F1 drivers aren’t any different from the rest of us and sometimes need a drink during races, but what is the liquid they can consume when on-track?
Driving a Formula 1 car can be pretty exhausting work.
Whether it be through pulling G-forces or sweating on a hot, sticky summer day, drivers can sometimes find themselves needing a drink to rehydrate and stay sharp.
It’s not a case of pulling in the pits and asking for a cold bottle of water (more on that later), so what do F1 drivers actually drink during grands prix?
- EXPLAINED: Do F1 drivers really go to the toilet in their cars during races?
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What do F1 drivers drink?
Before a race, drivers will load on fluids such as water to make sure they are properly hydrated before jumping in the car.
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When they are in the race, a tube connected to a drinks bottle in the cockpit is fed to their mouth..
What F1 drivers drink during races is a glucose, mineral and electrolyte rich liquid, designed to release energy to keep the driver alert and able to keep fighting.
It’s been described as a warm, salty solution which does not taste nice, with some opting not to touch it during the race, such as Lewis Hamilton.
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Keep the drink
Famously if you’re Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari would forget to connect the drink leading to a memorable radio exchange at the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, on a more serious note, as the drinks bottle is placed in the cockpit, it can get incredibly hot.
At the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix, one of the biggest challenges on the calendar thanks to the heavy workload around the two-hour race in humid conditions, Kevin Magnussen found that out the hard way.
The now Haas F1 driver’s drink bottle overheated, and began to burn his mouth as the Dane tried to drink from it.
Somehow, Magnussen managed to battle on and rescued a 10th place finish – worth a single world championship point.
Back in the days of refueling, drivers could use the longer pitstops for colder drinks.
In the sweltering early days of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Juan Pablo Montoya pulled into the Williams pit for a planned stop – and proceeded to chug a bottle of water as his car was serviced.
- TRENDING: What makes up the kit that a Formula 1 driver wears during grands prix?
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