F1 explained: How do drivers take a toilet break DURING a race?

F1 Explained

F1 explained: How do drivers take a toilet break DURING a race?

Delving into the awkward reality of nature's call in the fast-paced world of F1

Yara Elshebiny

Monday 4 December 2023 02:19 Updated: 19:38

Ever wondered what F1 drivers do when nature calls DURING a Grand Prix race? We of course have the answer to that burning toilet break question.

F1 is a sport which demands the highest level of physical and mental performance from drivers. They push their bodies to the limit, enduring breakneck speeds, G-forces, and mental pressure. And, of course, every single second counts.

Typically, an F1 race lasts between 80 and 100 minutes. And while most people can manage to hold their bladder for that time, not everybody can.

Pit stops during races are strictly limited to strategic tyre changes and car adjustments - drivers do not have the luxury of leaving their cockpit to use the restroom.

So, what do they do when they can't hold it any longer?

The answer is remarkably simple and remarkably basic. They relieve themselves in their suits. Yes, you read that right! Drivers have no choice but to use the cockpit as their unconventional toilet.

While this may seem like an uncomfortable solution, it is the only practical option for them. Fortunately, the extreme heat inside the cockpit and the air rushing past the car help dry their suits relatively quickly.

Of course, this doesn't mean that drivers don't try to avoid this situation altogether. They carefully manage their fluid intake before and during the race, and they make sure to go to the toilet before lights out.

However, even the most careful planning can't always prevent nature from taking its course.

Has an F1 driver ever peed during a race?

While some drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton, have claimed to never have done it, others have openly admitted to it.

Hamilton himself has said that he knows drivers who do it and that his mechanics told him of F1 legend Michael Schumacher's habit of urinating "every single time he was in the car."

In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo was asked the same question on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, responding: "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."

In F1's "Never Have I Ever" series, some drivers were asked if they had ever peed in their cars.

Lando Norris, with a touch of disgust, said, "Oh no, I could never. Weirdos who do that!" and Fernando Alonso added, "I can't. I tried, but I can't."

Sergio Perez - 'Never Have I Ever' 2023 episode

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen has confessed that he has come close to peeing in the car but has never done it, while his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and ex-AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries have both confessed to doing it.