In a bold maneuver as red as his new racing suit, seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has entered into an electrifying multi-year alliance with Fanatics Collectibles. This partnership coincides with Hamilton’s inaugural season at Ferrari, a historic shift for the motorsport icon after nearly a dozen years of throttle-blazing triumphs with Mercedes. The collaboration marks a significant stride in the trading card arena, offering die-hard fans an intimate peek into Hamilton’s cherished memorabilia and exclusive autographical collections.
Under the umbrella of Fanatics, Hamilton will breathe vibrant life into the trading card industry, offering authenticated signatures and race-worn paraphernalia via Topps, which Fanatics acquired last year. This isn’t just about unwrapping glistening cards adorned with Hamilton’s autograph; it’s about storytelling through tangible memories. The deal dashes ahead by bestowing Hamilton creative input on card designs and channeling a slice of proceeds toward charitable ventures, adding a meaningful twist to collectors’ quests.
Fans had a spectacularly rare chance to witness the momentous kick-off at the launch of Fanatics Collectibles’ swanky Regent Street flagship in London. Amid a flutter of excitement, Hamilton unveiled a singular masterpiece: his first one-of-one Topps Chrome F1 card, stamped with the spirit of Ferrari. The precious piece, painted with the inscription “Forza Ferrari,” sits among only five red-parallel copies, fanning the flames of collector enthusiasm around the globe.
Why all the hullabaloo over Hamilton-themed trading cards, one might ponder? The atmosphere of admiration surrounding F1 collectibles soared high following the Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’. Topps shrewdly snapped up the rights to F1 trading cards and stickers back in 2020, riding the wave of heightened interest and pandemic-era enthusiasm for collector’s items. In the time since, eight Topps F1 trading cards have garnered over $100,000 at auction. The pinnacle of this frenzy was marked by Hamilton’s 2020 Chrome Superfractor, which smashed records by grazing the million-dollar mark in December 2024. Earlier, his signature-less Superfractor card made headlines after fetching $900,000, with the 2020 Chrome Sapphire Padparadscha 1/1 not trailing far behind at $740,000.
Hamilton’s passion for collecting germinated long before his own fame, in the penny-obsessed pursuits of childhood. “As a kid, I’d spend every spare penny on Premier League stickers,” he fondly reminisced before jetting to the Miami Grand Prix. “Trading those packs with friends meant everything. I never imagined one day my own memorabilia would support causes I care about.” It’s this personal history that binds Hamilton to fans and collectors alike, a connection vividly felt during the first appearance at the London shop. There, he crossed paths with a collector of one of his ultra-rare cards, a fellow enthusiast with roots in both F1 and Hamilton’s beloved Arsenal football team.
Such connections illuminate the heart behind Hamilton’s keepsakes. As he shared with The Athletic, the mementos nestled closest to his heart are his first yellow go-kart helmet—spray-painted by his industrious dad at a local B&Q—, his debut Monaco trophy, and his inaugural racing suit. These items, he insists, encapsulate the symphony of ‘firsts’ that resonate more profoundly than the most opulent of treasures.
Away from the racetrack, Hamilton is a discerning collector of art and vintage cars, yet it’s the quiet moments with a canvas and a glass of wine that soothe his need for leisure. Here, he loses himself in the quiet admiration of pieces by young Black or African artists. In a twist befitting a man of his eclectic interests, his oddest autograph request to date involved a pair of minuscule Japanese boxer shorts—an eyebrow-raising anecdote destined for fan lore. “It was bizarre,” Hamilton admitted with a chuckle, “But hey, it made someone’s day!”
With an eye on the trading card scene, Hamilton has his finger firmly on the pulse of rising stars. His radar is finely tuned towards young prodigies including Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, and particularly Isack Hadjar—names he forecasts will soon dominate collections and tracks alike.
In the full-throttle world of Formula One, where milliseconds separate glory from agony, Hamilton’s collaboration with Fanatics not only enriches the fabric of the sport but also stokes the fires of a worldwide collector community. Through each autograph, each carefully designed card, the essence of Hamilton’s storied career continues to inspire and connect, providing fans with a piece of a legacy still blazing its trail across every curve and straightaway.
