Formula 1
Hamilton now drives for Ferrari – and that changes which product you should pick.
Techbox, Thessaloniki
First, the most common mistake: Hamilton changed teams
He is a seven-time world champion and one of the most requested drivers in merchandise.
After many years at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton now drives for Ferrari.
Products for both teams are in circulation:
Both are correct – but not for the same person. Check which team the product states before ordering.
It is exactly the same issue that arises in basketball when a player moves: the product is not wrong – it just belongs to another era.
The team is the identity
In Formula 1 people support a team – and each team's colours are instantly recognisable.
The red of Ferrari, the orange of McLaren, the silver and teal of Mercedes. A cap in the wrong team's colours simply will not be worn.
The two questions: "which team?" and "which driver?". In Formula 1, though, the team usually matters more – drivers move, the team stays.
If you know neither team nor driver: something with the chequered flag or the championship's general emblem. It picks no side and does not date.
Two brand-new teams joined this year
2026 is the biggest regulation change in the sport's history – both the cars and the engines changed.
Bought an existing team and entered as a full manufacturer – its own car and its own engine. Audi's first time in Formula 1.
America returns to the championship. It is the first eleventh team in a decade.
For merchandise that means something simple: there are two entirely new teams with new colours and new emblems – and fans who are only now choosing a side.
The season is running right now
Unlike other sports that are in their offseason, Formula 1 is mid-season.
Eleven of twenty-two races have been run, and the next is the Dutch Grand Prix on 23 August.
The drivers' championship is led by Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes – in only his second season – with Hamilton second for Ferrari. Mercedes leads the constructors'.
This year's calendar has two notable moments:
A race is held on the streets of Madrid for the first time – and the Dutch Grand Prix takes place for the last time, as it leaves the calendar.
What to choose
- Model cars: the strongest line here – by team and by year.
- Caps & apparel: ask the team – and for Hamilton, which era.
- Miniature helmets: by driver, striking on a shelf.
- Posters & art prints: cars, circuits, historic moments.
- Mugs, keyrings & accessories: affordable gifts.
- Chequered flag: the symbol that picks no team.
The safest choice: something with the chequered flag, or a model car of the team they support. The first picks no side; the second never dates, because a model belongs to its year.
Also in sport: NBA.
Frequently asked questions
- Which team does Hamilton drive for?
- Ferrari. After many years at Mercedes, he now races in red. Products for both teams are in circulation – silver and teal belongs to the historic period, red to the current one.
- What should I ask before buying?
- Which team they support. In Formula 1 the team usually matters more than the driver – drivers move, the team stays. Each team's colours are instantly recognisable, and the wrong team means it will not be worn.
- What changed in 2026?
- It is the biggest regulation change in the sport's history – both the cars and the engines changed. Two brand-new teams also joined: Audi, as a full manufacturer, and Cadillac, with which America returns to the championship.
- Who is leading this year?
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, in only his second season, with Hamilton second for Ferrari. Mercedes leads the constructors'. Eleven of twenty-two races have been run.
- What should I buy if I do not know the team?
- Something with the chequered flag or the championship's general emblem – it picks no side and does not date when drivers move.
