I keep drivers sharp and pit crews in one piece.
I'm Will Pope, sports therapist and performance coach, BSc Sports Therapy and MSc Sports and Exercise Rehabilitation. I work inside the teams as one of the crew, from first practice to the chequered flag.
What I do.
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Driver performance
Warm ups before you get in, recovery when you climb out, and a plan for the neck and forearms that isn't an afterthought.
Photo: Sergey Savrasov
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Pit stop performance
I film your stops, slow them down and look at how each person moves, then we change whatever is slowing you down or hurting someone.
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Sports vision
Drills for the eyes and reactions, so drivers and crew see more, decide quicker and make fewer mistakes when it matters.
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Injury prevention and rehab
Whether it's the niggle that's been there since pre-season or the shoulder that goes every third stop, I sort it out and then make sure it stays sorted.
How I can help your team.
Three ways to work with me. Two are at the track, one covers everything in between. Not sure which you need? Get in touch and we'll work it out together.
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Driver trackside support
I'm with you all weekend, from warm ups, vision work and a clear head before every session, to hydration and recovery between them, and treatment whenever something isn't right.
What's included -
Team trackside support
I look after the whole garage, not just the driver: niggles and injuries, keeping people cool and hydrated, pit stop practice with a breakdown on the spot, and a proper plan for the day something goes badly wrong.
What's included -
Workshop and online support
This is the work between race weekends: conditioning and rehab plans for the drivers and for each pit stop role, a weekly injury clinic at the workshop, group sessions, training camps, and online coaching for anyone based abroad.
What's includedPhoto: Sergey Savrasov
Who I'm working with this season.
Pick a team and I'll show you what I do for them. The pins on the car are the short version.
- The car. The Formula 2 car. In a stop there are a dozen people around it, every one of them doing a repeated, loaded movement against the clock.
- Series. FIA Formula 2, racing on the same weekends and the same circuits as Formula 1.
- What I do. I work with the pit crew. I film the stops, break down the biomechanics of each role and work on the choreography with them, so the stops get quicker and nobody gets hurt.
- Since. I joined Invicta at the start of this season.
Invicta Racing
FIA Formula 2
Formula 2 is one step from Formula 1, and the pit crew train as hard as any sports team I've worked with. My job at Invicta is the stops: the biomechanics of every role in the crew, and the choreography that ties them together.
- Series. GT3 endurance racing, which this year has meant 24H Dubai in January and the 24 Hours of Spa in June, with more to come.
- The car. A Porsche 911 GT3 R. The cockpit is closed and it gets seriously hot in there, so we sort out cooling and hydration before the weekend starts.
- What I do. I'm there for the whole team across a race weekend, getting each driver ready for their stint, treating anyone who needs it, and working with the crew on the stops.
- Since. I started with the team at 24H Dubai in January.
Car Collection Motorsport
GT3 endurance
Endurance racing is four drivers, one car and up to 24 hours. Who's rested, who's hydrated and who's about to tweak a back matters as much as lap time, and the crew are on their feet all night.
Photo: Sergey Savrasov
- The car. An ORECA LMP2 prototype. Three drivers share it over a race, so driver changes are part of the stop and part of my job.
- Series. LMP2 in the European and Asian Le Mans Series, four-hour races, plus the Le Mans 24 Hours.
- What I do. All of the driver prep and recovery across the weekend, and the choreography of the pit stops with the crew.
- Since. I joined Nielsen this season. First race, the European Le Mans Series opener at Barcelona in April.
Nielsen Racing
LMP2, European and Asian Le Mans Series, Le Mans 24 Hours
With Nielsen I work with the drivers and the crew. We run four-hour LMP2 races in the European and Asian Le Mans Series plus the Le Mans 24 Hours, and I look after driver prep and recovery and work with the pit crew on the choreography of our stops.
Faster pit stops start with the people doing them.
Every job in a pit stop is the same movement done over and over, under load, with the clock running. I look at how each person gets into position and where the strain goes, through backs, shoulders and knees. Then we fix the things that are slowing the stop down or about to hurt someone, and we practise until it sticks.
Pit stop work in team support
Photo: Sergey Savrasov
- Wheel gun. Where the shoulder and wrist are when the gun bites, because getting it slightly wrong dozens of times a weekend is how an elbow starts complaining by mid-season.
- Set position. How everyone gets in and out of position, which is hundreds of reps over a season, so I watch the backs and knees closely.
- Tyre carrier. Lifting the wheel, turning with it and putting it down, which is where most of the pit lane injuries I see start.
- Eyes. The eyes are working harder than anything else in the car, so vision and reaction training is usually where I start with a driver.
- Neck and upper back. Every corner loads the neck sideways, lap after lap, with a helmet on top, so we train it properly rather than hoping it holds up.
- Forearms and grip. There's no power steering in an F2 car, and if the forearms go the last ten laps are hard work.
- Trunk and hips. Hours strapped into one position, so mobility work is what stops the back seizing up.
- Heat and hydration. Dubai in January or Spa in July, inside a hot car, so we work out the hydration plan well before the weekend.
Where a racing driver's body takes the hit.
The neck takes the g-force lap after lap, the forearms and hands hold on for a whole stint, and the back is locked in one position for hours inside a cockpit that gets properly hot, while the eyes are working harder than anything. That's what I build a driver's training around.
Driver trackside supportFrom Fulham FC to Formula 2.
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Football and rugby
Sports therapist at Fulham FC and Weymouth FC, plus an internship with Newcastle Red Bulls.
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MSK clinics
Years in public and private injury clinics, getting people back to doing what they love.
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Karting to GB3
Looking after young drivers at a performance clinic, from WSK karting up to GB3.
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GT racing
Trackside with Innovation Racing in GT Cup, and a one-off 12 Hours of Spa with Optimum Motorsport.
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F2, GT3 and LMP2
Invicta Racing in Formula 2, Car Collection Motorsport in GT3 endurance and Nielsen Racing in LMP2, this season.
A driver is an athlete who happens to be strapped into a car.
And a pit crew is a team sport that nobody was coaching like one, and once I'd seen it that way I couldn't see it any other way.
I came into motorsport from football, rugby and a long stint in injury clinics, with a BSc in Sports Therapy and an MSc in Sports and Exercise Rehabilitation along the way. The job is the same wherever the athlete is: find what's holding them back, fix it, and keep it fixed through a long season.
Where I've been this year.
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24H Dubai January 2026 Car Collection Motorsport -
Abu Dhabi January 2026 -
ELMS Barcelona April 2026 Nielsen Racing -
12H Spa April 2026 -
Nürburgring 24 Hours May 2026 -
Monaco June 2026 Invicta Racing -
24 Hours of Spa June 2026 Car Collection Motorsport -
Silverstone July 2026 Invicta Racing -
Spa-Francorchamps July 2026 Invicta Racing -
Baku September 2026 Invicta Racing
Will Pope
Sports Therapist and Human Performance Coach
If you run a team, or drive for one, drop me a line.
Tell me what you're dealing with, which series and when. I read everything myself and I'll get back to you the same day if I can.