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“Cut My N*ts Off”: Lewis Hamilton Was Ready to Go Under Knife All for One Demanding F1 Rule

Published 12/09/2022, 11:17 AM EST

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via Reuters

Mercedes had a long-term plan for the 2014 Turbo-Hybrid engine regulations. They planned and prepared for the major F1 overhaul extensively. And when Lewis Hamilton came on board in 2013, it just solidified their plans. Although there was one stringent rule which made all drivers, including Hamilton, sweat a lot.

The 2014 regulations were going to make some major changes in F1 including the V6 engines with a turbo-hybrid system and a major overhaul of the car chassis too. A crucial adjustment needed for this overhaul was increasing the minimum weight of the car.

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Thus, the new turbo-hybrid engine and electrical ERS systems increased the car + driver minimum weight to 1521.2 lbs (690 kg).

Although the effect of this rule was going to be on the pace of the car, as F1 teams always prefer cars to be as light as possible. This shifted the focus to the driver’s weight, and all drivers were required to lose weight.

via Getty

Lewis Hamilton was asked what was his take on the implications of the weight rule in 2013. The Briton stated how he would do anything to make the Mercedes car faster in 2014.

As per Daily Mail, he said, “I weigh 71kg [156 lbs]. I am not going to be 65kg [143 lbs] unless I cut my nuts off!’ Hamilton joked. ‘And I eat really healthily.”

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Hamilton’s witty answer reflected how he was committed to winning the championship with the Silver Arrows. To be fair, then McLaren driver Jenson Button claimed that being overweight by 10-11 lbs can cost a driver 0.2 seconds per lap.

So it makes sense why Lewis was showing his willingness to reduce weight.

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When the FIA finalized the 2014 engine regulations in the year 2011, Mercedes were the first team to begin work on their Turbo-hybrid engine and car. Ross Brawn, who was the team principal of the Brackley outfit since the Brawn GP days, initiated a separate team working on the new engine and chassis concepts.

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As per Mark Hughes of Motor Sport magazine, Mercedes thought about an out-of-the-box solution to package its V6 Turbo-hybrid engine in the car. They decided to split their turbocharger in half and place its components on opposite sides of its 1.6 liter V6.

This modification did two things for them. It not only boosted their horsepower but also improved the engine’s reliability performance. Because the split turbo would require less cooling, the Brixworth-based team could use a smaller intercooler. This intercooler also meant they can have slimmer side pods, helping their aerodynamic efficiency.

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It was an engineering and design masterstroke as the W05 hit the ground running with speed and reliability. The car gave Lewis Hamilton an average 0.6 seconds per lap advantage in qualifying and 19 seconds over the full race distance over anybody.

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Watch This Story: Mercedes Eye-popping Sidepod design at the 2022 Bahrain F1 testing

Lewis Hamilton may not have been required to take any extreme pressures, as the 2014 car took care of all the weight and pace. Yet his consistency on track yielded him a 2nd world championship with 5 more to come. What do you think about the innovations by the Silver Arrows?

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Written by:

Aishwary Gaonkar

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Aishwary Gaonkar is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his postgrad, he has set out to venture into the world of Sports Journalism. He is an ardent fan of F1 and has been following the most prestigious form of motor racing for over a decade now.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh