“The washing machine eats it”: Lewis Hamilton reacts as Charles Leclerc reveals he lost three passports

The new Formula 1 season is finally underway, with drivers getting their first taste of the new and improved cars on track in Barcelona during the initial shakedown. While the on-track action is unfortunately closed to the media and the public, a hilarious throwback video has surfaced online showing Charles Leclerc’s lost passport story. During a lighthearted media interaction in Azerbaijan last year, drivers were asked whether they had ever lost their passports. Interestingly, several of them had, with Charles Leclerc emerging as the biggest culprit after revealing that his passport once ended up in the washing machine.A video shared on F1’s official X account featured several drivers responding to the question about losing a passport. From Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon to Charles Leclerc, multiple drivers admitted to misplacing their passports, but it was Leclerc who had the most amusing story. When his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton asked him how many times he had lost his passport, Leclerc replied, “Three times.” He explained, “Sometimes I leave it in my jeans, and then it goes through the washing machine.”When Hamilton asked whether three of Leclerc’s passports were now with someone else, Leclerc responded, “I only have two, just for safety reasons.” As Hamilton pressed further on whether someone else might have his passport, Leclerc said, “Oh no, no, no. Then you cancel it. It’s not like they can travel on it.” When Hamilton jokingly suggested that someone might still have it, Leclerc added, “Oh, probably. If anyone has it out there, bring it back, please.” Hamilton then quipped, “The washing machine eats it!”F1 fans were just as amused as Hamilton. One fan reacted, “Even F1 drivers have off-track mishaps, who hasn’t had a laundry-day disaster?” Another added, “Even legends have off-track moments.” One more joked, “F1 mastery at 200 mph, but a simple rinse cycle is the one apex they missed.” Others summed it up by saying, “Happens to the best of us!”George Russell topped the Barcelona test on Wednesday, beating Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar’s time from Monday. Russell appeared impressed with the car and said, “There was a lot of anticipation around these power units. The amount of power they give is pretty impressive. Watching all the different power units today, it’s probably the quickest I’ve ever seen an F1 car pass here in Barcelona, which was pretty exciting to see.”“The cars do generally feel smaller, and you can feel the weight reduction compared to previous years. From that aspect as well, it’s gone in a good direction,” he added.The Barcelona test will continue until January 30. It will be followed by the remaining livery launches and two tests in Bahrain. The season will officially begin with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.Also read: New Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar proves his worth after topping Barcelona test on Day 1