
as when you drive cars
and drive races.
I think I have
a good starting point.
All right.
Everyone has a different
relationship with speed.
As I say, either fear
or attraction.
When we train our brain
to be faster,
the speed is relatively less.
So it's something
that can be trained.
We can analyse now the data coming
from your race in Anderstorp.
So, your first race.
I can show you your heart rate
and what the instrument gave me as
a feedback of the level of stress.
But the most interesting is,
in my opinion,
before the first race.
You had a heart rate under 100.
Before the second race,
you were always around 100.
I remember I saw you less focused.
And I told you.
You arrived late to change.
You were more distracted.
And then,
when the safety car arrived,
you did the mistakes.
In my opinion,
because it was more difficult
to stay focused. It was
more difficult to stay in the race.
It is also, you know,
a new situation.
When you're driving, you think
about only a few things.
-Yes. You limit.
-Exactly.
And with the safety car,
you think about many things.
For me, it's important
to have the awareness
that the overthinking
can be a stress,
can be something that can cause
tension and mistakes.
That's what you learn
as an athlete, sometimes.
It's to find, you know,
"What's my right tension level?"
And you can control this yourself,
but sometimes, it's much harder,
because there's
so much outside impulses,
and then it gets much harder
to control the tension level.
The thing that impresses me
is how much you are quick-learning.
And I'm interested to see
the same things
in the mental gym, probably.
-It makes me a little bit nervous.
-I'm creating pressure.
We will see. Exactly.
You're creating pressure.
Talent is necessary,
but it's not enough anymore.
So the prototype
of the new athlete
is just the person
which is like an engineer
before the action
and then very pure instinct,
an animal, during the action.
For us, what is important
is not the result, it's the feeling.
The rhythm.
Now you better manage also that one,
in particular after mistakes.
And again, we have this peak
at the beginning
from your heart rate.
That's probably linked
with the mistakes.
We work like the engineer
on the engine.
More horsepower,
less fuel consumption.
We take the brain of the driver,
and we train
to give more horsepower,
reducing the consumption,
which is the quality
of the champion.
They are able
to manage the emotion.
They manage the pressure.
They are not affected.
So that's why
they don't waste energy,
because if I go to drive
and I have many doubts,
many emotions, many pressures,
I'm not performing
like I could do.
If I am completely out
of this pressure,
I'm driving like
I'm able to drive,
so I perform like I can.
So that is the difference.
This is the mental economy
training philosophy.
Ready? Three, two, one, let's go.
You learn about how you react,
and if you get stressed,
your performance drops,
and how you can find a good mindset
to do the exercises properly.
What you learn about that
is more important than the results.
It's interesting
what our analysis shows,
because we saw that you are
very analytical, very rational.
You want to have the full control,
and that means good analysis.
You understand what to do,
how to do,
and then you can highly perform.
This is what I have been thinking.
That in general,
but especially in skiing,
that the one thing that I felt
was a little bit different with me
is that I was very analytical.
And that means
the first time I try something,
I'm not so good,
but then I analyse,
and if I can practise
a little bit,
I can get much better
pretty quick.
The only thing
that I can suggest to you...
You should know your target.
If you say, "I don't care
what I do, I just go for driving",
okay, but I think
you're not that kind of person.
You think that when you sit in
a car, you want to be the first one.
-I agree.
-Yeah.
Because in my opinion,
what you show,
you can have a chance
to be professional in motorsport,
depending on
if it's your target now.
I think many people,
if they get the chance to practise,
can reach a very high level.
So I feel relaxed about that,
but at the same time,
it means there is a chance, and...
when something is fun,
it's exciting to play with the idea
that there's a chance
to do more of it.
And just the experience
I have got so far
makes me ten times
better equipped and prepared for it
than I was six months ago.
I think I did
some of my best driving in Fllfors.
I drove really well there.
Carl Philip was better,
but I placed second and third.
Aksel Lund Svindal
takes second place.
Then we went back to Anderstorp.
I drove well in the first race,
so I placed fourth and seventh.
After race number two
in Anderstorp,
I went to the doctor
because I wanted to check something.
But I didn't think
it would be a big deal.
But it was full alarm
and straight to the hospital.
It was testicular cancer,
which is easy to operate,
so everything happened quickly,
but in the span of one week,
I got the diagnosis,
I got all the analyses, I got
the surgery, and I was discharged.
I was told quite early on
that it was looking good
and that the spread was minimal,
and everything
has gone well all the way.
So I was lucky,
but it was also a period that...
puts your life in perspective.
I didn't think I would die,
and I understood early on
that I would get through it,
but I didn't know if it was
a matter of weeks or months.
So...
I was lucky,
and it took weeks, not months.
During those weeks,
I didn't think much about
racing and driving cars,
but on the other hand,
I thought quite early on...
This was about three weeks
before the race at Rudskogen,
and I needed something
to look forward to,
so I thought quite early on
that I wanted to be there,
almost no matter what.
PRIVATE TEST, CARRERA CUP
RUDSKOGEN
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
17 SEPTEMBER 2022
I got the chance
to test a Carrera Cup car,
which is quite a big step up.
What we're driving now
is a race car.
The Carrera Cup car
is a brutal race car.
I'm excited
about how it's going to feel.
If it's in
a completely different league,
so it feels really far away
or if it's an idea I could play with
and try in the future.
The Porsche GT4 Clubsport
is a fast race car.
It's faster around a circuit
than practically any supercar
you might see on the road.
But a 911 Carrera Cup car is,
depending on the circuit,
eight to ten seconds faster
per lap than the GT4.
And in a significantly faster car,
everything happens quicker.
You have less time to react,
and you need to adapt.
One key factor is to lift
your eyes and look further ahead.
Something that's easier said
than done.
When approaching a corner,
an ordinary driver is looking for
braking points and where to turn.
A professional has already
processed those inputs
and is as focused on the corner
exit and the one coming next.
By doing this, the brain has
more time to process and react
to all of the information
thrown at it.
You start with braking
and things like that.
That's what creates the rotation
as early as possible.
Once you get started
with the braking,
the rest will follow.
You'll get a good rotation
when the braking technique is right.
So just go ahead.
It's cool to see Aksel drive around
and try the GT3.
It's a new experience.
And of course to coach
and help where I can
to make his progression
as fast as possible.
This weekend, I'm driving
Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia.
It's always extra stressful
to see the car I'll be driving
being driven for the first time
by a new driver.
Very good, Aksel.
The first lap is over.
Good and even downshifts now.
It's like there's no filter.
Everything is rawer.
The sounds and the feeling.
The steering is more grippy.
It feels more brutal,
especially if it slips.
There's almost no warning.
Suddenly, you've just lost the grip.
When you know it's like that,
your heart rate is elevated
and you're almost a little scared.
It's a lot harder to lift your eyes
and focus on the track
and not think about everything
that could happen to the car.
You have to be more aggressive
with a car like that
because everything is faster.
That's one
of the biggest differences
between a GT4 and a GT3.
You have to push your limits
with the grip you are given.
-How was it?
-It was...
-Different?
-It was a lot.
-What was the biggest difference?
-That it's a lot more nervous.
