Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes F1 Car Races a Top Gun Jet
Giancarlo Perlas February 2, 2023
Lewis Hamilton is not the kind of guy who backs down in a race. In this video, he further pushes the boundaries by racing a Top Gun Jet using his W12 Formula 1 car.
The IWC drag race features the race car used by the multi-time champion in the 2021 F1 season. The mid-engined unit is powered by a 1.6-liter M12 E Performance V6. It is matched to an electrically-boosted single turbo motor to make up its hybrid setup. The resulting output of the mating is a whopping 1,050 hp (780 kW).
All its power goes to a rear-wheel-drive system and is distributed via a paddle-operated eight-speed automatic transmission. Based on the 2021 F1 season, the fastest lap achieved by the car is 1:07.058 during the Styrian Grand Prix.
The W12 was also responsible for bringing nine victories for Mercedes out of the 22 races held that year. Although it captured the 2021 constructor championship, Hamilton failed to take the driver’s championship with it. However, it should be noted that the unit went neck-to-neck with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen before the rather controversial finish involving the F1 safety car.
The IWC race sees the F1 car taking a head start. A couple of seconds later, the jet eventually going past it when the pilot floored the runway. The video ends on a high note with Hamilton hopping on the passenger seat of the jet.
Despite the hype created by the video, it was such a letdown when the F1 veteran failed to take a spot in the Top Gun: Maverick film starring Tom Cruise. This was amid the Briton showing a strong interest to take part in it.
