Red Bull Motorsports
WRC
How I fuel: Elfyn Evans
The WRC highflier shares how he eats and drinks his way through a demanding rally weekend.
Getting it right when it comes to fuelling the body for a rally is critical.
The hours spent inside a rally car are an intense physical and sensory overload, and demand the highest levels of concentration and focus. What a rally driver eats and drinks can be critical to their performance levels, and could be difference between winning a gruelling stage and letting it slip away.
Elfyn gets focused during the WRC Sweden in Torsby, in February 2020
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Elfyn, what does your diet look like on a typical training day between rallies?
I’m not into what you might call a 'strict diet plan'. I just focus on trying to eat reasonably clean and keep out the rubbish. That’s been a bit more of a focus in more recent years. I was a bit bad for not always eating the right thing in the past.
I try to eat everything natural, and maintain a good balanced diet when I'm at home and training.
Talk us through your food intake at a rally
Race weekends are more structured than when I'm at home. I eat more specifically to make sure I’m feeling good. That involves avoiding certain foods as much as it does eating others, as some foods really make us feel drowsy.
We have long days at the rally, where we’re in the car for hours at a time, and with the long road liaison sections it’s easy to become drowsy. I tend to be a bit boring at races and stick to eating the same thing in the morning and at lunchtime each day, and then switch it up for dinner.
Because of those long liaison sections we can go for quite long gaps between meals, so I load up quite a lot in the morning
For breakfast, I’ll usually have some porridge followed by some eggs or an omelette, and a bit of fresh fruit. Because of those long liaison sections we can go for quite long gaps between meals, so I load up quite a lot in the morning.
Elfyn Evans on day 2 of the 2020 WRC Italy, in Alghero, in October 2020
© Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool
We carry a lot of energy bars and snacks, like nuts, in the car to keep us going during the day. For lunch I stick to rice, salmon and veg each day, as I know that works well for me. My metabolism can handle it well, it doesn’t bloat, sit heavy or make me sluggish, like pasta with sauce can.
In the evening, it's not so critical because we head back to the hotel, so I tend to have a bit more variety. It's nice to just eat a bit of a normal meal, relax for a bit before getting back to reviewing video for the following day, and then getting off to bed to recover.
Do you work with a nutritionist?
Personally, I don’t, but we have people in the team who keep an eye on what we’re eating and make sure that we're eating the right things.
Elfyn uses Red Bull to refuel during his sessions
© Patrik Lundin / Red Bull Content Pool
Hydration must be equally as important at rallies?
Hydration is crucial. We get some really hot temperatures inside the car, so making sure we have the right amount of electrolytes in the CamelBak is key. We’ll even take a few extra hydration tablets because sometimes we’ll only get water handed to us at the end of a stage and we can be without assistance for up to six or seven hours. Fuelling on the go is essential.
A couple of cans of Red Bull are also an important part of my fuelling and hydration routine. At the end of a really long morning or afternoon loop, you need something to keep alert and keep maximum attention. I always enjoy an ice cold one when we come back to service as well, as a bit of a refuel.
What's your favourite meal of all time and why?
It depends what mood I'm in really. Normally after a rally weekend I always like to have a good burger and chips. I don’t always, but as a treat after an intense rally, it helps me to switch off a bit and just enjoy my food.
You’ve been made Master Chef for the evening and we’re coming over for dinner. What’s on the menu?
I wouldn't call myself a master chef at all, so something simple that I can get away with like Bolognese or cottage pie.
To be honest, I’m more of a going-out-to-eat-type person, so I'd invite you all out to a restaurant instead. That way I’d get away without cooking, which might be for the best for you too!