-Very good start.
-It went better...
I was a little more confident
the second time.
#82 AKSEL LUND SVINDAL
-How was it?
-Exciting.
I was almost...
I was quite nervous, actually.
What is it you say? It's a monster.
We have seen
how you've been driving this year,
and you've been very fast.
You've been in the top.
That's not just about
driving fast and safe.
You have to learn to race
against other drivers.
But that's why
this feels like a natural step.
We would like to see
if we can do more of this next year.
But it has to feel right for you,
of course.
I think it sounds
like a lot of fun, so...
I think we should...
We should keep thinking about that.
QUALIFYING
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
If I want to drive
Carrera Cup next year,
I'll have to drive well.
It won't look good if I don't drive
fast in Sprint Challenge
but still want to drive Carrera Cup.
It would be perfect timing
to drive well here
and in the finals in Mantorp.
Two, and then three.
-That's good.
-Yeah, we'll take that.
We're at Rudskogen Motor Centre,
Norway's own motorsport gem.
It's the Porsche Festival
with a huge crowd,
and it's time for Porsche
Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
-Can I get your autograph?
-Sure.
It was a little bit undercover
that I would drive Sprint Challenge
until I won at Anderstorp.
Then it became a big deal
that people talked about
in the motorsport scene,
and there are a lot
of motorsport fans here,
so I feel a bit of pressure.
-Good luck.
-Thanks.
The race is on.
Jonas is right behind Erik Sandell.
Great start for Jonas Sjstrm
and Svante Andersson.
But William Siverholm
and an attacking Isabell Rustad
are in the lead.
Rustad, Siverholm, Svindal
heading down the hill.
William Siverholm fights
against Isabell Rustad.
Aksel Lund Svindal puts pressure
on Isabell Rustad.
Aksel has a great speed.
This track seems to suit him.
Svindal pushes hard and goes all in.
Aksel Lund Svindal on the way
over the line in second place.
But he gets a penalty
for a false start.
He gets a five-second penalty which
sends him down to fourth place.
False start for Aksel.
Five-second penalty.
-You had a false start.
-Did I? For real?
Five-second penalty,
so you came in fourth.
-Really?
-Sorry.
I came in second place
and thought it was a good race,
and then they just waved me on.
False start? I mean,
I was behind Siverholm.
It can't have been a false start.
When you rolled forward,
you moved to the side, like this.
You can't cross your middle line
before the lights are off.
Okay, but can you show me a video
so I can see how far over I was?
It turns out that once
you're in the starting field,
you're not allowed
to cross the middle,
so you have to stay
on your side of the track.
And out of the corner
into the starting field,
Siverholm pulls
slightly to the left,
and like we've always done,
I just followed him.
You're over here already.
Quite far in the other direction.
You see that
you're in your own field.
The others are like this.
But am I over here? I'm not.
You're sure I was too far over?
Do you have a better picture?
No, I don't have another picture.
I saw it myself live.
Because when the race starts,
I'm not over, right?
No, but it's the whole formation
before the start.
-Yeah, but...
-The big problem is here.
But look at this...
I'm not going to protest,
but it feels quite unnecessary
when no one
has mentioned it all season
and it doesn't give me
an advantage and I'm...
Unfortunately, with a false start,
I can't judge whether or not
it gives you an advantage.
I'm a little annoyed.
I think it's really unnecessary.
It's annoying but mostly comical
that it's suddenly a thing
when we're nearly
at the end of the season.
RACE 2
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
-I'm keen on revenge.
-Yeah, right?
-See you on the podium.
-Yes.
We're getting ready for the last
Sprint Challenge race here.
Great start for Isabell Rustad.
Siverholm is right in front
of Aksel Lund Svindal.
Svindal dives into the first corner,
but Isabell Rustad takes the lead,
just like in the first race.
Siverholm is
on the outside of Svindal.
Svindal pushed the line hard
in the first corner.
Aksel Lund Svindal's line
is far from optimal.
He loses Siverholm and Ellhage.
Sjstrm overtakes him too.
Andero is Svindal's next threat.
Svindal is a master
of psychological warfare.
He brakes really late
and pulls in over the curb.
Svindal gets a good run
on Jonas Sjstrm and overtakes.
A slight oversteering,
and Sjstrm loses Svindal.
What will Jonas Sjstrm
and Aksel Lund Svindal do now?
Another contact.
There goes Sjstrm's radiator.
Just as Svindal
was about to shake things up.
Jonas Sjstrm is sliding around
in his own coolant right now.
I got hit. Flat tyre.
Aksel Lund Svindal has a problem.
His warning lights are on.
The day is over for him.
-I have a flat tyre.
-Yeah.
Did he drive into you?
Or did you block him?
No, he braked
and hit me in the back.
It's especially fun
to do well at home,
and it's especially hard
to do poorly.
-Can I take a selfie?
-Sure.
-How did the race go?
-I crashed, unfortunately.
Or someone crashed into me.
Are we ready?
Right now, I feel quite tired,
but that's normal
when you have a bad break.
Especially if it feels like...
you tried your best,
but it just wasn't your day.
I look forward to Mantorp. It would
be perfect to finish with...
a really good position.
MANTORP
MANTORP PARK, 1 OCTOBER 2022
It has gone by fast.
It's been challenging
but really fun.
It has given me
some competition nerves
and the feeling
of wanting to perform well,
which I have missed, since it was
an important part of my life.
Great!
-You're three and four.
-Three and four? Yeah.
Formula Medicine is visiting us
this weekend.
I'm curious about that,
actually, because I have...
I've wondered if I have an advantage
because I was a downhill skier.
I think I'm used to speed,
and if you're used to speed,
it's not as scary.
You can tame it.
So I'm excited to see
the answers they give me.
Welcome to the end
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia
here in Mantorp Park
in stergtland.
-The last day.
-Yeah!
Everyone is coming around.
And we're off! Good start
for Kenneth Ahnelv.
William Siverholm is squeezing past
and touches Andero!
Contact between
Siverholm and Andero!
-Carl Philip Bernadotte in the lead!
-Svindal also has a poor start.
Here come Svindal, Ellhage
and Andersson. Sjstrm is gone.
Svindal is also forced to break.
Something has happened
to Sjstrm and Svindal.
Yes, it works. What happened?
I got hit once here and once here.
Look at this.
Carl Philip Bernadotte wins the race
at Mantorp Park.
He flashes his lights,
crosses the line and gets 25 points.
Congrats. Good job.
When I was an alpine skier, I was
also disappointed and pissed off
when I wiped out. It happens,
but it shouldn't happen too often.
Especially not twice in a row. So...
That's a little annoying.
But you can't do anything about it.
Skiing is better
because no one collides with you.
That's true. In the last few races,
I got hit twice and had a flat tyre.
When you're skiing,
you're all alone.
-That's what I mean.
-There's no one behind you.
So sometimes, that's better, but...
What do you think
it's like to drive a regular car?
It's hard to figure out
how I should drive.
But at the end of the race,
I was harder on the throttle.
This car has big back tyres
and a lot of traction.
But next season,
you're driving Carrera Cup?
It's not definite yet, but...
You've been fast in those,
so it's promising.
