F1 Drivers Underwear: On and Off the Formula One Race Track. One of the questions asked by curious Famewatchers goes this way: “What underwear do Formula One drivers wear when they are racing?”
Because we want to please our fellow Famewatchers, we did some research to try to answer the above query. These are the things we learned about the matter.
1. The F1 driver’s underwear is made of a fireproof material called Nomex. In fact, its not just the underwear that is made of this special material but everything the drivers wear — from socks, shirts, balaclava, and the race suit itself — should be made of this fire-resistant fiber.
The Deccan Herald has more details about Nomex: “Safety clothing technology has moved far ahead since the late 70s. Drivers nowadays wear suits made of Nomex, which is a fire-resistant and lightweight fibre. These suits are tested with open flames at about 400 degree Celsius. It should also be able to resist ignition for 10 seconds and only then is it allowed for use in competition. The pit crew also wear suits made of this material. These suits are breathable and allow sweat to dry.”
2. Some drivers have been fined for not wearing underwear which do not follow race regulations. Last July 2018, Formula E drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and teammate Andre Lotterer were fined a total of $5,900 for not wearing the correct underwear. The statement announcing their penalty did not specifically state what they violated but these regulations are imposed to ensure the safety of the drivers.
Four months earlier, in March 2018, another Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi was fined €10,000 for wearing underwear that did not meet meet fire-resistant standards.
He apologized and had this to say about the matter via (autosport.com): “It was a mistake, which was by my part, it should never happen. It was not something that I’m used to using. It was a decision that I took today because of the extreme heat, and I ran out of underwear, and I didn’t want to use a wet one, so I just put a new one [sic]. We did all the safety that was required with the seatbelts, with the pit stops, everything that is actually really important for safety was done. And I didn’t think this underwear issue would be any issue. But of course, I must be aware that I should wear compliance during a race.”
3. Daniel Ricciardo’s race underwear looks like long johns. We do not know if this is the standard but in a video he made to explain what F1 drivers wear, the Australian racer shows us a pair of long johns when he talked about his underpants. Obviously, it is made of Nomex.
Watch the video below:
4. Lewis Hamilton wears seamless underwear according to The Sun which may or may not know what it is talking about. We don’t trust The Sun but this report kinda makes sense. Seams can be very uncomfortable, especially down there in the nether regions, so we think its actually a good idea to make race underoos seamless.
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Now that you are better informed on the intriguing subject about F1 drivers underwear on the race track, here are the underoos your favorite drivers are wearing when they are not busy racing.
James Hunt in briefs style Speedos and Niki Lauda in short shorts. Want more Hot F1 Drivers?
Stirling Moss in what appears to be a pair of squarecut Speedo:
Alain Prost wears nothing but his briefs underwear during what looks like a gathering by the beach.
Daniel Ricciardo may be wearing long johns when he is racing but, off the race track, he’s seen here in a pair of boxer briefs.
We mentioned in an earlier post — see Shirtless F1 Drivers — that James Hunt is a Reddit favorite. His underwear photos like the one below is the main reason why.
Whoever encouraged Jenson Button to dress like a 1980s adult actor deserves a lot of props. If he made the decision on his own, well, we have no choice but to bow before him. Haha.
We saved the best for last. Did you know that Lewis Hamilton inked a modeling contract with Tommy Hilfiger a few years back. We give big props to the Hilfiger people for posing him in boxer briefs. Hehe.
F1 Drivers Underwear: On and Off the Formula One Race Track. Last updated: July 24, 2020 at 9:06 am.