PACE-MAP

Advancing the science of human performance preparation in motor sport

Physiological, Athletic and Cognitive Enhancement for Motorsport Athlete Performance (PACE-MAP)

PACE-MAP is a pioneering research project within elite motorsport. Its primary focus is the advancement of scientific knowledge in motorsport human performance, with direct application to the performance preparation of driver and pit crew athletes.

As the official scientific partner of Pioneered Athlete Performance (PAP), who specialise in the preparation of motorsport athletes from junior karting through to Formula 1, Swansea University is one of the first institutions in the world to conduct human research across elite motorsport.

This unique collaboration brings together motorsport human performance practitioners and the multidisciplinary research team at the research centre, who are working in tandem to establish standards of best practice in motorsport human performance science.

PACE-MAP provides an unparalleled interface between motorsport practitioners and academic researchers, facilitating co-development of performance-impacting solutions, whilst advancing the body of scientific evidence available in motorsport.

Key Objectives

PACE-MAP has a number of key objectives, which include:

Advancing scientific evidence in relation to the physical, physiological and cognitive demands imposed upon motorsport athletes; including a detailed review of the scientific literature in relation to driver-athlete and pit crew performance demands.
Longitudinal monitoring of male & female driver-athletes; from junior karting to elite formula motorsport, enhancing our understanding of the long-term athlete development (LTAD) motorsport pathway.
Informing the development of applied performance interventions; such as the management of race-day heat stress (thermoregulation), cognitive fatigue and the development of new protocols for the assessment of cervical spine capacity.

The PACE-MAP Research Team

Industry Funder

Jon Malvern - Founder & Director of Pioneered Athlete Performance; PACE-MAP Lead Collaborator

A-STEM Researchers

Joe Page - PACE-MAP Coordinator & Research Associate
Christian Vassallo - Lecturer; PACE-MAP Principal Investigator
Dr Mark Waldron - Associate Professor; PACE-MAP Lead Physiologist
Professor Neil Bezodis - Professor of Biomechanics & Technology; EPS Group Lead
Professor Liam Kilduff - Professor of Performance Science; Chair WIPS Strategic Management Board & Research Steering Group
Dr Shane Heffernan - Senior Lecturer; Molecular Physiology & Genetics
Dr Jenny Peel - Research collaborator; Thermal Physiology & Dietary Supplementation

Collaborative Partners

Pioneered athlete Performance (PAP)

PACE-MAP is working in direct partnership with Pioneered Athlete Performance (PAP), a close-knit human performance company specialising in the preparation of motorsport athletes, from karting to elite Formula 1.

Jon Malvern, founder and director of PAP, has been providing performance support to Formula 1 driver Lando Norris since 2014. PAP’s mission is to help racing drivers fulfil their potential whilst enhancing the evidence base and understanding that supports driver-athlete performance preparation.

PAP have worked with staff from the A-STEM research centre since 2022. Now working in unison as the PACE-MAP research team, they are pioneering research, development and innovation across motorsport human performance science.

Facilities

PACE-MAP benefits from having access to a diverse range of state-of-the-art equipment, which is housed across the A-STEM Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratories, at Swansea University’s Bay Campus.

Additionally, PACE-MAP has access to indoor and outdoor athletics track facilities, as well as the 50m Wales National Pool, all located at the Swansea Bay Sports Park.