Writing in racing magazine Autosport, the psychologist said: "Chinese Buddhists call the voice in your head the 'Monkey Mind' because they believe it resembles a restless monkey swinging aimlessly from tree to tree, commentating on everything you do and how you should do it.

"The monkey is very good at analysing, judging, criticising and logic — but rubbish at racing Formula One cars.

"This is why racing drivers must drive with their subconscious, the right hemisphere of the brain.

"The monkey lives in the left hemisphere (conscious) for words, numbers and technical stuff.

"In Malaysia Sergio Perez was driving with his right-side brain — automatically, instinctively — when he was closing on Fernando Alonso.

"He was so focused on catching. He was 'in the zone'. Until another voice, a Sauber voice, entered his head via the radio and told him to be careful, suggesting he should protect second place rather than go for the win.

"Suddenly the monkey woke up. Perez was now thinking about his driving and had entered the world of 'what ifs'.

"The monkey had grabbed the wheel and within minutes he had run off the track. The win had gone.

"Perez insisted that the message had not distracted him but then rather tellingly admitted, 'I was thinking where I was going to save some KERS. I just touched the kerb and ran wide and it was over.'

Murmuring monkey cost Perez the win | The Sun |Sport|Motorsport
A similar explanation of the conscious/subconscious mind, sports psychology and motor racing:

Gavin Gough, explains: “In essence, the unconscious mind is a very relaxed state, kind of like a dream world. You see images, you hear sound, you take in smells and you take in feelings. When race drivers go down into the level of peak performance it’s purely unconscious, where everything just happens on autopilot,” he says. “The moment he begins to push harder, consciously thinking about where he brakes, where he turns in, the line he uses, his performance deteriorates. That’s because the conscious mind is unable to function at the speed of the unconscious mind.

“Senna’s speed came through his ability to understand how he could improve by utilising the power of his mind and developing his mental power. He did this on a practical level - something he learned. There were probably other drivers doing similar things, but getting there by accident. Senna made it his business to understand that process,” says Gavin.

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