"America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed.” I couldn't stop thinking about the quote—which opens the 2006 racing comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rick Bobby—during my weekend at the US Grand Prix in late October.
The annual Formula One event in Austin, Texas, features everything a spectator could ask for in a three-day weekend packed with high-speed racing. Incredibly fast cars? Check. Outdoor barbecue? More brisket than I could eat in a lifetime. Heated competition? Hotter than a Carolina Reaper under a blistering ninety-five-degree sun. After the first car whizzed by me at over 322 kilometres per hour, I was ready to call the 21st-century chariot race my personal sporting event of the year. With this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix marking another major stateside moment for the sport, I have to ask: Why did it take so long for America to catch on?
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One world champion, told The Athletic earlier this year that he “couldn’t fully understand” why American audiences didn’t love Formula One as much as football or basketball. “When I went to NFL and NBA games, seeing how passionate the Americans are about sport,” Hamilton said, he wondered “how they hadn’t yet caught the bug.”
Still, the sport’s popularity in America has boomed over the last five years, thanks to some major contributing factors. For starters, the Formula One calendar added a third race in the states last year, when a circuit through the Las Vegas strip followed the annual events at Miami and Austin. We can also point to Sirius XM and Live Nation’s umbrella company, Liberty Media, purchasing the Formula One Group in 2017. The deal moved the broadcasting headquarters for the sport stateside, as well as the promotional and organizational rights.
Around the same time, a Netflix documentary series titled Drive to Survive delivered a behind-the-scenes look at racing’s biggest stars—including Hamilton. Six seasons later, and now a significant portion of Formula One’s U.S. fanbase will likely tell you that their initial interest stemmed from the Netflix series.
A staggering 3.1 million viewers tuned into the Miami Grand Prix earlier this summer, according to ESPN, setting the all-time US television record for a live Formula One telecast. The sports network reported that another 1.5 million viewers on average watched the US Grand Prix in Austin, while roughly 400,000 fans attended in person.
I was among the crowd that weekend at Austin's Circuit of the Americas—huffing the smell of burnt rubber tyres and yelling over the noise of V6 turbo engines. I picked my jaw up off the ground when billionaire Mercedes Formula One CEO Toto Wolff sat down for breakfast at my hotel. And from my view at the finish line, the cars were so close to fans that it felt like I could reach out and touch them.
Actually, I did touch them. I joined a Pirelli-sponsored Formula One event called a “Hot Lap.” Hell, I even sat in a McLaren sports car for a quick drive. A professional driver whipped me around the track at over 225 kilometres per hour, as I held on to a little door handle for dear life. Exhilarating? Sure. Incredibly frightening? Yes. It’s like a rollercoaster, but if the person sitting right next to you is in control of the ride. You truly feel like you’re going to die. I nervously laughed the entire time.
After I hopped out of the car and regained control of my stomach, Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, of course) jumped into another car ahead of me. Later that weekend, I saw Gordon Ramsay curse his way through a quick lap. As you might’ve guessed by my company for this event, the Hot Lap wasn't cheap. The three-minute-ride cost fans around USD10,000 this year; it's an extra perk included in the VIP ticket package. As you also might’ve guessed, I did not fork out USD10,000 for the Hot Lap—the kind folks at American Express invited Esquire to Austin for the weekend.
If you're not familiar with American Express's ties to Formula One: They're expanding to become an official global partner for Formula One in 2025, with amenities including presale ticket windows and handy on-site radios. (US Open Tennis fans will no doubt be familiar with the helpful gadgets.) American Express also sponsors women’s F1 Academy league driver Jessica Edgar, who is set to make a special appearance for card members this weekend in Las Vegas.
Following the US Grand Prix in Austin, the Las Vegas Grand Prix holds another chance to boost the popularity of Formula One even higher this weekend. The street race is one of the latest and most exciting additions to the sport, thanks to its nighttime kickoff and its obvious ties with the entertainment hub on the Vegas strip. Formula One is also working in collaboration with Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski to produce an F1 film starring Brad Pitt out in theaters on June 25, 2025.
Now, can Formula One add an American driver? Then we would really start cooking.
Originally published on Esquire US
When Lewis Hamilton was announced as Dior’s brand ambassador in July this year, it probably came as a shock to no one. The multiple Formula 1 record holder—the man has the most career wins and world championship titles to date—isn’t just a blur on the racetrack, he’s quite the snazzy dresser off of it. Specifically, Hamilton had been spotted wearing Dior Men on multiple occasions while making the F1 Grand Prix circuit this season.
