Lewis Hamilton Reveals He Sacrifices on His Hydration During Races to Be Faster by a Tenth of a Second

Lewis Hamilton is one of the prime examples of peak physical competence in Formula 1. The nature of the sport requires a driver to be in top-notch shape, given how every ounce can slow the car down. To make sure he isn’t carrying anything extra, Hamilton goes to the extremes for weight cutting and even removes the drink from his car.

In a recent episode of Hot Ones, while speaking with Sean Evans, he said, “We do have a drink tube in the car but I never drink in the car. I forget most of the time. So, I usually have that weight taken out. It’s only like 500 milliliters (16.9 oz).”

F1 cars have a space behind the driver’s seat for a bag of water. Given how high the temperatures get inside the car, the drivers sweat profusely and need to hydrate.

However, with the engine’s heat, the water gets extremely hot, almost to the point of a hot tea or coffee. That makes it unpalatable and most drivers drink it while it’s still cold.

However, Lewis Hamilton, being too dedicated to his craft, prefers to keep it out to save some crucial weight. That is not the only measure he has taken to cut as much weight as possible, though.

Starting with himself, he maintains optimum weight by following a grueling physical routine. Even during the off-season break, he goes out for runs in extreme weather conditions. Those once included a jog among penguins in Antarctica.

The strict diet Lewis Hamilton follows

Lewis Hamilton takes nutrition as seriously as his gym sessions. Years ago, he switched to a plant-based diet and hasn’t gone back since. He once recalled how he never felt a difference between plant-based protein and meat-based. Moreover, he felt more agile and alert while he was on a vegan diet.

His commitment to the dietary change reached a level where he co-produced a documentary, ‘Game Changers’, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Game Changers advocates veganism by recording the accounts of pro-athletes.

The continued efforts to promote plant-based diets also landed Hamilton some recognition from PETA. The animal rights group lauded the Briton’s efforts by naming him their 2018 Person Of The Year. However, PETA soon fell out of love with Hamilton for his silence on the Iditarod dog race.

Apart from the documentary, Lewis Hamilton also started a vegan burger chain to promote the green diet. He co-owns Neat Burgers with Leonardo DiCaprio. The burger chain has branches in the UK, US, and Italy.