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Sean: New napkin over there. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: Be careful. Be careful.
Sean: New napkin over there. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: Be careful. Be careful.
Hamilton: What is the, what... am I? What?
Sean: Hey, what's going on, everybody?
For <i>First We Feast</i>, I'm Sean Evans, and you're watching <i>Hot Ones</i>.
It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
And today we're joined by Lewis Hamilton.
He's the winningest <i>Formula 1</i> driver in the history of the sport.
A seven time world drivers champion with a record breaking 103 wins.
But, how will he fare today against our all gas, no brakes gauntlet of spicy wings? Only time will tell.
Lewis Hamilton, welcome to the show.
Hamilton: Thanks for having me.
Sean: This, almost, seems like a silly question, considering what you do for a living, but are you, at all, nervous going into this <i>Hot Ones</i> interview?
Hamilton: I've watched the show.
I'm a big fan of everything you've been doing. Sean: Thank you.
Lewis: Um, it's so hilarious, some of the stuff that you've done, and the people that've come on.
And then, sometimes, I'm like: "I could take that." .
And then, I'm like: "Maybe not." .
And, you know, I've canceled several times with you, so I apologize. Sean: I know. I know. I know, Lewis.
Sean: But, you know what's nice about you?
You did send me a succulent plant, one time. You know?
That looked, it looked great in the entryway of my apartment.
Hamilton: Well, a part of it was the schedule, but mostly it was like: "I don't know if I can do it." .
And even on the way here I was, honestly, I was like: "If there's...
how can I get out of this?" .
Sean: Well, you know what?
You didn't think of anything. And you're here now.
You're trapped on my show.
Are you ready to get started?
Hamilton: No, I'm so, I'm so happy to be here and to meet you. So, yeah. Let's do it. Sean: Let's do it.
Hamilton: That's a good, good entry point. Sean: Mhm. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: So, in recent years you've really immersed yourself in the interests that you have outside of racing, including producing, a yet to be titled <i>F1</i> film, made by the group that put together "<i>Top Gun: Maverick</i>" and starring Brad Pitt. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: Do you have a biggest pet peeve when it comes to racing movies?
You know, sometimes when I'm watching them, I'll notice, I'm like: "They have them shifting too much." . You know?
Which I understand, because it does look good on camera.
Hamilton: Racing movies, I feel like it's very, very hard to capture them. You know?
I mean, I've done, you know, each year you have to do filming with like a, you're following a, like a truck that has a camera on the back, so it's hard to catch, to capture the speed. You know?
You can't have a truck following, filming us at 200 miles an hour, so...
it's all kind of faked at a slower speed and they speed it up.
But, this is all real time, real speed.
I think if you go back to, like, Steve McQueen, for example, back then, they would have men laying on the front of the car with the camera, you know, like, or, you know, they'd have a big camera on top of their helmet, as well.
Now we've got all this amazing new technology.
So, Um, I feel like, you know, Joe's, honestly, I think he's gonna blow people away. How hot is that?
Sean: Just a little bit hotter than the first one.
So, many sports have unique requirements when it comes to the optimal weight of an athlete.
What goes into perfectly calibrating your race weight?
And then, what are the implications of being off by just a pound or two?
Hamilton: Basically, a kilo or ten kilos, like when we go to a racetrack, ten kilos is usually worth between 2. 5, 0.
25 or 3 tenths of a second.
So, immediately, if you put ten kilos of fuel, 22 pounds of fuel, in the car, that's, you'll just go slower.
But, there was one race where I was a kilo over.
So, over a whole race distance, it's like 1.
8 seconds or something like that.
We do have a drinks tube in the car, but I never drink in the car.
I just forget most of the time.
So, I usually have that weight taken out. It's only, like, 500ml.
But, um, other drivers, most, quite a lot of drivers, as far as I'm aware, pee in the car. But, I just can't...
Sean: But, you don't need to, 'cause you're not hitting that drink.
Hamilton: I mean, I've drunk a lot before.
So, literally, just before we get in the car, I go as many times as possible, right to the last minute, but I just can't bring myself to pee myself. I just, I just... Sean: Be honest. Have you ever? Hamilton: I have once. Um, it was Singapore. And... Sean: Historic moment. Hamilton: Oh, God.
It was, it was, like, two or three years, maybe two or three years ago.
And, basically, the safety car came out and I was behind the safety car. I was like, I'm dying.
And honestly, when your bladder is full with the g force that you're pulling, it's the most...
