Driving in Formula 1 requires enormous dedication, concentration, and stamina.
So how do F1 drivers pee when they are busy reining in their cars but nature calls?
Well, some of them go in their suits as any fluids will be absorbed or evaporate.
The full answer is less high-tech than you’d expect. Find out more below!
How Do F1 Drivers Pee
While an F1 car is arguably the fastest and most innovative racing machine in the world, it still does not offer any modern solution when it comes to drivers relieving themselves.
So if you google: “How do F1 race car drivers pee”, you won’t get any complicated answers such as cutting-edge systems that allow racers to go without wetting themselves.
Simply, those that have to and choose to pee during the season’s long and intense F1 races do it in their racing suit as it will soon evaporate due to the intense heat in the cockpit.
However, despite the occasional exception, most drivers go to the bathroom before and after the race to avoid the discomfort and distraction of doing it while they race at over 300 kph.
For instance, when asked to provide an answer to: “Do F1 drivers pee in their suits?”, Lewis Hamilton says he has never done it, but he further adds that Michael Schumacher—one of if not the greatest F1 driver in history—did pee in his suit during most of his races.
Related: Do Nascar drivers wear diapers?
How Do F1 Drivers Drink During the Race?
Despite the advanced technologies that go into building the most expensive racing car in motorsports, F1 uses a rather simple drink system: drivers intake the necessary fluids via a tube that leads from a drink bag attached to the cockpit straight to their helmet.
The flow rate is then controlled via a dedicated button on the steering wheel and can be activated whenever racers need to top up their hydration levels.
What Are the F1 Cockpit’s Conditions Like?
Intaking an adequate amount of water before and during a Grand Prix is an absolute necessity due to the physically challenging conditions racers have to endure in the cockpit.
As a result of the heat produced by the engine and the electronics, the driver may experience temperatures of up to 50 °C, which, coupled with the extreme exertion (forces of up to 6.5 g) they experience, means they sweat away up to 4 kg of fluids per race.
Therefore, to prevent severe injuries and/or death resulting from heat exhaustion, F1 drivers drink up to 1.5 L of nutrient-rich water before even getting in the car.
Then, they simply drink more if and when they need to while they race.
That said, some drivers and teams choose to use different types of water solutions, drink less, or even opt out of having a hydration system installed to reduce the car’s weight.
You may also like: What is the horsepower of an F1 car?
Bottom Line
Since time is of the essence, there are no bathroom breaks during an F1 race. So when drivers ‘have to go’, they simply pee in their driving suits, which will dry out within a lap anyway.
In any case, most of them can hold it as they sweat a lot due to the sport’s physical demands.
FAQs
Do F1 drivers wear diapers?
Drivers do not need or wear diapers even if they pee during the race as they can simply relieve themselves in their overalls, and the hot air and wind will dry their suits in no time.
Do F1 drivers poop in their suits?
No, as they poo before a race, not because they want to avoid the urge while driving, but to reduce their overall weight as it leads to more performance (no matter how insignificant).
How do F1 drivers pee during a race?
While drivers have the option of peeing in their racing suits if they really have to go, most avoid doing so as they lose the liquids they intake by sweating profusely.