Brand ambassadorships are a well-established concept that works. But at the rate persons of note are being conferred the title, it’s nigh impossible to keep track of who’s affiliated to which brand. What is rare, however, is a brand ambassador whois more than just a physical embodiment of what a brand represents.
Hamilton seems to have a knack for taking his involvement with fashion brands a step further than the norm. With Tommy Hilfiger, Hamilton co-created four TommyXLewis capsule collections from 2018 to 2020, imbuing his own personal sense of style to that of the American brand. And now at Dior Men, he’s charging ahead with a capsule collection designed together with artistic director Kim Jones.
“Working with Kim and the talented team at Dior has been a dream, and I was honoured when Kim asked if I’d like to do this with him. Our values and ideas are aligned, making it easy to bring to life a creative collection infused with our shared experiences,” Hamilton expresses.
The new Dior Men Lifestyle Capsule collection is not F1 , or even racing-related, because that would be far too predictable and Hamilton is a multi-faceted individual. Instead, the collection revolves around skiing and snowboarding as a personal celebration of Hamilton’s love for an outdoor-centric winter lifestyle. He’s an adrenaline junkie and has a love for extreme sports aside from motorsports.
“We share a love of nature, a desire to celebrate Africa and an interest in the artisanal processes and techniques that unite craftspeople in Africa with the savoir-faire of the Dior ateliers. Added to that, this collection also reflects Lewis’ sporting side, his virtuosity and our functionality,” says Jones.
In many ways, the Lifestyle Capsule collection is a global effort. African-inspired motifs are incorporated within the collection (Jones grew up in African countries in his early years), adding vibrancy to technical functionalities. African weaves made in Burkina Faso, for example, have been crafted into casual suiting by the Dior ateliers, and custom snowboards by Switzerland-based Factory 9 feature Dior branding set against graphic African-inspired motifs. The collection’s technical skiwear by Japanese sportswear brand Descente too are made to withstand the harsh cold conditions on the slopes. The expertise rendered by these different “global ateliers” all ensure that not only do the pieces look exceptional and on par with Dior’s craftsmanship, but that they also function on the same level.
Hamilton has taken it a step further by pushing the boundaries of the Dior ateliers in ensuring that sustainability isn’t an afterthought to the creation of the collection. Having been on a plant-based diet since 2017, Hamilton insisted that no animal leather is to be used for any of the pieces in the Lifestyle Capsule collection. He’s pushed for more conscious choices in terms of materiality. The collection’s ready-to-wear such as slouchy denims, knitwear, and fleeces are made partly using organic or recycled textiles. A micro-fibre snow shoe, the Dior Snow derby, has been designed to serve as a casual pair of footwear while simultaneously being capable of performing on the slopes over a snowboard—a cleverly designed versatile pair.
These new touches serve to enhance the collection while retaining the essence of a Kim Jones Dior Men collection. The B44 Blade sneaker is a new addition to Jones’ expanding sneaker offerings for Dior Men. Conceptualised with a decidedly 2000s silhouette in mind, it’s undoubtedly sporty in its allure and rendered in tasteful gradations of colours. It’s too early to say if the design will become a mainstay for Dior Men but it definitely fits in with the existing Dior Men universe.
In an interview with WWD, Jones hints that there will be more to come. “This is almost like a taste, and then we get into bigger collections,” he said of the partnership with Hamilton. And to that, we’ll just have to wait and see what comes next, because this collection, in essence, is quite a game-changer for a house like Dior.
Sir Lewis Hamilton is suddenly on a hot streak. In early July, the seven-time Formula 1 champion won the British Grand Prix for the ninth time, setting a record for the most victories by a driver at a single circuit. It was just the latest milestone for the thirty-nine-year-old Hamilton, who has won more races and finished on the podium more times than any other Formula 1 driver in the history of the competition. But the win in England was his first in more than two years.
He followed it up by finishing on the podium in third at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest a couple weeks later. And then a week after that, Hamilton, who was knighted a few years ago, notched another victory at the Belgian Grand Prix (after his teammate George Russell was disqualified post-race when his car was found to be underweight).