Sean: I've been In traffic... Hamilton: ... uncomfortable. Sean: ...
on the way to the airport.
Like, I know how that feels. Right? Hamilton: Yeah.
It's really, really uncomfortable.
And so you pull in the g force, you just can't focus on your job.
So, I remember trying to go, and I really had to force it, like, it's really hard.
But, luckily I haven't had to do it, like, only once. Oh, I like this one.
I do generally love hot sauce. I like, like...
try and go out of my way to find a good hot sauce.
Sean: I know you were nervous coming in, but I'm telling you, on the other side of this, you're gonna realize your hot sauce potential that you had all along.
There was never a reason... Hamilton: We'll see.
Sean: Never a reason to swerve on <i>Hot Ones</i>, Lewis.
Hamilton: When I called you tomorrow, and like: "I'm in pain." .
Another friend, actually, told me that, a couple of friends came on here, and they did also tell me, they frightened me off.
They told me that the night afterwards they were on the toilet for ages. So, I was like, uh.
Sean: You know, I never mentioned that in studio to them. You know what I mean? But, you're right.
<i>Hot Ones</i> always has a second act. You know? Hamilton: Oh, damn.
Sean: Always a reminder of your experience.
So, the British Grand Prix is one of <i>F1</i>'s most hallowed and historic races.
As a native Brit, who's won at a record eight times, where do the hair raising corners, known as Maggots and Becketts, fall amongst the world's most treacherous?
Hamilton: Well, they're not treacherous.
I mean, well, I mean, as racing drivers, we don't look at them as treacherous. They're just... Sean: Corners.
Hamilton: See, we're thrill seekers.
Like, for me, I'm like: "This is awesome." .
You wanna go through the corner faster.
I remember the first time I drove Formula 1 car, it was in 2006.
Copse is usually a corner you take full throttle at, like, 190 miles an hour.
I was like: "I gotta hit this hard and I've gotta go for it." .
And they were impressed that I was, I was on it so much.
But, Maggots and Becketts is just, like, the most beautiful, fast flowing, um, section where your, your full speed all the way in.
So, you're doing, like, 190, 200, something like that.
And that's where you get the most g force.
So, your body's been thrown around, your insides have been thrown around, and...
But, when you hit the sweet spot, it's like, I say poetry in motion, 'cause that's what my uncle says.
My nose is already dripping a little bit.
See you taking big bites. How are you not fat?
Sean: I'm just trying to match you.
I'm just trying to match you.
Hamilton: I heard you had, like, 3000 wings or something over the time. Sean: Yeah, I have. You know what? Cardio. That's it. You know?
That's the only thing, is you just gotta run away from the wings.
Hamilton: You should serve the vegan ones.
You'd save so many chickens.
Sean: You're right about that.
So, you once said that during a race, you'll become one with the car. Which made me curious.
When are you most in conflict with the machine that you're driving? Like, what... Hamilton: Right now.
Sean: At what point in the race do you most feel like you're trying to make the car do something it doesn't wanna do?
Hamilton: At the moment, it's every second, but, um, probably at the beginning of the race. You know?
When you're on heavy fuel, you can't go 100%.
You can't do, like, qualifying laps every lap.
So, you have to pull back and try to hit the corners a little bit slower to go longer, basically.
Sean: So, that's what's hard for you is pulling back. Hamilton: Yeah.
It's like trying to, and also knowing how much to pull back. You know?
Sometimes you pull back too much and don't, you end your, your end your stint when you do your pit stop and you still have tires left.
That's the point where you realize you didn't use them up. So, yeah.
Sean: Well, there's no pulling back today, Lewis.
Are you ready to move on here to the halfway mark? Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: So, this next one is, uh, "Miao's Revenge" here, in the five spot.
Hamilton: "Miao's Revenge". Oof! What the hell?
Hamilton: These chicken wings are really good.
Okay, that's got a little bit more of a kuck to it. Sean: Yeah. Wings are great.
Sauces, getting a little dicey.
Hamilton: Yeah, Sean: At this altitude.
Hamilton: Are you just always teary?
Sean: Do I look teary right now? Yeah, maybe, Lewis.
It's kind of a natural state of mine, I think.
Hamilton: What do you do to line your stomach?
Are you just eating this every day?
Sean: Uh, like once a week? Once a week. Hamilton: Once a week? Okay.
Sean: You know, I don't do that much to, to line or anything, but, um, I love the post-show ritual. You know?
Like, I love a bowl of ice cream and the air conditioning, and nobody calling me, nobody emailing me.
