Do F1 Drivers go to the toilet in their suits and how do they drink water during a race? Lewis Hamil

June 2024 · 4 minute read

The Formula 1 season is almost at the mid-way point with the grid having a record 23-race calendar across 2023.

The new cars are more technical and sophisticated than ever before but the drivers behind the wheel are still only human.

Lewis Hamilton and co have to navigate hours at a time in their cars at those speeds throughout a record 23 race season so a call from nature should be the last thing on their minds.

The seven-time champion had his fair share of toilet horror in the past and will not want a repeat of his Belgian experience.

However, what can Hamilton and the rest of the drivers do if such an instance occurs? talkSPORT.com has all the details...

Do F1 drivers pee in their suits during a race?

The simple answer is yes they do.

F1 drivers can relieve themselves during races on the off chance that they need to but many have strongly claimed that they wait until they return to the paddock.

Hamilton has revealed on many occasions that he has never urinated during a fight for first and couldn't go in such a high pressure scenario.

Yet the seven-time world champion did admit that his mechanic once said that the legendary Michael Schumacher would do so in every 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 was quoted in The Mirror.

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He added: "The driver that used to drive for the team, was Michael Schumacher, I don’t know if anyone’s heard of him, but legend racing driver, but my mechanics told me he peed every single time he was in the car.”

Daniel Riccardo was also quizzed about the subject during an interview with Ellen where he also denied he was one of the drivers to pee during a race.

The McLaren star said: "I’ve never done it. If you have to go, you just painfully hold on until the end, but every bump, every little kerb you hit hurts."

Riccardo opened up more about a mid-race bathroom break during a pre-race press conference at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

“If you need to go, it just stings,” said Ricciardo. “I’ve heard some have gone [during a race], before. One has not. I couldn’t. You know, you’re so tense, it’s just hard to go.

“That’s why all of us, when we get to the grid, we jump out. We’re not going to like, I don’t know, check out Facebook or Instagram or something, we’re going to use the bathroom and try to be not in that predicament come the race.”

Ricciardo added: “You need to relax! You can’t relax at 300kph! [A pitstop] is too fast [too]. They’re 1.9 seconds.”

Most recently a number of drivers were quizzed about whether they peed in the car as part of a 'Never Have I Ever' series for F1's YouTube.

Zhou Guanyu replied: "I know some drivers who did so I hope they give you an honest answer!"

Lando Norris said: "Oh no I could never - weirdos who do that", before Fernando Alonso added: "I can't...I tried [but] I can't."

Reigning two-time world champion Max Verstappen confessed: "It was close but never."

Red Bull star Sergio Perez and AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries were among those who admitted they HAVE urinated in the car.

How do F1 drivers drink water during a race?

Hydration is key in Formula One as it is in any sport with this weekend's Grand Prix another huge physical toll on drivers - who have to be as light as possible while remaining strong enough to withstand the high G-force.

The excess sweating means Hamilton and co have a tube connected to their helmet that is linked to a hypotonic drink.

The fluid contains electrolytes that the drivers on the grid lose under perspiration and it's released via a button on their steering wheels.

Lando Norris has revealed he doesn't drink during a race but knows a late-race safety car can prove the biggest problem for bladder control for those who do.

“I’m sure it’s the same with everyone,” he said. “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.

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“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.”

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