Buckle up, motorsport fans and memorabilia enthusiasts alike! The track isn’t the only place being dominated by the formidable Lewis Hamilton. The arena of collectibles just got a thrilling overhaul as the seven-time Formula One World Champion shifts gears with a multi-year partnership with Fanatics Collectibles. Just as Lewis dons the iconic red of Ferrari for his new racing season, he’s set to make waves beyond the circuit with a decorative assortment of officially licensed memorabilia and trading cards through an exclusive autograph agreement with Topps, acquired recently by Fanatics.
This alliance with Fanatics propels Hamilton into the limelight of the collectible world, ensuring that fans can get their hands on trading cards that feature authentic signatures and snippets of race-worn gear, a connoisseur’s delight crafted by Topps. While Hamilton’s sparkling visage has been a mainstay in Topps’ general F1 portfolio for some time, this partnership exists on a different plane—it gives him personalized creative reins over card designs. More enticingly, profits from these creations will reverberate beyond collectors’ shelves, channeled towards causes close to Hamilton’s heart.
The electrifying partnership was formally introduced when Hamilton cut the ceremonial ribbon at Fanatics Collectibles’ dazzling Regent Street flagship in London. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of his first one-of-one Topps Chrome F1 card dressed in a Ferrari suit, with “Forza Ferrari” elegantly scrawled on the canvas. Such unique cards are akin to gold dust, with just five red-parallel copies floating in the market, already setting collectors abuzz globally.
Since Topps secured the rights to F1 trading cards in 2020, the card game has spiked, markedly through phenomena such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive and a resurgence in card collecting during the pandemic’s shadow. Hamilton’s cards, particularly, have ascended to extraordinary heights, with his 2020 Chrome Superfractor smashing the million-dollar mark in December 2024 at an auction. Not too far behind, his non-autographed Superfractor went for a modest $900,000 in May 2022, and his 2020 Chrome Sapphire Padparadscha 1/1 attracted $740,000 that September. Clearly, there’s more than just speed thrilling the F1 enthusiasts.
Before packing his bags for the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton engaged with The Athletic, spilling the beans on his lifelong collecting passion. He mused over his younger days in Stevenage, where daydreams manifested through Premier League stickers. “As a kid, I’d spend every spare penny on Premier League stickers,” he cheerfully recalled, hinting at how much trading those packs meant. Little did young Lewis know that one day, his paraphernalia would transcend his own ambitions to uplift causes he treasures.
Hamilton’s meet and greet at the London store didn’t just launch a collection; it struck a chord grounding him to his roots. He chuckled over an encounter with a fan who acquired one of his one-of-one cards, growing up idolizing both F1 and Arsenal. That shared narrative made him realize they were partakers of a grander tale.
Pressed on which memorabilia he holds closest to his chest, Hamilton is sentimentally bound to his first yellow go-kart helmet—affixed with his dad’s B&Q spray paint—his victorious debut Monaco trophy, and the inaugural race suit adorning his formative laps. “Those ‘firsts’ mean more than anything,” he succinctly remarked, showcasing the nostalgia one champion carries from their beginnings.
Away from roaring engines, the motorsport giant indulges in art and vintage cars collection. But when tranquility beckons, it’s his admiration for canvases that steals the moment. “I love sitting with a glass of wine, admiring a piece by a young Black or African artist,” Hamilton disclosed, painting a serene picture away from the racetrack frenzy. For moments of levity, one can’t overlook his amusement over the oddest autograph request he’d received: tiny Japanese boxer shorts signed across the back as per a collector’s fancy. “It was bizarre,” Hamilton stated candidly, but who are we to argue with the unique ways fandom manifests itself?
Playing guru for trending collectibles, Hamilton didn’t hold back proclaiming who the next blazing talents in card collections will be: “Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman—and definitely Isack Hadjar. He’s one to watch.” The excitement in his voice suggests that whether on the asphalt or in a deck of elite cards, Hamilton’s zest will undoubtedly steer a blazing path for new collectors and racers alike.
