WATCH: Lewis Hamilton Races a Fighter Jet in His Mercedes F1 Car

Formula 1 drivers arriving in the United States ahead of this weekend’s race at the COTA have had a great time sightseeing the country, with Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly visiting an NBA game and Sergio Perez putting on a show in New York City. Well, here’s what Lewis Hamilton had been up to.

The seven-time world champion had a rather busy Wednesday, as he apparently spent the afternoon racing a fighter jet on a runway. It was the light ground attack aircraft, the L39 Albatros, which possesses a top speed of over 750 km/hr.

According to reports, the race between Hamilton’s Mercedes W11 and the fighter jet was meant for an IWC commercial. IWC have been the official engineering partner of the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 team since 2013.

Apart from the video, circulating on social media, Hamilton’s physiotherapist and assistant, Angela Cullen, too, updated an image on Instagram. She further captioned it – “set day. 🚀   ✈️. “

Can Lewis Hamilton claim yet another COTA victory?

The race weekend is finally here after a couple of weeks’ break. And the focus has yet again landed on two of the title contenders, Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Hence, unsurprisingly, the only question that remains is, who will secure the crucial victory in the United States?

History suggests that Hamilton holds a massive upper hand over the Dutchman, having won five out of eight races at the Circuit of The Americas. However, this season could follow a different script amidst Red Bull’s shocking resurgence.

Red Bull have looked like the better team when it comes to high-speed circuits, and COTA is certainly one of them. So, there is no denying that Hamilton will be wary of the potential threat from Red Bull Racing this weekend.

Furthermore, Hamilton is stranded in a must-win situation, as Verstappen is already leading the title fight, and yet another victory would mean that Hamilton will fall under immense pressure.

Yes, considering the 15-year experience, the record-equaling world champion will be able to handle it, but for how long? Well, either way, we’ve got an interesting weekend ahead filled with excitement!

Watch Story: From Prince to the Queen: When F1 Stars Interacted With the Royal Family