For a racing driver to make it in Formula 1, it takes years of hard work both on and off the track. For an Australian to do so is even more challenging.
The same can be said for any Australian wanting to make it in F1, not just in the driving ranks.
Australian physiotherapist Kim Keedle has risen through the ranks from his days working in Melbourne and is now instrumental in helping Aussie F1 superstar Oscar Piastri maintain his health and fitness needs across the marathon F1 season as his performance coach.
The fact that this makes him an Aussie working for an Aussie taking on the world in one of the highest profile sports in the world isn’t lost on Keedle.
“The way I view it is, Australia’s a long way away,” Keedle told The Roar in Austin during the United States Grand Prix.
“It’s actually pretty impressive that there’s an Australian in this sport either way. But it’s quite nice that both of us Melbourne boys, and Mark (Webber, former F1 driver and Piastri’s manager) included, sort of three Australians over in Europe all over in the world, on a world stage.
“He’s (Piastri) doing so well, so, yeah, I’m very proud.”
Keedle’s path to F1 was unique.
Knowing he always wanted to work in the sports industry, Keedle worked in a variety of private practices after graduating from the University of Melbourne before transitioning into the VFL to work with the Werribee Tigers.
With his stint at the team further igniting his passion for physiotherapy and sport, he went back to university to obtain his Masters in Sports Science and moved to the UK.
Using his new skillset in strength and conditioning and athlete development, he landed a position at the University of Leeds overseeing their sports program which covered 12 different sports and saw him working with a variety of Olympic athletes.
Several connections were made through this role, including with Aussie doctor Luke Bennett, who connected Keedle with the world of Formula 1 through the Haas team.
“He had a connection at Haas at the time and they needed a physiotherapist, so he brought me in to do that role,” Keedle explained.
“I wasn’t actively looking to get into Formula 1. As happens through a professional career you sort of find your way I guess.”
Keedle was tasked with setting up a performance program for the team and helping them with their pitstops, before forming a close relationship with French driver Romain Grosjean.
From there he worked exclusively with Grosjean, right up until the Frenchman was sacked at the end of the 2020 season, which is when he was first connected to Piastri.
“Oscar was coming into Formula 2 and when he was with Renault at the time they stipulated that when you’re in F2, you have to have a physio or a trainer traveling with you,” Keedle said. “Someone knew that I was out of work so just through that and through the industry…the introduction was made.
“It was brilliant.”
Kim Keedle and Oscar Piastri (Credt: McLaren)
Keedle was with Piastri right through his journey to become F2 Champion in 2021, and kept his position with him as he made his debut in the sport for McLaren in 2023.
His role sees him help the 23-year-old through all aspects to his physical training in a sport that is often overlooked when it comes to the training and fitness needed.
“Most people would think that you just sit in a car and you drive round and round,” Keedle explains. “But it’s a physical job, and particularly here in Austin, it’s a very bumpy track, so a lot of drivers will struggle with their lower back this week.
“It’s in the reverse direction (to what most circuits are through a season) so the left side of their neck will be working harder than it normally does.
“So they’re two things in particular that we’ll be working with Oscar this week to make sure that he’s okay.”
Keedle added that during the weekend his role with Oscar is limited, with most of his work happening in between races.
“Once we get to the track he’s so busy with marketing and media commitments, engineering meetings and rightly so,” he said. “So I don’t actually have a lot of face time with him necessarily at the track.
“There’s still key things that we’ll do over the weekend to make sure that he’s ready to then get in the car and drive. My role over the weekend is being with him to make sure that he’s physically prepared to get in the car, working with his nutritionists, doctor and sports psych to make sure that all of those things are happening and to make sure he’s ready to get in the car.
“He’s moved to Monaco this year, so I spend a lot of time out in Monaco with him training, which has been brilliant. We do a lot of face to face training (in between races) to make sure he’s ready.”
With the added success Piastri has achieved in 2024, Keedle says it hasn’t affected his role, saying that Piastri is well prepared for everything extra that has come with winning.
“Fundamentally it’s the same in terms of our preparation,” Keedle said.
“It doesn’t change. I guess you have to be very careful that you don’t drop the ball. With winning comes more responsibility in terms of there might be more marketing commitments or the media want more of your time, so you have to deal with that.
“But that’s part of the parcel. You’re in a privileged position that you’re winning and you have to learn how to win and you have to learn how to cope with that.
“So it’s been good for him to experience.”
Keedle says that being an Australian working with a compatriot so closely in Formula 1 adds an extra sense of pride to his work, and he relishes the moments it brings along the way.
“Probably the biggest moment where it hit me was in Monaco this year,” Keedle admitted. “You grow up in Australia watching Monaco on TV.
“For Oscar to qualify second this year… it was such a proud moment because this is so far away from Australia. Here we are in Monaco and my driver just got second.
“It’s pretty impressive.”