Like, I've come to have this little finish line, that I really, it's kinda the peace in my week. Hamilton: I can imagine. Sean: All right.
So, Lewis Hamilton, I know that you've long had a love for dogs.
Ever since a Labrador named Goldie used to walk you to school in the morning and then find its own way home. Hamilton: Wow.
So, in the spirit of that, what we've done is dusted off an old classic, a recurring segment we call "explain that gram". Okay? Hamilton: Okay.
Sean: And we have a theme this time around.
And that theme is your rescue bulldog, Roscoe Hamilton.
So, we'll pull the picture up, over here on the monitor, and then you just tell us the bigger story.
Prior to adopting Roscoe, you looked at thousands of bulldogs online.
I'm curious, what was it about this guy in particular that made you think this is the one?
Hamilton: I wanted a dog that was small, 'cause I couldn't take a big dog around with me traveling, but butch, like, strong. Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: Didn't want, like, a tiny little pug or something, you know, like, um, a Chihuahua. And then I got him.
I think he was eight weeks old when I got him.
And he was, like, just the easiest dog.
He never chewed anything.
He was just chill from the, from the get go. Sean: You picked rigt.
You picked right from the beginning. Hamilton: Yeah.
My sister just got a new dog and it's horrendous.
Like, it's biting, and it's chewing everything, and tearing up walls.
Sean: Does he have a "go to race day" tradition?
Like, what's his favorite and least favorite part about visiting the track?
Hamilton: His favorite is pooing in front of other drivers motorhomes.
So, a couple times, like, you let him out in the morning and you, he's, he's gone and done a dump in front of, like, George's, like, trailer or, um, Fernando's trailer.
But, the great thing with dogs, I mean, I don't trust people who're not animal lovers, but he's, they're always happy to see you when you come back. Right? Sean: Yeah. It's the best.
Hamilton: It's the best part of the day is when you wake up and play with them, and then when you come back from work.
Sean: Especially when you have a face like that to come home to. Hamilton: Yeah. It's ridiculous.
And he's like the team mascot.
He comes in and sits next to Bono and... Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: He looks like he's doing engineering.
Sean: And then makes the rounds, takes some dumps, sets the tone. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: You know? Hamilton: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
I felt that one on my lip. Sean: Yeah. Hamilton: Yeah. Yeah, okay. Should I have some more? Sean: I'll join you. I love it. Hamilton: Mhm. Mhm. Sean: Yeah.
Really settling into the show here. Yeah. Hamilton: Yeah. Stings the nostrils.
Sean: How would you articulate the difference, if there is one, in a driver's mentality?
Is an underdog contending for a title?
Hamilton: I've not heard a single word you just said. What did you say? Sean: Right.
Sean: Like, is there a mindset difference between being a hunter and being the hunted? Hamilton: Oh, yeah. Definitely.
I think it's easier to hunt.
If you're chasing and you make mistakes, you can get away, you know, you fall two steps back and you can regain or work your way back.
But, if you're leading and you have a car failure, it's just so much more nerve wracking, I would say.
So, I much, much prefer chasing, um, but, uh, I got to a point where I learned how to maintain kind of the chase.
So, what I used to do is I just used to picture me further up ahead.
And so, I was just chasing myself, and that seemed to, like, keep me on a straight narrow. "Red Flag". That usually means stop.
I've been taking bigger bites.
Sean: I've noticed that.
I'm trying to keep up with you.
Hamilton: Look at that stung from now.
Sean: I'm trying to keep up with you over here.
Hamilton: Loook at this tiny bite I took at the beginning.
Sean: You were trying to see where you'd fall. You know what I mean?
But now you're feeling confident. Feeling good.
I've got some elbow room working. Hamilton: Yeah. I'm ready. Sean: I see it.
Hamilton: You see, I came with, just sleeveless 'cause I was like... Sean: That's smart.
Hamilton: I even brought my bandana...
Sean: I'm begining to thaw... Hamilton: ... just in case. Sean: ... over here. You know?
Sean: What are some of the most exciting ways you've seen racetrack attire translate into streetwear?
Hamilton: I remember the... oh, okay. I've noticed that. That just hit me. Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: Um, I remember when I was younger, I was particularly, like, race boots where...
when you look at, like, Senna, the race, old race suits were really cool from back in the late 80s.
Um, but then obviously got more and more technical.
So, as it got more and more technical, got less and less cool.
