The FIA World Rally Championship has rarely been so close and finding a competitive edge is vital. Engineers spend their lives seeking ways to reduce weight and improve car performance within very strict regulations, but there’s more to it than that. In order to compete at the highest level within such a technologically competitive environment, the drivers and co-drivers need to be in peak condition, outpacing the opposition not only in speed, but also through greater stamina and a psychological advantage.

Tommi Makinen riding his mountain bike

Peak fitness will ensure maximum concentration not only early in the morning but as the day progresses, and the body is also better able to withstand the stresses, especially from heat. The type of fitness is always debatable but, in rallying, endurance is important and at least 80% of an exercise programme should be focused on aerobic-type training, like cycling, running and to an extent, swimming. The remaining 20% should be based around upper body strength conditioning. Similarly, diet is a crucial element and predominantly 60% of calories should come from complex carbohydrates, such as pasta and rice which are not only easily digestible but give energy, no more than 30% from fat and the remaining 10% intake must be protein.

By the time you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated, and the team doctors constantly monitor fluid intake. The crew should not actually lose any body weight whatsoever over the course of competition and, although each individual is different, drinking up to 10 litres of fluid per day could well be expected in countries like Kenya and Greece. Studies do in fact demonstrate that a loss of more than 2% body weight in fluid has a significant impact on overall performance.

The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crews of Tommi Makinen/Risto Mannisenmaki and Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets are all too aware that the engineers can only do so much…the rest is down to them.

"I go running quite a lot, normally during the recce", said Tommi. "Occasionally, back at home I play ice-hockey and sometimes go skating, and when it is possible it’s very nice. I can’t seem to do anything without high-speed though! I also enjoy cycling and Enduro bikes in the forest, but it’s really harder than you can imagine. In the winter I do a lot more skiing than snow-scootering and we do some downhill in Finland. I have been elsewhere, but not so much.

"It always seems to be a competition and Risto sometimes has to calm me down a little! He goes so fast and I always try to find the limit in everything I do. Risto prefers cross-country skiing, which is more of a technical sport. The problem is I start flat-out all the time, and that’s not the technique in cross-country.

Tommi Makinen occasionally plays golf

"I don’t really use the gym at home, I don’t really like to, but if there is a hotel with a good gym on a rally, then sometimes we use that. But I definitely prefer to be outside. Every year Risto, some friends and I go for a long mountain bike safari in eastern Finland; we normally do 4-8 hours a day riding in the forests. Around June time there’s a lot of daylight, nature is very fresh and it’s quiet - really fantastic. Every day I try to do some activities, but I always want to go back to Finland to see my friends. I don’t really have time to work at the farm, but I do take care of it. I have to be doing something all the time and I also enjoy playing golf, but maybe not so much these days. We’ve just got some new Scott mountain bikes, and we are now using those on the recce and I have one at home which I use a lot"

Living where they do, it is little wonder that winter activities revolve around the forests and slopes. Co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki is a keen skier and spends as much time as possible cross-country skiing in Lapland. "I’ve always really enjoyed this, much more than downhill skiing", says Risto. "It’s a sport that is now becoming much more popular as well and it’s great for all all-round fitness, especially the upper body and legs. I do a bit of slalom, but cross-country is the thing I enjoy the most. Probably four days out of every seven that I’m at home during the winter months, I’m skiing.

"During the summer I cycle a lot and the mountain bikes we have from Scott USA are real top of the range equipment. I have one at home and both Tommi and I have them on a rally - the team transports them for us with all the equipment. I probably don’t use mine during the recce, but between then and the rally I try to do as much as possible. It’s important to spend time relaxing as well though, and I really believe that if you are in good physical condition you have a good mental attitude to everything.

"Before we got the bikes, Tommi and I tried to think about a sport we could do during rallies, one that was fun and that we could do anywhere. We came up with roller-skating! It’s great fun and there’s this famous place in Perth where we go - and it also makes me feel quite trendy!"

Diet is another key factor to overall fitness and all the more important when you live a hectic life that takes you to all four corners of the globe. "I try to be healthy and obviously know what is good to eat", adds Risto. "When I am at home though I try to be like a normal person, not obsessed with everything, and I will eat well and maybe have a couple of glasses of wine. It is not so good for other people as well if you are constantly being fussy about everything".

Freddy Loix's favourite toy: his mountain bike

Like Risto, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team-mate Freddy Loix is a keen sportsman and life at the top of his chosen sport has not changed his regime. "I have always been very active, even when I was younger, and I do as much as I did maybe 10 or 15 years ago", he comments. "Alain (Penasse) is my physio, but he is also like a trainer and we do a lot together over the course of a rally. Mountain bikes are my big things and the Scott bike I have is the top specification bike for training. Cross-country World Cup riders use this particular one, so it is a great piece of equipment and good fun to ride. I find it quite relaxing, especially at the end of a recce.

"I also enjoy football and we made up a team of players while we were in Spain for the rally. It was a bit one-sided though because Carlos (Sainz) invited a whole load of his friends who are professional players! It’s good fun though, especially when all the drivers can relax like this together.

"During the rally itself, I always get a massage from Alain at the end of each day. Although I have no pain from the accident in Kenya last year, we still have to work on my neck and the top of my back each day. Also it helps me to relax in the evening; I feel quite hyped-up at the end of each day and this helps me to sleep, as well as relieving any tension".

"You never have to push Freddy into doing fitness of any description", adds Alain Penasse. "If he’s not doing anything it’s because he’s ill! Before though, he was always doing everything flat-out, which is not necessarily the best way to do it, especially for stamina. We do a lot of exercise, jogging and cycling together and I also try and help from a mental, relaxation and motivation perspective, which is very important for everyone. Diet can also be difficult when you are on a rally and I will monitor what Freddy and Sven are eating and drinking to ensure they are getting enough energy. It is too easy to eat a combination of meat and carbohydrates all the time, like chicken with pasta, when really the ideal is vegetables and carbohydrates. The trouble is there is always the seduction of other food in the motorhome! But Freddy has pretty much stopped eating meat and has a very healthy attitude towards food.

Freddy Loix (right) also does a lot of jogging with his physio, Alain Penasse (left)