It's easier with a proper race car
that reacts more to settings
and things like that.
But since it's more direct,
there's no filter.
-Drive hard.
-Good luck in the second race.
It's time to decide this season
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
It's going to be
a spectacular and intense finish.
It would be cool to get two people
from our team on the podium.
Keep my cool and drive a good race.
The race is on.
Janne Gustavsson
is threatening Fredric Blank
between Svindal and Siverholm,
and there's a crash!
Ellhage, Ludwig Ellhage,
goes straight into the tyre wall.
The safety car picks up
all the cars.
6.5 in the brakes.
What will Aksel Lund Svindal do
now that the light is green again?
Good start for Bernadotte and
Gustavsson, leaving room for Andero.
Svindal is overtaken
by William Siverholm.
Come on!
Svindal overtakes Siverholm again.
Down in the Paris area,
Svindal bites back.
Siverholm on the outside.
This can't end well!
And it doesn't for Siverholm,
who drives onto the grass.
Svindal comes up
behind Gustavsson.
He gets a better exit
and overtakes Janne Gustavsson.
Give it your all, Aksel.
Janne Gustavsson is fighting Svindal
for the last place on the podium.
It's the final lap of this season
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
It's tight!
Prince Carl Philip
wins his second race this weekend
by a tiny margin,
but he wins against Krister Andero
and Aksel Lund Svindal.
Come on, Aksel!
-Yes!
-Yes!
Yes!
Damn good!
When we started this project,
from thinking, "Would it be
possible to participate",
we soon started thinking,
"Is it possible to win?"
And it's cool when things go
better than expected.
I have confirmed
that I am competitive,
and even though
it's not a world championship,
when you do a serious job
and the team does a serious job,
a competition is important enough
that you have to do your best.
It was really cool
to have you on the team.
-I hope I'll see you again.
-Just let me know.
You're going to drive more, Ingemar?
I can tinker a little, at least.
It was cool to finish at P3,
and especially when Carl Philip won
because the mood in the team
was so great,
and both of us were on the podium.
It was a good way to end the season.
-Hey, Riccardo. Good to see you.
-Ciao, Aksel. Nice to see you again.
I was also, Aksel,
analysing the data
from my collaborators.
From the data, I was comparing
the first race and this race.
You have, like, in free practice,
in quali and race,
making a comparison,
you have ten bits less,
which means saving energy.
And also, the indicator
of the stress is less.
There are more moments
that you recover,
that you go not on the line
of the stress, but you recover.
So you have more confidence.
You know better what you're doing.
So there is an economy,
an economy which is growing.
Compared to the first race,
you are more confident.
You have better self-awareness.
What it means to be a driver,
not only a champion on the skis.
Yeah, I mean, for me,
everything is new, right?
So in the beginning,
it's a lot of input,
and sometimes, it's like your
brain is almost going to explode,
and then, as the season went on,
I think it felt...
I mean, not completely natural,
but a little bit more natural.
And also, it's fun, because
the more natural it feels,
the more I also enjoy the driving.
And the good is
that you drive better,
your performance is better,
and this is exactly the feeling
that you have driving.
It's the one
that we see in the data.
Aksel is the confirmation.
I can understand why he won.
Apart from the talent,
he has the right mental attitude
of the champion, and that's for me
a confirmation
that top in skiing means
you can be top
also in another sport,
especially if there is pressure,
stress and difficulties,
like motorsport.
I feel that it's safe to say
that this went better than expected.
I can't imagine that
there is something else that I have
apart from a lot of experience
with downhill skiing.
That's what makes me unique,
if I'm allowed to say that.
That has to be the difference.
It can't be anything else.
-Now I have a question for you.
-Yeah?
What is the future now?
I think there is
a very good chance
that I maybe step up into
the Carrera Cup class next year,
and that, of course,
is a new challenge, a big challenge,
but I think that's how
you learn quickly,
when you get new challenges.
I have to say
that it should be great,
because it's a big step, but...
This is an opportunity
that I should seize.
If someone asked me when I was 18,
I would think it was insane.
So 18-year-old Aksel,
if I had said no now,
he would have been pissed,
because you can't say no to that.
And I think it's
a good confirmation
that this is something
that I want to be a part of
when it's something
you can look forward to
when things aren't going well.
If we have to answer
if it's possible to tame speed,
the answer is yes,
because speed is
a relative concept.
It's not an absolute concept.
So what the athletes
of this age are able to do
in skiing, motorsport,
probably 20, 30, 40 years ago
the human being
was not able to do.
The human being
is always moving the limit,
and that's also in terms
of capacity to manage
and control the speed,
and this is how the sport,
in my opinion,
reproduces our characteristic,
which is evolution
of the human being.
The more you keep high speeds
and do things at high speeds,
the more used you get to it.
When you're going really fast
without thinking about it,
when you automatically
look 50 metres ahead,
the speed doesn't feel very high.
Based on what I've learned
this season,
I believe with 100% certainty
that it's possible to tame speed,
but it demands a lot.
And every time
you reach a new level,
it demands even more.
Anything is possible,
but the higher your level is,
the harder it becomes to tame speed.
plint.com
When experiencing speed, your body
spurts adrenaline into your system.
Your blood pressure
rises instantly.
Your heartbeat races,
your body temperature rises,
and your limbs start to tingle.
This sensation is fascinating
to some, frightening to others.
Considering my old job
as a grand prix driver,
I fall into the first category.
And Coulthard wins in Monaco!
But I also know that speed...
can have consequences.
In any case, speed seems to come
natural to Aksel Lund Svindal.
Two Olympic gold medals,
five world championships,
36 world cup race wins,
most of them in speed events.
But the question is,
does being great in one category...
give you an edge in another?
And what does it take
to tame speed?
Should I...? No. Just clap? Okay.
It's incredibly exhausting
to be a top athlete,
and maybe especially
in high-risk sports.
So I'm actually
quite happy that I'm done.
When I think about speed,
I think that...
the higher the speed, the better.
And there's an intense rush.
It's almost like
you get a different personality
in the minutes
when you're competing.
And you have the process
of getting better and better.
And I miss that a little.
TEAM PRESENTATION
STOCKHOLM
PORSCHE CENTRE DANDERYD
6 DECEMBER 2021
-Hi.
-Hi.
-How are you?
-Good.
-How are you?
-I'm good.
This will be cool.
That's the most important thing.
Yes, it is.
-You know all of this.
-A little.
-You know it better.
-No, you're a downhill skier.
So you know speed, at least.
-Yeah, but you have to turn, too.
-Not much.
Ingemar Stenmark
and Aksel Lund Svindal, welcome.
It's a huge honour for us
to have you with us here today.
We are here today because
both of these guys will drive
Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia
next year.
Let's welcome them, first of all.
I've always been a fan of racing.
It has fascinated me.
I never thought
I would ever drive a race.
But it was really easy to say yes
when I got the chance,
precisely because there are
some elements that are very similar
to alpine skiing,
and downhill in particular.
I've never done this before,
but now that we're doing it,
I want to do it properly.
First of all,
the team is super professional.
And we have two legends.
Ingemar Stenmark
is the alpine skier who
has won most world cup races.
Teammate number two
is Carl Philip Bernadotte,
who has raced for ten years.
I can learn a lot
from his experience.
What's your goal?
I think I will start out...
-You're an athlete. You want to win.
-I think I'll start out in the back.
The goal is to get
a little bit better all the time.
I've only done one thing
that's measured
in hundredths, tenths,
metres, and first,
second and third place.
I haven't tried
to get good at anything else.
Personally, it will be cool to see
if I can get good at something else.
That it's not just one thing
and that I can get decent
at something else, too.
PRIVATE TEST, KARLSKOGA
GELLERSEN ARENA
A. LUND SVINDAL
The first feeling when I got in
and had to remember how
everything worked was one thing,
but the bigger surprise was
the claustrophobic feeling
of seeing too little.
How can I operate the car safely
without crashing?
The pit lane is free.
Go ahead and drive.
There are so many impressions.
It feels like
your head will explode.
You have to time
everything perfectly.
If you're going to do your best,
you have to push your limits.
And when you come into situations
you haven't been in before,
you lose control a little.
You get scared, because you don't
know how to handle the situations.
That was the first lap. Great.
The thing is,
when you're in control,
you can suddenly lose it
in one tenth of a second.
You need to get experience in order
to know what's happening.
I have a lot to learn.
I'm at the limit. I make mistakes.
I don't have a lot of experience.
That's what we're going to practise.
Let's look at the first corner.
There are 30 metres there
that we can work on.
At the braking point.
You have to get the car
into the first corner
and save those 30 metres,
and then you have to hit
the brakes harder.
In modern racing cars, every
single driver input is recorded,
not unlike a black box
in an aeroplane.
The output is telemetry.
Gear selection,
throttle and brake application,
outright speed,
time gained or lost.
Learning to use telemetry
to your advantage
is a powerful tool to improve,
as well as a link
between driver and engineer.
By overlaying the telemetry
from a particular lap
with another driver,
one can learn a great deal
from all of the scribbles.
The red lines represent
one driver,
the blue lines, his teammate.
Their braking points are similar,
but the blue driver carries
more speed into the turn.
Even though this causes
the blue driver to exit the corner
with a lower speed, the gain is
a few tenths on the red driver
through this section.
Onto the start-finish straight,
we can see that the blue driver
gets on the gas pedal earlier
and with perfect throttle control
and balance
gains just over 0.2
of a second on the red driver.
Now there are options.
The red driver can adapt
and adjust the entry speeds
and throttle inputs on exit,
and the engineer can help
by adjusting the setup.
A bit of both might do the trick.
They'll know
the next time out on track.
You're trying to find
the braking point
and brake later in the corners.
You have to go full throttle
until you hit the brake.
It feels completely wrong
to drive straight into a corner
and just wait, wait, wait
without braking.
It's the balance
between the right braking,
the right turn in, and how much
you should accelerate,
and I haven't found that balance.
It feels a little safer now,
because I have tried the car
in the environment
the races take place in,
and I have started to learn about
the different settings.
And...
When you get more information,
you can visualise what's coming,
and then it feels safer or better.
If you just practise,
you'll be able to drive quite fast.
It's hard to answer...
how you become good, but...
I don't think anyone stays
at the top level for a long time
without being the product
of hard work.
If you think you can do less and
with lower quality than anyone else
and still be better,
I think you're fooling yourself.
It can't be done.
I think it's several small things.
And when I say small things, I mean
small choices you make all the time.
It might be during practice
or a competition
or during a dinner with friends
when you decide to go home early
or you decide not to drink
because you have to practise...
If you have the will or the passion
that this is something
you want to achieve,
I think the chances are greater
that the choices
you make will be good.
And that doesn't mean
good choices in life generally,
but good choices for becoming
a good downhill skier.
OFFICIAL TEST, MANTORP
MANTORP PARK, 28 APRIL 2022
This might get scary.
I saw a video online,
and there are curves here
where you have to drive 150 kph.
It's always exciting
to do something new.
Oh, yes.
Morning.
There's more throttle over the crest
and a higher speed over the crest.
After the crest,
should I hold the brake a little
or just touch the brake
and then release it?
Yes. And if you see there,
you will brake soon after the crest,
or maybe even on top of the crest,
but you can brake even later,
and as you say, it's just a touch
to calm down the car.
Try to stay with each other.
Try to stay behind him
and see his lines and braking.
It might be hard
to keep up with Carl Philip, but...
In that case,
I'll stick with Ingemar.
You can go.
Very good pace, Aksel.
-That's good.
-He's doing well.
In alpine skiing,
you will rarely achieve good speeds
or a good performance
if you're struggling a lot.
You need to have a flow.
If you're struggling
against the forces of nature,
you'll go slower
than if you find a rhythm
where you're at the limit
but find a flow.
Amazing, Aksel. Only three tenths
behind Carl Philip.
-Great driving!
-Thanks.
-Awesome!
-Thanks!
-That was great!
-Damn fun!
-Great, Aksel.
-Thanks. This went well.
You're an expert.
I almost kept up with Carl Philip
in the beginning.
When we got new tyres,
I got a confidence boost,
so it felt better immediately.
It's like having sharp edges
on your skis.
In everything you do,
the higher the level is,
the more demanding it is
to get better.
Just being able to do it safely
doesn't require a whole lot.
But being able
to do it competitively
requires a bit more.
And being able to compete to win...
requires a whole lot more,
especially if you're competing
to win every single time.
In the beginning,
you get a really fast progression
with a low amount of effort,
but at a certain level,
the effort, the time
and the difficulty level
go straight up.
It gets a whole lot harder.
But you don't progress as much even
though you spend a lot more time.
It's hard to improve,
and it requires a huge effort,
both to become better
and to stay at your current level.
QUALIFYING PRACTICE, KARLSKOGA
GELLERSEN ARENA, 5 MAY 2022
It's the last test day.
And then we'll drive a race
at Anderstorp.
We have to get good at qualifying.
Achieving one good lap
and feeling when it's perfect
and when to do the good lap,
that's probably one of
the most important things you do,
and that's what
we're going to practise.
The pit lane is free. Go ahead.
You're going to do ten laps.
In alpine skiing, the differences
are hundredths of seconds.
And on the skis, you can adjust
the angles of the edges.
0.3 degrees. 0.5.
And then you have the stiffness
of the skis, the width, the sidecut.
There's a lot to test,
and most of the time,
you're testing tiny details.
Some things feel good,
and some things feel bad.
If the difference is big,
you'll know,
but in the end,
your time is the deciding factor.
In a one-make series,
such as Porsche Sprint
Challenge Scandinavia,
all cars look the same.
But that doesn't mean
they are the same.
Golfers have different swings.
Ronaldo is right-footed.
Messi is left-footed.
Rafael Nadal is right-handed
but hits with his left.
And racing drivers
have different driving styles.
A driver will have
to adapt his style
to suit the car or circuit,
just like a tennis player would
when switching
from grass court to clay.
But a race car also needs
to be set up
to get the car suited
to the driver.
The setup possibilities
are basically endless.
Wheel angles, throttle response,
gearing, tyre pressures,
roll bars, wing angles...