But, I think you're now starting to see a lot more drivers come out of their shell and focus a bit more on fashion, and...
how it went, from me, is, like, I was walking into the track and I was like, there's no way of getting away from the cameras.
Like, I tried climbing over the fence to avoid them, and they find you.
So, I was, like, If I'm gonna get pictured, I'll make sure I'm looking good. Simple as that. Oh, God.
This can't be good in your stomach. Yeah.
It's, probably, when you take a breather. Holy shit. Sean: Yeah.
Sean: Right along with you. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: This one never gets easier for me either. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: But, whoa. Going back in. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: Respect.
Hamilton: This is gonna be painful, this one. Holy crap. That one's hot. Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: I'm starting to precipitate.
Sean: And does grow on you a little bit.
Hamilton: I don't know if I could eat another bite of that one. Sean: Yeah.
Don't worry, 'cause I keep pace.
So, if you put that down, I'll put that down. Hamilton: Good. Yeah.
Sean: And on that note, you know, it's notable, but not at all surprising, that a lot... Hamilton: Shit. Hamilton: It gets wors. Sean: ...
of your hobbies are thrill seeking activities. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: Kind of how you took another bite of that wing.
Here I am now, hiccupping through this. Oh. Hamilton: Holy shit.
Sean: What's the biggest wipeout you've ever suffered while surfing? Hamilton: Uh... Oooh.
Biggest wipeout, um, was, uh... Wow. It's hard to talk. Oh, my mouth is... What do I drink?
Sean: I'd go for the milk. Hamilton: Okay. Sean: I'll join you.
And I got the tears going. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: Just an emotional journey through... Hamilton: Shit. Sean: ...
your story and everything, Lewis.
Hamilton: I don't know if I...
I don't know if I'm gonna do these next two.
That one has really knocked me off of my chair. Sean: Yeah. No, I get it.
Hamilton: Biggest wipeout I had was, I was with Kelly Slater on Pipeline.
It was, like, 20 foot waves.
And Kelly's like: "There's no way you're coming out there. You're crazy." .
And as I started to try and paddle in, I got sucked into this... Sean: Oh, no. Hamilton: ...
this, the kill zone, basically.
So, I get sucked in, and I turn around and I see these, this set of, like, four waves coming.
And that's, for me, was, like, it's over. It's all over.
As I threw my board, I dove down, I grabbed the reef and I could hear this wave crash behind me.
My board got ripped off and snapped in half.
Came back up, obviously, gasping for air, and the next one was coming, so back down, grab, grabbed the reef again.
There's another wave comes over.
So, I did that three times.
I got up, I was, like, I was, I nearly, I nearly ran out of air. You know? Nearly drowned. Um...
but, managed to swim back from there.
But, after that I was like, okay, like massive props to these surfers. Um... Hamilton: Oh, wow. Hamilton: Oh, my God. These... Holy shit. Sean: I know. Hamilton: Oh, God.
I don't even wanna touch my eyes. Sean: Yeah.
New nep, new napkin over there. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: Be careful. Be careful.
Hamilton: What is the, what... am I? What?
Hamilton: At least they don't have, like, crazy names.
Some of them like "Ass Explosion".
That one's not, uh, you got these in the wrong order.
Sean: You're right about that. Hamilton: Yeah.
Sean: But, also, don't talk too soon. You know?
Hamilton: It was the aftermath.
Sean: Hot sauce has a way of humbling you.
It's like the sauces, they can hear you talking about them, and they respond.
Hamilton: The trick is not to suck in any air. Sean: There you go.
Hamilton: With your mouth.
Sean: What kind of reaction do you get when someone pulls up alongside of you and then sees that it's, you know, Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel next to them.
Hamilton: Most people were just like: "Holy shit". Um...
Sean: They're not revving their engine at you or anything?
Hamilton: I've had people be at traffic light and wanna race. Yeah. Sean: Naturally.
That's the right thing to do. Hamilton: Yeah. Sean: Like, you know?
Hamilton: And, definitely, when I was young, like, I felt like, all right...
Sean: Taking ride on this. Yeah, let's do it.
Hamilton: Smoke this fool. Um...
But, today, um, I guess a lot of, I've had a lot of road rage, 'cause I often, actually, when I'm not, when I'm just casually driving, I'm not going somewhere for work or anything like that, I'm not really, I'm cruising.
And so, most people are more in a rush than I am.
So, I get a lot of road rage. "Speed up!" . Process.
Um, I find, in America, they're very, quite aggressive. Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: Like, in LA, I find them quite aggressive.