I got a chance to sit down with Hamilton at the Ritz-Carlton in Budapest the night before the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Ritz-Carlton is the official hotel partner for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. And I was one of a group of invited guests and prize winners who travelled from Vienna to Budapest in a convoy of Mercedes vehicles for what the Ritz-Carlton called the “Road to Legendary Car Tour.” Hamilton stopped by to chat with the group and to offer a tasting of his non-alcoholic tequila brand, Almave, which he launched last year with the spirits company Casa Lumbre.
Hamilton is taking on new challenges at the track, too. This season is his last with the Mercedes team. He announced before the season that he would be leaving after twelve years and will be driving for Ferrari in 2025. Hamilton is also going Hollywood, co-producing the much-hyped movie F1, which is scheduled for release next year and stars Brad Pitt as a former driver returning to compete in Formula 1. (Check out the teaser trailer here.)
We talked about his battle to get back on top of the podium, how he stays in shape to compete with younger drivers, calling bullshit on the F1 screenplay, getting out on the track with Brad Pitt, collaborating with director Joseph Kosinski, and how he’ll know when to walk away from racing. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
ESQUIRE: What do you get from doing something entrepreneurial, like launching Almave, which is different from everything else you’re involved in?
LEWIS HAMILTON: I think as a racing driver it’s really healthy to unplug and do other things and tap into other mediums. And when you get into the room to sit with a bunch of creatives—working with Casa Lumbre, for example, who have done who knows how many different spirits—they can explain to you the whole process. And then there’s things that perhaps you ask them that they’ve never had to think about before.
Your win at the British Grand Prix was your first time on the top of the podium since 2021. What was it like to finally get back to winning and to do it on your home turf in England?
Everyone was talking about it being this fairy tale. And it really, really was unexpected. Going into that weekend, I had no idea that that was going to be possible. And it had been such a long time. So many thoughts cross your mind. Some of them you start to potentially believe in, bit by bit. And finally, I had that day when I was able to excel, and we excelled as a team, and it just kind of shuts that all down. And it helps you rebuild again. So it was really great to be able to do it at home, in my home country, with my family around. The last race in Mercedes at Silverstone. It couldn’t have been more magical.
The past couple years have been kind of a grind for you after experiencing so much success for so long. What have you learned about yourself going through that?
It’s been mostly a battle of the mind. Keeping yourself sane, trying to pick up new tools. Ultimately, it always comes back to persistence and dedication. Hard work. It always does eventually pay off. I think I learned that life is really about how much pain you can experience and keep going, and how much you can suffer and keep moving forward, you know? And that’s life, right? It’s not how you fall; it’s how you get up. It’s how you continue to apply yourself every single day. It’s how you connect with people that you work with. I probably learned to be a better teammate in this period of time, because we’ve had more time to focus on communication.
There’s been a lot of buzz about F1, the upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt. I know you’re a producer. How did you get involved?
We were there from the beginning. There were a couple scripts out there. I had known Joe [Kosinski, the director] from when we talked about doing Top Gun: Maverick through Tom [Cruise]. Tom put me in touch with Joe, and there were discussions of being in the movie. And then we just stayed in touch. Then we all reconnected to talk about potentially doing a Formula 1 movie. And then we went through this whole process of working with a writer.
What was that like? Did the screenwriter interview you about the details of driving in Formula 1?
Ehren [Kruger, the screenwriter] basically did a ton of research, watched a lot of races, came to a bunch of races, and then went away and wrote up a script. But we would sit and talk about what racing is about. Then once he wrote the script, I would sit with him and call bullshit, basically, on the things that don’t seem real and are not what F1 is about and try to make sure that it’s as authentic as possible. Then at the same time, I started a production company, so I’m a producer with these guys. I’ve been able to be involved in all areas—so making sure the cast is diverse, making sure we’ve got a woman in a pit stop, which we never, ever had at the actual track. Hans Zimmer was someone I wanted to have doing the [music for the] movie, so we have Hans Zimmer. Joe has been amazing at including me in everything.
What types of things in the screenplay made you call bullshit?
It would just be racing scenarios. Technical jargon engineers would talk. But particularly racing scenarios and sequences between overtakes and pit stops and strategies and all those sorts of things. There may have been a crash that was like the car hits the wall and flips and lands on the wheels and keeps going, and that doesn’t happen in Formula 1.
When you were prepping for the movie, did you ever get out on the track with Brad Pitt to check out his driving? If so, how’d he do?