I could go on.
If a car is set up correctly
for the circuit
but not for the driver...
Well, I'm sure
Nadal can hit a tennis ball
with his right hand too,
but probably not as well.
It all has to do with confidence.
Confidence to push the car
and yourself to the limit.
When the equipment
works perfectly,
it helps make your driving
technically perfect.
Both in terms of how you move
and in terms of the line
that gives you the highest speed.
The timing is right, and it feels...
The equipment flows.
I think I'm finding the setup that
makes it a little hard to drive,
but not so hard that I make a lot
of mistakes. I think I've got it.
The range is a lot smaller,
and I need some small adjustments,
but I think I've found a setup
that suits me well.
It's been both good and bad.
I think the lap time in itself,
if you put together
different pieces, is very good,
but what Aksel hasn't really managed
is to unite the pieces in one lap,
and that's going to be
a challenge for him to do.
In downhill,
you have some practice runs,
and on the race day,
you only get one try.
So it should be more similar
to a qualifying than a race,
but it took me about 20 years
to get to the level
where I know where the limit is
and I can push it to the limit
on that one try.
But knowing where the limits are
and being able to push them...
I'm nowhere near that yet.
RACE, ANDERSTORP
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY, 14 MAY 2022
My name is Riccardo Ceccarelli.
I am a medical doctor specialised
in sport medicine.
I've created Formula Medicine,
which is a company
nearly fully dedicated
to motorsport.
That's why now
it's the leader worldwide.
Every year,
we see like 200 drivers.
We train the drivers, and we
assist the circuit in every category
from go-kart to Formula 1.
I was bringing
some instruments for you.
Okay? We can take
a measurement of your stress.
I was invited to assist
and to work with Aksel.
The challenge is to see
how a champion from the ski
can adapt to a car.
What exactly will you measure?
It's possible to see
the heart rate variability,
which is an index of the stress.
It's possible
to see the breath rate.
And with some algorithm,
we can have also
like a kind of commitment.
So what we try to understand is
how much you have to put of
energy, of commitment, in driving.
Because the goal is
the best balance
between brain, body and car.
So we say maximal performance
with less energy consumption,
because every time you think
too much, you are slow.
If you think too much at the point
of braking, you become slow.
I think I understand
what you're talking about,
because now, from just
driving four days, I already feel
that it's less stress
and a little more automatic.
So I can...
It's easier for me to lift
and look ahead.
I can focus
on what's coming more
because this is happening
more naturally.
I assume that being in a race mode
and having the right amount
of tension and things like that
are things that are comparable
in alpine skiing and motorsport.
So I assume that he will see
some patterns that are good
but also several things
I will have to work on.
Porsche Sprint Challenge
goes over two days.
The first day is the qualifying.
On day two,
there are two 20-minute races
where the starting order is
determined by the qualifying.
QUALIFYING
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY
There's a lot
to think about in qualifying.
One thing is
to find the right setup for the car.
You have to feel the tyres and check
that there's no traffic in front.
Get the tyre temperature up, Aksel.
It's time to push it, Aksel.
You have time for three laps.
At first, I was a little stressed
because it was raining.
But once I knew
that I had three laps left
and it was drying up
and I had to get a good time,
I just felt really focused.
I was a little more in the race mode
that I would like to be in.
That's good, Aksel. P2, P2.
-Yes!
-Impressive!
I knew I drove quite fast
because I could see the times,
but you don't know
how the others are doing.
But when I passed the goal flag,
I heard that it was P2,
so that was actually perfect.
-Nice!
-Congrats! Really good!
I had three quite similar laps.
I think it was
your second-to-last lap.
In racing, time is everything.
It's a measurement of how well
or how poorly you're doing.
0.2 of a second in the grand
scheme of things is nothing.
It's a blink of an eye.
It's this beep.
The average speed of the fastest
lap in qualifying
was 147.8 kilometres an hour.
Aksel's was
0.4 kilometres an hour slower.
A mere 11.2 metres
if you look at the actual distance
over the finish line.
Not much considering
the Anderstorp Raceway
is slightly over
four kilometres long.
But let's complicate things
a little.
Being two tenths behind
over a race distance of 20 laps,
that gap will then grow
to 5.5 seconds
and 225 metres.
Suddenly,
0.2 of a second isn't nothing.
It's a significant margin.
RACE 1
ANDERSTORP RACEWAY
Welcome to Porsche
Sprint Challenge Scandinavia 2022.
The series that started last year
is back in a new version
with a new dream team
with Aksel Lund Svindal
and Ingemar Stenmark.
Thank you.
I'm nervous,
because I've never done this before.
It's the first time
I'm driving a race.
I'm especially nervous
because I'm feeling really good.
The practice went well, so I know
that I can perform really well.
-It's all okay?
-I'm okay.
I'm a little bit nervous,
but that's normal.
-It's how it should be.
-Yeah. Has to be.
Without adrenaline,
it makes no sense.
A little close now.
Once the race starts,
I think it's going to be tough.
I've driven in traffic,
but now,
there will be cars all around me.
That will be a new experience,
so it's a little exciting.
Go as fast as you can, Aksel.
The first Sprint Challenge race
has begun.
Good start from Ludwig Ellhage.
He tries to overtake
Aksel Lund Svindal on the inside.
Svindal hopes Kenneth Ahnelv
is in control as Svindal brakes past
on the way down
to the second corner.
Great, great, great. Good.
Svindal is back
in William Siverholm's slipstream.
He tries to overtake on the inside,
letting the ABS work all the way.
He squeezes past on the inside.
A daring manoeuvre from Svindal.
Great, Aksel! Amazing! Keep going!
2.30 left on Anderstorp Raceway
for Ludwig Ellhage.
Look at the car... Ludwig Ellhage
wipes out in the second corner!
Down from first place!
Ludwig Ellhage!
-That's great!
-It's P1!
Final lap.
There are a few drops in the air.
Aksel Lund Svindal
in front of William Siverholm.
One lap to go.
A key braking point
for Aksel Lund Svindal.
He presses hard
and makes no manoeuvre to move.
A small blink from the headlamps
heading down to the second corner.
Siverholm is closing in
on Aksel Lund Svindal.
The final corner.
He brakes as late as he can.
The goal flag is in front,
and Aksel Lund Svindal wins
his first race
in Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
Fantastic, Aksel!
Yeah!
-That was cool.
-Damn great!
Damn cool!
P1!
Yes! That was amazing!
-It was a real fight, too.
-It was damn great!
Hey!
I don't believe
it's the first race.
It's not the first race.
Come on, tell the truth.
You did already ten races.
That was damn cool.
-And it was a real fight, too.
-A really good fight.
Hey!
Aksel Lund Svindal!
Winning the first race
was just perfect.
Especially after all the action
and the overtakings.
Winning a race after a lot
of fighting is especially cool.
We'll have to wait and see.
-Should we...
-Yeah.
The second race
will be more difficult
because it's difficult
to get back to the focus.
I'm trying.
I told him it's like slalom
with the second match,
and normally, between
the first and the second,
you are completely focused
on yourself.
It's back to the focus,
because he was very distracted
by many things, so...
