New race ace has own keep fit formula

13 April 2012

As tension mounts in the pit and the mechanics make final checks, new Formula One sensation Juan Pablo Montoya will be having his own MoT... from a London chiropractor.

Dr Julian Keel is the secret weapon that BMW Williams is hoping will give the Colombian an edge when the season starts in March. Dr Keel will be the last person with the 25-year-old as he climbs into the driving seat and pulls out on to the grid.

The doctor from Barnes will travel the world with Montoya, starting in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix and ending in Japan in October.

Montoya, speaking at the Williams factory in Grove, Oxfordshire, said: "When I first met Julian he grabbed my neck and cricked it. It was the start of a beautiful relationship."

Dr Keel, 31, said: "My job is to keep him relaxed and in peak fit-ness. I have to ensure the connections are working properly so his reflexes are as quick as possible.

I use hands-on techniques, working from the top of his head to his toes.

"His body takes a huge battering during a race, particularly his neck when braking suddenly and then accelerating to up to 200mph. I am not just there in case he has an accident, I use the holistic approach and treat the whole body and mind and work with his personal trainer to ensure he is 100 per cent fit."

Montoya, in his first Formula One season this year, was told he had to lose a stone in weight when he joined BMW Williams, taking Briton Jenson Button's place. Team boss Frank Williams said: "He's up against the world's best. Michael Schumacher has raised the standard with his high level of fitness and it is crucial for drivers to be fit to maintain their stamina and prevent an injury.

"Traditionally, drivers have used a physiotherapist, but I looked into the benefits of chiropractic when Julian approached us and believe it is better. It gets to the root of the problem compared to physio, which just treats the symptoms."

Chiropractic involves the diagnosis and treatment of muscular and skeletal problems and examines the effects on the nervous system. The treatment is tailored around the needs of the patient and Dr Keel focuses much of his attention around Montoya's neck and lower back through manipulation and massage. Montoya said: "At first I didn't really believe in this alternative health method, but I am beginning to feel the difference."

A driver's body comes under immense strain in a two-hour race and they can lose up to two litres of body fluid through sweat. Montoya is undergoing a heavy test driving schedule and Dr Keel has to be ready to fly out at a moment's notice in case he gets injured. Dr Keel works alongside Montoya's personal fitness trainer, 24-year-old James Milligan, from Wallingford in Berkshire.

Montoya wants to be world champion and is tipped to be as successful as his hero, the Brazilian Ayrton Senna. He has already achieved super-stardom in America after winning last year's Indy 500. He said: "I know Schumacher is the fittest in the business and I have to be self-disciplined and get really fit if I am going to beat him."

Dr Keel, despite the rewards of trying to help win the Formula One championship and the chance to spend 17 weeks a year travelling to Grand Prix circuits, insists it is not all glamour. He said: "It is very hard work preparing a driver for a race and you are the first one in the firing line if he has a temper tantrum."

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