Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton held nothing back in a revealing interview on the popular YouTube show Hot Ones. Speaking to host Sean Evans, Hamilton candidly discussed his ongoing struggles with the performance of his Mercedes W15 car, highlighting a sense of constant conflict with his car during races.
Since the introduction of new regulations in 2022, Mercedes have seen a significant drop in performance and have struggled to secure podium finishes. Hamilton’s last victory came in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In 2024, Mercedes are the fourth-fastest team on the grid, behind Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. Both Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell have frequently spoken of their lack of confidence in the car.
Constant battle with the car
Asked by Evans when he feels most at odds with his car, Hamilton immediately replied, “Right now!” His laughter underlined a deep-seated frustration.
“At the moment it’s every second,”
Hamilton went on to explain that the conflict is most intense at the start of a race when the car is loaded with fuel. He described the delicate balance required to manage tyre wear and fuel consumption, which often leads to the car’s capabilities being under-utilised.
“…at the beginning of the race, when you’re on heavy fuel, you can’t go 100 per cent, you can’t do qualifying laps every lap. So you have to pull back and try to take the corners a little bit slower to go longer,” said Hamilton,
“And you have to know how much to pull back. Sometimes you pull back too much and when you finish your stint and come in for your pit stop, you still have tyres. That’s when you realise you haven’t used them up.”
Hamilton has previously criticised Mercedes for not heeding his warnings about the car’s design. This ongoing issue contributed to his decision to leave Mercedes after 11 years and join Ferrari in 2025. Hamilton currently sits eighth in the championship standings, trailing Russell and a massive 127 points behind leader Max Verstappen.
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Racing peculiarities: No drinks, no pee
In a curious aside, Hamilton revealed two personal quirks about his racing routine. Unlike many drivers, he doesn’t drink from the car’s hydration system, often forgetting to use it and opting to remove the 500ml of extra weight. He also revealed his inability to relieve himself during the race, a common practice among other drivers.
“We have a drinking tube in the car, but I never drink.” said Hamilton,
“I just forget most of the time, so I usually have the weight taken out. It’s only about 500ml. Most of the other drivers, as far as I know, pee in the car but I just can’t bring myself to pee myself, I just can’t.”
He recounted a particularly uncomfortable experience at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he was forced to relieve himself behind the safety car due to extreme bladder pressure.
“I did it once. It was in Singapore maybe two or three years ago, I was behind the safety car and I thought “I’m going to die…”
‘Honestly, when your bladder is full, with the G-force you’re getting, it’s really, really uncomfortable, you can’t concentrate on your job. I remember trying to drive and really having to force it!”
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Hamilton recalls terrifying near-death experience: Surfing scare in Hawaii
Away from the race track, Hamilton has recounted a terrifying near-death experience while surfing in Hawaii with the legendary Kelly Slater. The incident took place at the infamous Pipeline, known for its dangerous waves. Despite Slater’s warnings, Hamilton ventured into the massive 20-foot waves and quickly found himself in trouble.
“It was 20-foot waves and Kelly was like ‘here’s no way you’re coming out there,'” Hamilton said during the interview on Hot Ones.
Hamilton said he was caught in the “kill zone”, facing a set of four waves that left him fearing for his life.
“As I started to try to paddle in, I got sucked into the kill zone,” he went on. “I turn around and see this set of four waves coming. [I thought] ‘it’s over, it’s all over.'”
He described the moment he was pulled under by the powerful waves, his board snapped in half and he was left gasping for air. He had to dive underwater several times to avoid being overpowered and nearly ran out of air before managing to swim back to safety.
“I could hear this wave crash above me,” he recalled. “My board got ripped off and snapped in half. I came back up gasping for air but the next one was coming so I went back down,
“I nearly ran out of air, I nearly drowned… [I] managed to swim back”
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A passion for surfing
This wasn’t Hamilton’s first foray into surfing. In 2019, he joined Slater at his state-of-the-art Surf Ranch in California, which is renowned for its sustainable, artificial waves. Always eager to learn new skills, Hamilton expressed his gratitude to Slater for the opportunity to surf in such an innovative environment.
Hamilton’s stories, both on the racetrack and in the surf, highlight his adventurous spirit and relentless pursuit of new challenges. Whether battling his car or taking on massive waves, Hamilton continues to push himself to the limit, even if it appears not to be whilst racing an F1 car.
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In a dramatic turn of events at the Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon will face repercussions following a costly first lap collision with Formula One teammate Pierre Gasly. The incident, which took place at the iconic Portier corner, has not only drawn the ire of team principal Bruno Famin, but has also resulted in a significant penalty for Ocon. This could well be the opening for former F1 driver Mick Schumacher to return to the paddock, this time driving for the Alpine team.
The collision, which sent Ocon’s car into the air and ended his race prematurely, was deemed by the stewards to be the result of an overly ambitious overtaking attempt. As a result, Ocon was handed a 10-second penalty, which translates into a five-place grid drop for the upcoming race in Canada. The stewards’ statement was…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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He may not pee in the car, but his oral diarrhea is insufferable. He constantly tries to big himself up in public and stops at nothing to do that. Of course, we are well aware of his penchant for lies. When he and Wolff were lying in tandem, they were the world’s biggest team of liars. He and his cult boasted that it’s him not the car, and now he blames the car. He got six WDCs thanks to Merc but conveniently forgets it, the ingrate.
He should be called GLOAT (Greatest Liar Of All Time).
OOOH! Vijay, don’t hold back! We can read your hatred for our SIR Lewis Hamilton. As for accusing LH of being a liar, well that is a bit steep, almost libelous. Go steady or we might just think there is a trace of jealousy in your vitriol. These 20 or so 22nd Century Chariot racers are up there to be admired, shot at, and receive all manner of accusations from the likes of you and me. There is a LOT wrong with F1 mainly the owners and the FIA but the drivers are just doing what comes almost naturally to them. If they are interviewed then we learn a bit more about them. Lewis is an extreme sports enthusiast. Good for him. Let’s hope he does NOT do a Michael Schumacher on the ski slopes or drowns whilst surfing. Personally, I wish all the drivers in F1 well, and you, Vijay (if that is your real name) would do better to see the good in people. Sawdust in eye versus plank of wood in your own?