-No problem.
-Yeah.
The lights are still red.
And the race is on.
Clean start with
Janne Gustavsson on the inside.
Aksel Lund Svindal has room
to squeeze past.
Svindal is on the outside.
Krister Andero is far out
and loses ground to Stenmark.
He tries to overtake Ludwig Ellhage.
Siverholm collides
with Janne Gustavsson!
Safety car, Aksel. Safety car.
It will be exciting to see
what Aksel can do.
He had a fast car
before this happened.
The safety car is spinning laps.
The cars are led into the depot.
But not Aksel Lund Svindal.
No, no, no, Svindal!
What's happening now?
What's happening?
You have to get off the track.
Svindal made a mistake.
-You have to go into the depot.
-Into the depot?
All the cars follow the safety car,
and when the safety car
drives into the depot,
or whatever the safety car does
when the lights are on,
you have to follow the safety car.
Rookie mistake,
but it's still really annoying.
In my head, I just thought,
"Restart, restart, restart."
So I went from a complete focus
on just looking ahead
to feeling like I screwed up.
I lost the race,
and I also broke the rules,
so it feels twice as bad.
We're just running laps
towards the goal flag,
and we can declare that
Kenneth Ahnelv will win this race.
-What a shame.
-That sucks, Aksel.
-It wasn't even a race.
-No, it was nothing.
I made a rookie mistake
in the beginning.
I think I just have to get
more experience
so I do more things automatically.
I feel I've learned
a lot this weekend.
That doesn't mean I know everything.
I probably only know 10%.
But it was a big step to go
from practice to a real race.
-We'll take it.
-Yeah.
So now, when I go back home, I go
to Formula Medicine with my crew.
We will analyse all the data
just to find the best suggestions
to give to him, how to optimise
his results for the next races.
ANALYSIS AND MENTAL TRAINING
VIAREGGIO
FORMULA MEDICINE
11 JULY 2022
I think many of the same qualities
you need
to be a fast downhill skier
are the same
as when you drive cars
and drive races.
I think I have
a good starting point.
All right.
Everyone has a different
relationship with speed.
As I say, either fear
or attraction.
When we train our brain
to be faster,
the speed is relatively less.
So it's something
that can be trained.
We can analyse now the data coming
from your race in Anderstorp.
So, your first race.
I can show you your heart rate
and what the instrument gave me as
a feedback of the level of stress.
But the most interesting is,
in my opinion,
before the first race.
You had a heart rate under 100.
Before the second race,
you were always around 100.
I remember I saw you less focused.
And I told you.
You arrived late to change.
You were more distracted.
And then,
when the safety car arrived,
you did the mistakes.
In my opinion,
because it was more difficult
to stay focused. It was
more difficult to stay in the race.
It is also, you know,
a new situation.
When you're driving, you think
about only a few things.
-Yes. You limit.
-Exactly.
And with the safety car,
you think about many things.
For me, it's important
to have the awareness
that the overthinking
can be a stress,
can be something that can cause
tension and mistakes.
That's what you learn
as an athlete, sometimes.
It's to find, you know,
"What's my right tension level?"
And you can control this yourself,
but sometimes, it's much harder,
because there's
so much outside impulses,
and then it gets much harder
to control the tension level.
The thing that impresses me
is how much you are quick-learning.
And I'm interested to see
the same things
in the mental gym, probably.
-It makes me a little bit nervous.
-I'm creating pressure.
We will see. Exactly.
You're creating pressure.
Talent is necessary,
but it's not enough anymore.
So the prototype
of the new athlete
is just the person
which is like an engineer
before the action
and then very pure instinct,
an animal, during the action.
For us, what is important
is not the result, it's the feeling.
The rhythm.
Now you better manage also that one,
in particular after mistakes.
And again, we have this peak
at the beginning
from your heart rate.
That's probably linked
with the mistakes.
We work like the engineer
on the engine.
More horsepower,
less fuel consumption.
We take the brain of the driver,
and we train
to give more horsepower,
reducing the consumption,
which is the quality
of the champion.
They are able
to manage the emotion.
They manage the pressure.
They are not affected.
So that's why
they don't waste energy,
because if I go to drive
and I have many doubts,
many emotions, many pressures,
I'm not performing
like I could do.
If I am completely out
of this pressure,
I'm driving like
I'm able to drive,
so I perform like I can.
So that is the difference.
This is the mental economy
training philosophy.
Ready? Three, two, one, let's go.
You learn about how you react,
and if you get stressed,
your performance drops,
and how you can find a good mindset
to do the exercises properly.
What you learn about that
is more important than the results.
It's interesting
what our analysis shows,
because we saw that you are
very analytical, very rational.
You want to have the full control,
and that means good analysis.
You understand what to do,
how to do,
and then you can highly perform.
This is what I have been thinking.
That in general,
but especially in skiing,
that the one thing that I felt
was a little bit different with me
is that I was very analytical.
And that means
the first time I try something,
I'm not so good,
but then I analyse,
and if I can practise
a little bit,
I can get much better
pretty quick.
The only thing
that I can suggest to you...
You should know your target.
If you say, "I don't care
what I do, I just go for driving",
okay, but I think
you're not that kind of person.
You think that when you sit in
a car, you want to be the first one.
-I agree.
-Yeah.
Because in my opinion,
what you show,
you can have a chance
to be professional in motorsport,
depending on
if it's your target now.
I think many people,
if they get the chance to practise,
can reach a very high level.
So I feel relaxed about that,
but at the same time,
it means there is a chance, and...
when something is fun,
it's exciting to play with the idea
that there's a chance
to do more of it.
And just the experience
I have got so far
makes me ten times
better equipped and prepared for it
than I was six months ago.
I think I did
some of my best driving in Fllfors.
I drove really well there.
Carl Philip was better,
but I placed second and third.
Aksel Lund Svindal
takes second place.
Then we went back to Anderstorp.
I drove well in the first race,
so I placed fourth and seventh.
After race number two
in Anderstorp,
I went to the doctor
because I wanted to check something.
But I didn't think
it would be a big deal.
But it was full alarm
and straight to the hospital.
It was testicular cancer,
which is easy to operate,
so everything happened quickly,
but in the span of one week,
I got the diagnosis,
I got all the analyses, I got
the surgery, and I was discharged.
I was told quite early on
that it was looking good
and that the spread was minimal,
and everything
has gone well all the way.
So I was lucky,
but it was also a period that...
puts your life in perspective.
I didn't think I would die,
and I understood early on
that I would get through it,
but I didn't know if it was
a matter of weeks or months.
So...
I was lucky,
and it took weeks, not months.
During those weeks,
I didn't think much about
racing and driving cars,
but on the other hand,
I thought quite early on...
This was about three weeks
before the race at Rudskogen,
and I needed something
to look forward to,
so I thought quite early on
that I wanted to be there,
almost no matter what.
PRIVATE TEST, CARRERA CUP
RUDSKOGEN
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
17 SEPTEMBER 2022
I got the chance
to test a Carrera Cup car,
which is quite a big step up.
What we're driving now
is a race car.
The Carrera Cup car
is a brutal race car.
