“My Time Is Limited, So I’m Really Trying To Take In The Moment”: Lewis Hamilton Is Driving Strictly In The Present.

Nearly two years since his remarkable relocation to Ferrari, Formula 1’s finest has wholeheartedly embraced la dolce vita. That doesn’t mean that Lewis Hamilton has any intentions of stepping on the brakes. Quite the opposite – the Italian atmosphere has only revitalised his ambition.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is an Official Partner of Scuderia Ferrari, bringing together two iconic Italian brands united by a shared passion for style, innovation and excellence.

The term ‘greatest of all time’ gets thrown around, but there are few more deserving of the title than Lewis Hamilton. In an illustrious career spanning two decades – 2026 marks his 20th year – the Stevenage-born racer holds F1’s all-time records for race wins and pole positions, along with seven World Driver’s Championships – a feat shared with Michael Schumacher.

In February 2024, after 12 seasons at Mercedes, with six at McLaren preceding that, Hamilton threw the paddock into a whirl when he switched sides, swapping England’s drizzly midlands for Maranello, the small Emilia-Romagna town that Ferrari, and only 17,500 others, call home. 

Hamilton suggests an alternative term for the Italian hub of historic engineering though. “For me it’s like the Vatican; it’s a Ferrari Vatican.” The 41-year-old, currently sitting third in the championship, the comfortability of the position putting him at some ease, speaks of the Scuderia’s residence much like a child would of Disneyland (if they had the ability to call it their own that is). “It’s like seeing a dreamy holiday destination and the images look cool,” he begins, excitement bubbling in his throat at its mention. Of course, Hamilton had seen photographs of Maranello – of Enzo Ferrari, the founding father forging his empire, and of Schumacher celebrating the five of his seven dazzling titles achieved while racing in red – “but when you get there and you get to feel the energy, when you go to Maranello, it really hits you.” 

On his arrival, Hamilton manufactured a landmark image of his own: posed in front of Enzo Ferrari’s front door, stride wide, hands clasped, guarding a classic Ferrari F40, donning a striped navy three-piece suit, draped with co-ordinated double-breasted coat. The visuals did all the talking for him. Hamilton was home. 

It was nothing short of love at first sight. In fact, for Hamilton, the entire campus evokes an air of fantasy. “There’s no other factory I’ve been to where you walk in and you’re like, ‘oh, there’s a romance to it.’” Granted, with history oozing out of each crack in its stones, it’s no surprise that the other factories with which he became accustomed are noticeably “cold and sterile” in comparison. 

Nearly three years since sealing his position in those hallowed halls, and two years actively competing as the Prancing Horse, the honeymoon phase’s spark has refused to dim. “Honestly, every time I go and l get to the track and see the Ferrari sign, I swear it's always a pinch-me [moment].” Though conscious of the time constraints of our conversation, I observe silently as Hamilton instinctively pursues his train of thought. “I thought I would have gotten used to it, but literally every time I'm there it’s,” he stops for the briefest second before proceeding, “it’s just always an emotional thing for me.” There is another pause, confirming his comment. “I’m very, I guess, emotional about it.”

The country has always held sentimental value for the Brit. Aged 13, Hamilton began karting in Italy and a lifelong affection for the cuisine was swiftly identified. “That's the thing that blew my socks off,” he laughs through the statement, one delivered with great conviction. “I got there from, you know, fish and chips in England and then all of a sudden I've got all these tastes going on!” 

One meal in particular, made by his mechanic’s wife’s mother, resides fondly in his memories: “This 90-year old made the most insane lasagna, and you could tell it was passed down generation to generation.” It was the passion behind the dish, the innate Italian desire to nurture through home cooked grub, that left a lasting mark. “From my experience with friends and my family, there’s no food culture passed down in the generations – my sisters don’t have recipes that have been in the family for years.”

In the decades since, he has found little change in the Italian’s hospitality. “I experienced that last year when my engineers all got together, all their families were in this restaurant altogether, and it was a community thing.” While he is making a concerted effort to welcome this mindset into his own world, Hamilton hasn’t necessarily absorbed the technical skills involved. “I'm a terrible cook,” he confesses – after all, he can’t be the World Champion of everything. “When I make pasta it's very basic, but I can make a good penne arrabbiata.” Hamilton, who switched to a plant-based diet a decade ago, often pairs his culinary creations with a Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% – “I don’t drink so the 0% is good for me! Yeah, non-alcoholic is good.”

Mercifully, Hamilton has taken far smoother to Italy’s design sensibilities. “Their use of texture, silhouettes, silks, and tailoring is great.” Ferrari Style, the luxury fashion and lifestyle division of the automotive brand is an appreciated addition to his realm. “I just went to visit one of the stores in New York the other day to open it and you see Ferrari through and through, it's like having an extension of the factory in these different cities.”

Six years on from his last Championship title, Hamilton has witnessed a changing of the guard – Max Verstappen, and now Italy’s own Kimi Antonelli, commanding much of the pinnacle of racing – and there have been notable droughts in his competitive success. Hamilton endured thirty one races with the Scuderia before he took his maiden victory in red. Though he possessed 105 prior triumphs under his belt, this one, in Barcelona, saw a dream finally realised: hearing Fratelli d'Italia, the Italian national anthem, sung for him.

“Obviously when I’ve been on the podium with another driver, [Sebastian] Vettel for example, who's won races, I’ve heard the Italian constructor’s national anthem playing.” It’s an entirely different beast when proclaimed in your honour. “The Italians are singing it with all their hearts, and to be a part of that is something I will never forget.” Once more, Hamilton allows his feelings to emerge with a frank honesty. “I really think it was the most emotional, wholesome experience that I think I’ve ever experienced as a driver and it’s what keeps me powering to try and get back there for the team.” He continues to reminisce: “it’s a historic moment that I will look back at with great memory.” Then, a smirk appears. “But, the story is not finished yet.”

Hamilton is not ignorant. He understands that he is nearer the completion of his career than its genesis. “My time is limited, so I’m really trying to take in the moment.” Alongside a constant quest for progress for himself and the Tifosi – the term attributed to the most steadfast Ferrari devotees – sits a tranquil desire to remain present. “There's still stuff that I've not even seen at the factory,” he admits, the enormity of the Ferrari project roving into view. “There's warehouses around with all these amazing vintage cars that I haven't even seen!” Though some may expect him to decelerate, the inevitable ‘R’ word lingering in mouths, Hamilton currently has no such plans – and he couldn’t, not while he still has so much to explore.