New York is really aggressive.
Sean: Different kind of aggressive.
Hamilton: I've never driven, I've never driven here. But, people...
Sean: Probably for the best.
Hamilton: Yeah, people are pretty bad here. And then in Switzerland.
they're really aggressive in Germany. The German Swiss part.
Sean: The Germans, the Swiss.
Hamilton: Yeah, they're like crazy.
Sean: The Angelenos and the New Yorkers. Hamilton: Yeah. Is this the last one?
Sean: This is the last one. Hamilton: Okay.
Hamilton: Put some extra on it? Are you nuts?
So, this is often my issue is I put too much hot sauce on my burrito. and then... Sean: There you go. That is so good. That's perfect.
Not too much sauce on that burrito right there. Cheers, Lewis. Hamilton: Okay. Sean: That's what a run.
Hamilton: Should do a full send? This one's not bad. Sean: Yeah. Ah. Doing a full send.
Hamilton: On the last one.
Sean: We've hit the checkered flag.
Hamilton: I'm so glad I got through that.
Sean: And I knew you would.
There was no reason to duck it all these years.
There was no reason to duck it, Lewis.
Hamilton: It's starting to kick in, though. Sean: I know. Well, you know what? On that note.
On that note, Lewis, we've hit the checkered flag on our Spicy Wing Grand Prix.
And to close things out, all I wanna do is hit you... Hamilton: Shit. Sean: ...
with some of the <i>F1</i> terms, some of the <i>F1</i> slang, that I picked up while doing research for this interview. Hamilton: Okay.
Sean: Just to see if you can define them for me on our way out. What is blisterin'? Hamilton: Shit. What's blisterin'? My mouth. What do you mean? Oh, God.
Sean: What does it mean to lift and coast?
Hamilton: It's when you breathe, bro. It hurts. It hurts when I breathe. Sean: Mhm.
Hamilton: Uh, lift and coast is a method we use to save fuel.
This one's getting hotter. Sean: Yeah.
Hamilton: Do we go in again?
Sean: I'm following you wherever you go. All right, Lewis?
Hamilton: Should we do the hard-core one? Sean: Oh, my God.
Hamilton: It's like, let's just... Sean: We're here. You know? Hamilton: Yeah. We should just send it. Oh, that's three back. Oh. Oh, God. Oh, God.
Sean: Definitely a mistake. Hamilton: Okay.
So, lift and coast is, is, is, basically, so, normally, if you would break, like, around 100 meters. Sean: Mhm.
Hamilton: So, you'll full throttle till 100 meters, but lift and coast is when you come off the gas, at a certain distance before 100 meters. Sean: What are marbles.
Hamilton: The marbles are, like, from all the bits off the tire that fly off and debris from the tires.
So, over the race, more and more marbles are all over the track.
How are you struggling more than me?
Or you just an, you a good actor.
Sean: No, I'm not a good actor.
I'm, actually, a terrible actor. Hamilton: I'm sweating. Honestly, it's so hot.
Sean: But, you know, it's just the weight of the wings, and it's the weight of the moment, Lewis. You know what I mean?
Taking on the spicy journey with you, which has not only been a fascinating and interesting ride, but also an emotional one. You know?
And I'm just letting some of that out right now. Hamilton: Yeah.
I'll be crying tonight on the toilet. Sean: You know? I'm just crying.
It has nothing to do with the wings.
Hamilton: Next time we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna start here, and we're gonna have to ramp it up from there onwards.
Sean: We'll find the devil's anus. Hamilton: Yes.
Sean: We'll find Satan's snot. Hamilton: Yes.
Sean: We will find them all.
Hamilton: Up "<i>Satan's Alley</i>"?
Sean: This camera, this camera, or this camera.
Let the people know what you have going on in your life.
Hamilton: Ah, I feel great.
I'm so happy that I made it through. I'm not dead.
Honestly, I didn't think I was gonna make it, but, um...
So, thank you so much for having me.
And thank you, everyone, in this room for having me.
It's, you know, keep doing what you're doing. It's so great.
It brings so much joy to people's lives by doing this show.
So, I hope I get to come back.
Sean: Come back anytime, Lewis. Hamilton: Thanks, bro. Hamilton: Yeah.
I'm so glad, well, firstly, to meet you. You know?
Like, a big fan of yours, as I said.
So, really great to meet you.
And, oh, I would love to do it again.
I could, I could start over again with you.
Still got plenty of chicken left. Hamilton: Shit. Oh, no...
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