I'm excited
about how it's going to feel.
If it's in
a completely different league,
so it feels really far away
or if it's an idea I could play with
and try in the future.
The Porsche GT4 Clubsport
is a fast race car.
It's faster around a circuit
than practically any supercar
you might see on the road.
But a 911 Carrera Cup car is,
depending on the circuit,
eight to ten seconds faster
per lap than the GT4.
And in a significantly faster car,
everything happens quicker.
You have less time to react,
and you need to adapt.
One key factor is to lift
your eyes and look further ahead.
Something that's easier said
than done.
When approaching a corner,
an ordinary driver is looking for
braking points and where to turn.
A professional has already
processed those inputs
and is as focused on the corner
exit and the one coming next.
By doing this, the brain has
more time to process and react
to all of the information
thrown at it.
You start with braking
and things like that.
That's what creates the rotation
as early as possible.
Once you get started
with the braking,
the rest will follow.
You'll get a good rotation
when the braking technique is right.
So just go ahead.
It's cool to see Aksel drive around
and try the GT3.
It's a new experience.
And of course to coach
and help where I can
to make his progression
as fast as possible.
This weekend, I'm driving
Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia.
It's always extra stressful
to see the car I'll be driving
being driven for the first time
by a new driver.
Very good, Aksel.
The first lap is over.
Good and even downshifts now.
It's like there's no filter.
Everything is rawer.
The sounds and the feeling.
The steering is more grippy.
It feels more brutal,
especially if it slips.
There's almost no warning.
Suddenly, you've just lost the grip.
When you know it's like that,
your heart rate is elevated
and you're almost a little scared.
It's a lot harder to lift your eyes
and focus on the track
and not think about everything
that could happen to the car.
You have to be more aggressive
with a car like that
because everything is faster.
That's one
of the biggest differences
between a GT4 and a GT3.
You have to push your limits
with the grip you are given.
-How was it?
-It was...
-Different?
-It was a lot.
-What was the biggest difference?
-That it's a lot more nervous.
-Very good start.
-It went better...
I was a little more confident
the second time.
#82 AKSEL LUND SVINDAL
-How was it?
-Exciting.
I was almost...
I was quite nervous, actually.
What is it you say? It's a monster.
We have seen
how you've been driving this year,
and you've been very fast.
You've been in the top.
That's not just about
driving fast and safe.
You have to learn to race
against other drivers.
But that's why
this feels like a natural step.
We would like to see
if we can do more of this next year.
But it has to feel right for you,
of course.
I think it sounds
like a lot of fun, so...
I think we should...
We should keep thinking about that.
QUALIFYING
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
If I want to drive
Carrera Cup next year,
I'll have to drive well.
It won't look good if I don't drive
fast in Sprint Challenge
but still want to drive Carrera Cup.
It would be perfect timing
to drive well here
and in the finals in Mantorp.
Two, and then three.
-That's good.
-Yeah, we'll take that.
We're at Rudskogen Motor Centre,
Norway's own motorsport gem.
It's the Porsche Festival
with a huge crowd,
and it's time for Porsche
Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
-Can I get your autograph?
-Sure.
It was a little bit undercover
that I would drive Sprint Challenge
until I won at Anderstorp.
Then it became a big deal
that people talked about
in the motorsport scene,
and there are a lot
of motorsport fans here,
so I feel a bit of pressure.
-Good luck.
-Thanks.
The race is on.
Jonas is right behind Erik Sandell.
Great start for Jonas Sjstrm
and Svante Andersson.
But William Siverholm
and an attacking Isabell Rustad
are in the lead.
Rustad, Siverholm, Svindal
heading down the hill.
William Siverholm fights
against Isabell Rustad.
Aksel Lund Svindal puts pressure
on Isabell Rustad.
Aksel has a great speed.
This track seems to suit him.
Svindal pushes hard and goes all in.
Aksel Lund Svindal on the way
over the line in second place.
But he gets a penalty
for a false start.
He gets a five-second penalty which
sends him down to fourth place.
False start for Aksel.
Five-second penalty.
-You had a false start.
-Did I? For real?
Five-second penalty,
so you came in fourth.
-Really?
-Sorry.
I came in second place
and thought it was a good race,
and then they just waved me on.
False start? I mean,
I was behind Siverholm.
It can't have been a false start.
When you rolled forward,
you moved to the side, like this.
You can't cross your middle line
before the lights are off.
Okay, but can you show me a video
so I can see how far over I was?
It turns out that once
you're in the starting field,
you're not allowed
to cross the middle,
so you have to stay
on your side of the track.
And out of the corner
into the starting field,
Siverholm pulls
slightly to the left,
and like we've always done,
I just followed him.
You're over here already.
Quite far in the other direction.
You see that
you're in your own field.
The others are like this.
But am I over here? I'm not.
You're sure I was too far over?
Do you have a better picture?
No, I don't have another picture.
I saw it myself live.
Because when the race starts,
I'm not over, right?
No, but it's the whole formation
before the start.
-Yeah, but...
-The big problem is here.
But look at this...
I'm not going to protest,
but it feels quite unnecessary
when no one
has mentioned it all season
and it doesn't give me
an advantage and I'm...
Unfortunately, with a false start,
I can't judge whether or not
it gives you an advantage.
I'm a little annoyed.
I think it's really unnecessary.
It's annoying but mostly comical
that it's suddenly a thing
when we're nearly
at the end of the season.
RACE 2
RUDSKOGEN MOTOR CENTRE
-I'm keen on revenge.
-Yeah, right?
-See you on the podium.
-Yes.
We're getting ready for the last
Sprint Challenge race here.
Great start for Isabell Rustad.
Siverholm is right in front
of Aksel Lund Svindal.
Svindal dives into the first corner,
but Isabell Rustad takes the lead,
just like in the first race.
Siverholm is
on the outside of Svindal.
Svindal pushed the line hard
in the first corner.
Aksel Lund Svindal's line
is far from optimal.
He loses Siverholm and Ellhage.
Sjstrm overtakes him too.
Andero is Svindal's next threat.
Svindal is a master
of psychological warfare.
He brakes really late
and pulls in over the curb.
Svindal gets a good run
on Jonas Sjstrm and overtakes.
A slight oversteering,
and Sjstrm loses Svindal.
What will Jonas Sjstrm
and Aksel Lund Svindal do now?
Another contact.
There goes Sjstrm's radiator.
Just as Svindal
was about to shake things up.
Jonas Sjstrm is sliding around
in his own coolant right now.
I got hit. Flat tyre.
Aksel Lund Svindal has a problem.
His warning lights are on.
The day is over for him.
-I have a flat tyre.
-Yeah.
Did he drive into you?
Or did you block him?
No, he braked
and hit me in the back.
It's especially fun
to do well at home,
and it's especially hard
to do poorly.
-Can I take a selfie?
-Sure.
-How did the race go?
-I crashed, unfortunately.
Or someone crashed into me.
Are we ready?
Right now, I feel quite tired,
but that's normal
when you have a bad break.
Especially if it feels like...
you tried your best,
but it just wasn't your day.
I look forward to Mantorp. It would
be perfect to finish with...
a really good position.
