Lewis Hamilton revealed the truth on how F1 drivers go to the toilet during a race. In a recent appearance on “Hot Ones,” the Mercedes star explained how drivers often will have to drink some water for hydration and as a result, pee in their suits as they continue to race.
“We do have a drink tube in the car but I never drink in the car,” Hamilton said. “I just forget most of the time. So I usually have that weight taken out, it’s only like 500 milliliters, but other drivers, quite a lot of drivers as far as I’m aware, pee in the car.”
Hamilton then explained his process to host Sean Evans. “I’ve drunk a lot before so literally just before we get in the car, go as many times as possible right until the last minute,” the seven-time champion said. “But I just can’t bring myself to pee myself.”
Upon hearing Hamilton’s answer, Evans prodded further, asking if the F1 star had ever peed in his suit, which led to a shocking admission. “I have once, it was Singapore,” Hamilton said.
“It was like maybe two or three years ago. Basically, the safety car came out and I was behind the safety car and I’m dying. Honestly, when your bladder is full with the g-force that you’re pulling is the most uncomfortable … it’s really, really uncomfortable.
“So you’re pulling the G-force, you just can’t focus on your job. So I remember trying to go and I really had to force it, like it’s pretty hard. But luckily, I haven’t had to do it, like only once.” Hamilton’s admission comes after he claimed he had never peed in his suit before.
In 2016 during an appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hamilton explained to the talk show host how drivers are supposed to be able to use the toilet during a race. You’re supposed to go in your suit, but I can’t do it. I’ve never done it. But there are drivers that do,” Hamilton said at the time.
Hamilton’s fellow drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, have explained how difficult it is to pee in the car, despite the action being promoted by the team. “You need to relax! You can’t relax at 300kph! [A pitstop] is too fast [too]. They’re 1.9 seconds,” Ricciardo said while a teammate of Norris’s.
Norris offered a more level-headed approach to the situation. “I’m sure it’s the same with everyone. Your trainer’s always giving you your water bottle and you drink and get hydrated. But I don’t drink at all during the race. I’ve never done it, never in Formula 1 either,” he said.
“So I never top up and that late-race safety car, I tend not to struggle as some other people do. I’ve heard stories of people doing it in the past and I’m happy not to be joining them.”
In the end, Hamilton explained just how important it was to have the optimal amount of weight during a race, even if that includes additional weight in a driver’s bladder. “Basically, a kilo or 10 kilos, when we go to a racetrack, 10 kilos is usually worth between .25 or 3/10ths of a second,” he said.
“So immediately, if you put 10 kilos of fuel, 22 pounds of fuel, in the car, you just go slower. But there was one race where I was a kilo over, so over a whole race, it’s like 1.8 seconds or something like that.”
Hamilton and Mercedes will be back in action at the Canadian GP at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with the race set to go underway on June 9.
