Letterman’s late braking in AMG’s pumped-up E 63 S wagon leaves Lewis Hamilton thankful to be alive.
An important part of comedy is timing. If you blurt out the punchline while the audience is laughing at what you said a second earlier, they might not catch it and then the joke loses its effect. David Letterman knows that well. The comedian was the host of the successful “Late Show with David Letterman” for 23 seasons. Now he’s at the helm of a celebrity-interview-filled Netflix program called My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, which is currently in its second season. In a recent episode, Letterman takes Formula One star Lewis Hamilton for a wild ride around the Silverstone Circuit in a Mercedes-AMG E 63 S wagon.
As a five-time F1 champion, Hamilton knows how important timing is, too. It’s especially crucial when it comes to braking. As Letterman pilots the 603-horsepower dragon wagon around a curve in the renowned course, he tells Hamilton, “Show me where to brake.” Hamilton watches the track for a second, then says, “Uhhh… You should brake now. Now. Brake brake brake.” He braces himself for the worst, which, luckily, doesn’t come.
After the two return to pit lane, Hamilton gets out of the car with an obvious – and spoken – feeling of gratitude. “I’m alive. Thank you, Jesus!”
Then it’s his turn to rattle Letterman. They rocket away from a standstill and onto the track. Instead of being frightened, Letterman is thrilled, letting out an enthusiastic “Yeeeeesss!” Hamilton uses up every inch of the track’s width and runs over curbing to get the line he wants. Not missing an opportunity to make a joke, Letterman informs Hamilton he’ll tell him when to brake. He immediately gives the order, which Hamilton promptly follows, causing Letterman to be pushed forward against his seatbelt. Again, Letterman is only amused. It may not be a punchline, but it definitely makes the veteran comic laugh. It’s all about timing, people.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
