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Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has inked a multi-year partnership with Fanatics Collectibles just as he kicks off his first season in red with Ferrari. After a dozen years at Mercedes, the sport’s most decorated driver will now offer officially licensed memorabilia and trading cards under an exclusive autograph agreement with Topps, which Fanatics acquired last year.

The new deal elevates Hamilton’s presence on trading cards, guaranteeing authenticated signatures and race-worn gear on Topps-produced releases. While Hamilton previously appeared as part of Topps’ general F1 portfolio, this arrangement grants him individual creative input on card designs—and a share of proceeds directed to charitable causes.

Hamilton was on hand last Friday to cut the ribbon at Fanatics Collectibles’ Regent Street flagship in London. There, he unveiled his first one-of-one Topps Chrome F1 card in a Ferrari suit, hand-inscribed with “Forza Ferrari.” Only five red-parallel copies exist, each already coveted by collectors worldwide.

Topps secured F1’s trading card and sticker rights in 2020, capitalizing on the surge driven by Netflix’s Drive to Survive and the pandemic-era trading-card frenzy. Since then, eight Topps F1 cards have topped $100,000 at auction, led by Hamilton’s one-off 2020 Chrome Superfractor, which smashed the million-dollar mark in December 2024. His non-autographed Superfractor fetched $900,000 in May 2022, and his 2020 Chrome Sapphire Padparadscha 1/1 pulled in $740,000 that September.

Speaking exclusively to The Athletic before heading to the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton reflected on his lifelong love of collecting. “As a kid, I’d spend every spare penny on Premier League stickers,” he said. “Trading those packs with friends meant everything. I never imagined one day my own memorabilia would support causes I care about.”

Meeting fans at the London store struck a deeply personal chord. “I met someone who bought one of my one-of-one cards,” Hamilton laughed. “He grew up watching F1 and Arsenal just like me. Hearing his story made me feel we’re part of something bigger.”

Asked which mementos he holds dearest, Hamilton pointed to his first yellow go-kart helmet—spray-painted by his dad at B&Q—his debut Monaco trophy, and the very first race suit he ever wore. “Those ‘firsts’ mean more than anything,” he noted.

Off the track, Hamilton collects art and vintage cars, but he reserves his quietest moments for canvases. “I love sitting with a glass of wine, admiring a piece by a young Black or African artist,” he shared. And for a bit of fun? His oddest autograph request to date was a pair of tiny Japanese boxer shorts, signed—per the collector’s wish—across the back. “It was bizarre,” Hamilton admitted. “But hey, it made someone’s day!”

When it comes to spotting the next hot cards, Hamilton’s picks are clear: “Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman—and definitely Isack Hadjar. He’s one to watch.”