Lewis Hamilton has sold his luxury cars, but his new hobby is filling his safe—the Formula 1 star invests in rare collectibles every week.
While Lewis Hamilton has long since cashed in his entire private car collection, another portfolio is steadily growing in his garage—or rather, in his safe. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion revealed his growing passion for trading cards on the sidelines of the Dior men’s show in Paris.
In an interview with Vogue France, the Ferrari driver chats about numerous topics—from his training plan to fashion trends. But while Hamilton is currently busy with private test drives for Scuderia in Barcelona, he used the winter break to talk about his unusual hobby.
Hamilton hunts Pokemon and Star Wars
Hamilton confirmed last year that he had sold his supercar collection. Only a Ferrari F40 remains on his wish list. Instead of horsepower, the Brit is now focusing on cardboard, reminiscing about his childhood.
“I collect cards,” he reveals. “Everything is included: Pokemon, Star Wars, trading cards of athletes. I collected cards as a child, especially for soccer magazines. You collected the players and then traded them at school.”
The race car driver’s hunger is clearly far from satisfied: “I have a collection, and it just keeps growing. I buy new cards every week.”
His own cards fetch millions
Hamilton himself has long been a sought-after subject in the scene. The manufacturer Topps recently released a card as part of its Dynasty Diamond Relics series that even features a real diamond.
Although the official price of this collector’s item is unknown, it is likely to be astronomical. Just last November, Hamilton presented a card that contained an original piece of his Ferrari racing suit. The figures prove that this market is booming: in 2024, a Hamilton card was sold for a whopping US$1 million.
“I mean, it’s pretty crazy,” he admits to The Athletic. “I never thought it would come to this. The story behind it, that a boy found the card in a normal pack, and the difference that sale made for him and his family, is huge.“
Hamilton in collector’s fever: ”I’m really addicted”
The Brit firmly believes that the end is not yet in sight: “I can only imagine that prices will continue to rise, especially with the opening of new stores. I know that another big launch of a new league is coming up. The growth of this business has really got me hooked.” Hamilton admits that he has been completely gripped by the hunting fever: “I just opened these boxes and thought to myself: I definitely need more of these!”