Yeah. We went to a track in LA. I took him out and sat in the passenger seat, and he drove. I used to be a driving coach when I was younger. It was a way of making some money part time whilst I was racing. So I’ve sat with God knows how many non-racing drivers. You can tell immediately the good ones, the bad ones. Straight away he was on it. You could tell he has it. He has it in his DNA. He’s just not been able to hone in on it like we have. But he’s got big potential.
So you’re confident he can give a realistic performance as a driver?
Yeah, but I think obviously it takes time. Ultimately, the story of a 50-odd-year-old jumping into the season and fighting against us youngsters—it’s just not the done thing. But then there’s discussing: How would you go about doing that? How much training would you have to do in order to really be able to come back and fight and react in the same way? Yeah, there’s a lot of detail that went into it.
How have you changed up your training routine over the years to stay fresh and competitive?
You definitely adapt always, and you learn you have to just watch your energy. Recovery is huge, a really big part of the process. It’s the whole 360 thing. It’s not just going to the gym. It’s how much you stretch, how much physio you end up doing, what you eat. And that’s constantly changing week by week. And obviously, depending on how much energy you have, the different time zones that you’re in.
You travel so much for your sport. Do you have rituals or secrets to make yourself comfortable when you arrive?
Not really. I listen to a lot of music. I have music set up in my room. I record music. Basically, I write and sing music. Different sorts of R&B. So I record music at night. Often in my evenings, I read. Try to meditate, mostly in the mornings. But I don’t always get to it. And then I’m focused on my sleep. Try not to slack on that ever. So there’s a cutoff time when I want to go to bed depending on what time I need to be up the first day.
In working with a partner like the Ritz-Carlton, you have a chance to do different kinds of events, like the Almave tasting we just had. Any favourite experiences?
We were just talking about this the other day. In Mexico City I went to visit a school and see the kids. I love when I work with partners that are doing practical stuff. I think that’s been a real shift. When I first joined Formula 1, we were working with partners, but less so in the human-connection space. In the last five or six years, working with partners like the Ritz-Carlton, it’s “What impact are you making? How do you give back?” When we go to a school, see youth, and see that they’re invested in children, for me, that brings real warmth to my heart. Especially as my foundation is all about getting youth who won’t have the opportunity, for example, to get into our sport, to get into STEM and channel through to a good career.
“I want to really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I’ve done my whole life.”
Do you have a time frame for your career? You’re going to be starting a new process with a new team next year. Do you have a plan for how long you’d like to keep racing?
I definitely do. There are days I’m like, shoot, I don’t know how much longer I can go. There are days I’m like, shoot, I’d love a break, a proper break, because you don’t get a real big break in the season like other sports. You don’t finish until mid to late December, and then you’re back into training already in January, and that’s two times a day you’re training. There are another couple of hours of therapy that you’re doing during that time as well. So you’re not really getting a huge amount of downtime. And in February, you’re flat out running until December.
That sounds pretty gruelling.
But I do have mentally a plan of where I would like to extend to. I’ve just got to strategize and sequence things. I’m very much about sequencing, like looking at brands that I collaborate with, companies that I’m essentially starting, how I manage my time between all those, and how I’m able to dedicate myself to this job still. Is there a time when I’m not all in and I’m just not in love with it anymore? That’s the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I’ve fallen out of love with it. But I will know when I need to stop.
You’ll feel it.
I want to make sure I really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I’ve done my whole life. There are so many people that have finished their careers early, and I’ve spoken to many who’ve said they wish they could have just done one more year or two. And they’re like, “Stay in as long as you can!” But I don’t want to do it if I’m not good. So it’s like, how much do you want to train? When you’re twenty-two, it’s so easy to work out and be fit. There’s no recovery and you’ve got nothing else going on, no other stresses, no real responsibilities except for that one thing to go and kill. Now it’s: How can you stay sharp and be able to do all those things you have going on, and still be able to compete with those young guys in their twenties?
Does it give you particular pleasure to beat the young guys?
Not particularly. I’m super competitive naturally. I don’t care who it is. I just want to win.
No matter who it is you’re competing against.
Yeah. When I won the other day, I didn’t think anything about anybody else. I just thought about my team. I thought about people that were with me. People that have sacrificed their time away from their families. People who were giving that extra bit of time in their day when they could have left early to go home and see the kids, and they’ve given that extra time to build these parts that got us that result. That’s who I think about.
