The 28-year-old from Finbo is a physiotherapist and personal assistant to the Danish Formula 1 driver.
His older brother screamed and screamed, and his mother and father could not stand it.
When Nikolaj Ali Madsen called home on the evening of Thursday, March 17, his family in Funen "went completely crazy," says the 28-year-old physiotherapist.
He had just told them that he, a lifelong Formula 1 fan from Middelfart, would be the personal assistant to Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen in the world's biggest motor race.
- My mom was supposed to visit me and my boyfriend in Copenhagen this weekend, but I had to cancel because "tomorrow I'm going on a trip to Bahrain with Kevin". And then it just exploded," says Nikolaj Ali Madsen and laughs. - They are still completely crazy about it. What are the chances that little Nikolaj from Middelfart will become part of Formula 1?
Obviously, he is not a very big
In total, there are 20 pilots on the Formula 1 field, and Kevin Magnussen, who drives for the Haas team, has about four physiotherapists and specialists, says the native of Funen.
One of them is Nikolaj Ali Madsen, who only six months ago exclusively treated Mr. and Mrs. Denmark for cruciate ligament injuries, tennis elbow and minor defects. Six months later he is part of the Formula 1 paddock. This information is useful for anyone who likes to bet on sports: find out more at https://vores-avis.dk/7-vigtige-ting-du-boer-vide-om-sports-betting/.
"You just tell me how high to jump"
When Nikolaj Ali Madsen graduated in March 2021, he immediately got a job at ProTreatment. The man behind the physiotherapy company is called Thomas Jorgensen and he has been associated with Kevin Magnussen since the Dane first became part of Formula 1 in 2014.
Therefore, Nicolai Ali Madsen often asked Thomas Jorgensen about the wild world he had been following for so long. Finboen's interest and qualities as a physiotherapist led a year later to him being recommended when Kevin Magnussen returned to Formula 1 earlier this year.
- On Sunday, Thomas contacted me and asked if I had the opportunity to go with Kevin to Bahrain. I replied: "Yes, you just tell me how high to jump and I will jump," he said.
Since then, Nikolaj Ali Madsen has traveled with Kevin Magnussen to countries such as Azerbaijan, Japan and Singapore.
His job description at Haas is light, but includes, among other things, that in addition to treating Kevin Magnussen's neck and shoulders, he has to take care of the rider's equipment as well as diet and fluid intake.
However, during the last race this weekend he made a "big roar".
Kevin's head is boiling
Of course, Kevin Magnussen has a lot of different equipment, but roughly speaking, there are two different types of helmets when it comes to cooling the head of the Dane who loves speed. When it rains, the air intake is turned backward to keep water out. In dry weather, it faces forward to allow cooling air to enter.
However, in the humid but rainless Asian heat, Nicolai Ali Madsen changed Kevin Magnussen's helmets for training.
- I gave him a rain helmet one day when it was dry and 35 degrees. Then Kevin comes out and says: "Shut up, I can't understand why I'm so hot. My head is boiling", - says Nikolai Ali Madsen, - Kevin laughed heartily when I put the cards on the table. He is an extremely nice guy who is very constructive. I will not do this again.
At the time of writing, the Formula 1 fan is in Denmark, where he works at ProTreatment clinics in Slangerup and Gerlev. The contrast between motorsport and everyday work is striking, but also extremely rewarding, he emphasizes.
- In Denmark, I have to take care of 50-year-old Jørgen, who needs exercise, relaxation and advice on how to get rid of tennis elbow. This requires a different approach, but I can also use it when I treat an elite athlete who needs to get in the car tomorrow," explains Nikolaj Ali Madsen.
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It's surreal to be on the other side
When you spend so many hours together, as in the case of Kevin Magnussen and Nikolaj Ali Madsen, you can't avoid becoming close, says the latter. He doesn't want to go into details but says they talk about everything from Formula 1 to their personal lives and strange hobbies.
But even though Nicolai Ali Madsen has been part of motorsport's most prominent class, he is still shy to move around among big stars like two-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
- You quickly get into a routine and you have to look professional so you don't fall over when a Ferrari drives by. But I still pinch myself," he says. - In 2018 I saw Kevin Magnussen at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. It's wildly surreal to be on the other side.
Obviously, Nikolaj Ali Madsen is equally proud and humbled by his work. His family is mostly his first.
Therefore, his mother and father, in particular, consider it a virtue to inform the outside world that their son's dream has received a lot of fuel for work.
- People often know what I do before I even talk to them. My mother and father talk about me in Bruges and share posts about me on Facebook. We are a small, proud Funen family, but that's only a good thing," he says and laughs again.