Lewis Hamilton knows what it’s like to face the heat as an F1 driver, but the seven-time world champion faced an outright blazing inferno when he went “full send” recently on the popular YouTube show Hot Ones.
The programme is known for its brutal format. Celebrities from all walks of fame are invited for a candid chat with host Sean Evans.
But the real challenge lies on the plate in front of them – a lineup of chicken wings progressively doused in ever-more-insane hot sauces. The hotter the wing, the hotter the questions.
As the interview progressed, Hamilton gradually turned into a sniffling, slightly tearful talker, the Mercedes charger sweating, wincing, and reaching for the milk – though not the winner’s kind!
Hamilton had been on Evans’ radar for quite some time but the Briton admitted that he had cancelled his appearance “several times” because he feared the fiery wings challenge.
“A part of it was scheduling but most of it was like, ‘I don't know if I can do it,’" he said. “Even on the way here I was honestly like, ‘how can I get out of this?’”
As the spicy heat increased, Hamilton struggled to keep his cool. The sixth wing, drenched in the infamous 'Da Bomb Beyond Insanity' sauce, hit the driver like a ton of fiery bricks.
“Holy s**t, it's hard to talk,” he said.
Yet, by the end of the interview, proving he’s as brave off the track as on it, Hamilton insisted on going back for another dab of the molten lava.
“It hurts when I breathe ... Do we go in again? We should just send it,” he said.
Fans on YouTube were quick to praise the 103-time F1 winner for his “legendary” behavior and “pain threshold”.
“Bro, ive been watching hot ones since day one NO one came back for an extra bite of da bomb with a dab of the sauce... this is why he is legendary,” commented one person.
During his interview, between his bites of fire, Hamilton shared a harrowing tale from his life outside the F1 cockpit.
The Briton recounted a terrifying near-death experience while surfing alongside none other than WSL champion and good friend Kelly Slater.
The glimpse into a different kind of adrenaline rush for the F1 star added another layer to the entertaining talk.
“It was 20-foot waves and Kelly was like ‘there's no way you're coming out there,’” he said.
“As I started to try to paddle in, I got sucked into the kill zone. I turn around and see this set of four waves coming. [I thought] ‘it's over, it's all over’.”
Hamilton said that he then jumped off his board to dive underwater where he held on to a reef.
“I could hear this wave crash above me,” he recalled.
“My board got ripped off and snapped in half. I came back up gasping for air but the next one was coming so I went back down ... I nearly ran out of air, I nearly drowned.”
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