MANTORP
MANTORP PARK, 1 OCTOBER 2022
It has gone by fast.
It's been challenging
but really fun.
It has given me
some competition nerves
and the feeling
of wanting to perform well,
which I have missed, since it was
an important part of my life.
Great!
-You're three and four.
-Three and four? Yeah.
Formula Medicine is visiting us
this weekend.
I'm curious about that,
actually, because I have...
I've wondered if I have an advantage
because I was a downhill skier.
I think I'm used to speed,
and if you're used to speed,
it's not as scary.
You can tame it.
So I'm excited to see
the answers they give me.
Welcome to the end
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia
here in Mantorp Park
in stergtland.
-The last day.
-Yeah!
Everyone is coming around.
And we're off! Good start
for Kenneth Ahnelv.
William Siverholm is squeezing past
and touches Andero!
Contact between
Siverholm and Andero!
-Carl Philip Bernadotte in the lead!
-Svindal also has a poor start.
Here come Svindal, Ellhage
and Andersson. Sjstrm is gone.
Svindal is also forced to break.
Something has happened
to Sjstrm and Svindal.
Yes, it works. What happened?
I got hit once here and once here.
Look at this.
Carl Philip Bernadotte wins the race
at Mantorp Park.
He flashes his lights,
crosses the line and gets 25 points.
Congrats. Good job.
When I was an alpine skier, I was
also disappointed and pissed off
when I wiped out. It happens,
but it shouldn't happen too often.
Especially not twice in a row. So...
That's a little annoying.
But you can't do anything about it.
Skiing is better
because no one collides with you.
That's true. In the last few races,
I got hit twice and had a flat tyre.
When you're skiing,
you're all alone.
-That's what I mean.
-There's no one behind you.
So sometimes, that's better, but...
What do you think
it's like to drive a regular car?
It's hard to figure out
how I should drive.
But at the end of the race,
I was harder on the throttle.
This car has big back tyres
and a lot of traction.
But next season,
you're driving Carrera Cup?
It's not definite yet, but...
You've been fast in those,
so it's promising.
It's easier with a proper race car
that reacts more to settings
and things like that.
But since it's more direct,
there's no filter.
-Drive hard.
-Good luck in the second race.
It's time to decide this season
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
It's going to be
a spectacular and intense finish.
It would be cool to get two people
from our team on the podium.
Keep my cool and drive a good race.
The race is on.
Janne Gustavsson
is threatening Fredric Blank
between Svindal and Siverholm,
and there's a crash!
Ellhage, Ludwig Ellhage,
goes straight into the tyre wall.
The safety car picks up
all the cars.
6.5 in the brakes.
What will Aksel Lund Svindal do
now that the light is green again?
Good start for Bernadotte and
Gustavsson, leaving room for Andero.
Svindal is overtaken
by William Siverholm.
Come on!
Svindal overtakes Siverholm again.
Down in the Paris area,
Svindal bites back.
Siverholm on the outside.
This can't end well!
And it doesn't for Siverholm,
who drives onto the grass.
Svindal comes up
behind Gustavsson.
He gets a better exit
and overtakes Janne Gustavsson.
Give it your all, Aksel.
Janne Gustavsson is fighting Svindal
for the last place on the podium.
It's the final lap of this season
of Sprint Challenge Scandinavia.
It's tight!
Prince Carl Philip
wins his second race this weekend
by a tiny margin,
but he wins against Krister Andero
and Aksel Lund Svindal.
Come on, Aksel!
-Yes!
-Yes!
Yes!
Damn good!
When we started this project,
from thinking, "Would it be
possible to participate",
we soon started thinking,
"Is it possible to win?"
And it's cool when things go
better than expected.
I have confirmed
that I am competitive,
and even though
it's not a world championship,
when you do a serious job
and the team does a serious job,
a competition is important enough
that you have to do your best.
It was really cool
to have you on the team.
-I hope I'll see you again.
-Just let me know.
You're going to drive more, Ingemar?
I can tinker a little, at least.
It was cool to finish at P3,
and especially when Carl Philip won
because the mood in the team
was so great,
and both of us were on the podium.
It was a good way to end the season.
-Hey, Riccardo. Good to see you.
-Ciao, Aksel. Nice to see you again.
I was also, Aksel,
analysing the data
from my collaborators.
From the data, I was comparing
the first race and this race.
You have, like, in free practice,
in quali and race,
making a comparison,
you have ten bits less,
which means saving energy.
And also, the indicator
of the stress is less.
There are more moments
that you recover,
that you go not on the line
of the stress, but you recover.
So you have more confidence.
You know better what you're doing.
So there is an economy,
an economy which is growing.
Compared to the first race,
you are more confident.
You have better self-awareness.
What it means to be a driver,
not only a champion on the skis.
Yeah, I mean, for me,
everything is new, right?
So in the beginning,
it's a lot of input,
and sometimes, it's like your
brain is almost going to explode,
and then, as the season went on,
I think it felt...
I mean, not completely natural,
but a little bit more natural.
And also, it's fun, because
the more natural it feels,
the more I also enjoy the driving.
And the good is
that you drive better,
your performance is better,
and this is exactly the feeling
that you have driving.
It's the one
that we see in the data.
Aksel is the confirmation.
I can understand why he won.
Apart from the talent,
he has the right mental attitude
of the champion, and that's for me
a confirmation
that top in skiing means
you can be top
also in another sport,
especially if there is pressure,
stress and difficulties,
like motorsport.
I feel that it's safe to say
that this went better than expected.
I can't imagine that
there is something else that I have
apart from a lot of experience
with downhill skiing.
That's what makes me unique,
if I'm allowed to say that.
That has to be the difference.
It can't be anything else.
-Now I have a question for you.
-Yeah?
What is the future now?
I think there is
a very good chance
that I maybe step up into
the Carrera Cup class next year,
and that, of course,
is a new challenge, a big challenge,
but I think that's how
you learn quickly,
when you get new challenges.
I have to say
that it should be great,
because it's a big step, but...
This is an opportunity
that I should seize.
If someone asked me when I was 18,
I would think it was insane.
So 18-year-old Aksel,
if I had said no now,
he would have been pissed,
because you can't say no to that.
And I think it's
a good confirmation
that this is something
that I want to be a part of
when it's something
you can look forward to
when things aren't going well.
If we have to answer
if it's possible to tame speed,
the answer is yes,
because speed is
a relative concept.
It's not an absolute concept.
So what the athletes
of this age are able to do
in skiing, motorsport,
probably 20, 30, 40 years ago
the human being
was not able to do.
The human being
is always moving the limit,
and that's also in terms
of capacity to manage
and control the speed,
and this is how the sport,
in my opinion,
reproduces our characteristic,
which is evolution
of the human being.
The more you keep high speeds
and do things at high speeds,
the more used you get to it.
When you're going really fast
without thinking about it,
when you automatically
look 50 metres ahead,
the speed doesn't feel very high.
Based on what I've learned
this season,
I believe with 100% certainty
that it's possible to tame speed,
but it demands a lot.
And every time
you reach a new level,
it demands even more.
Anything is possible,
but the higher your level is,
the harder it becomes to tame speed.
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