Puma has reportedly experienced an astonishing eightfold surge in sales of its Ferrari Formula 1 merchandise since Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to the team at the start of the 2025 F1 season.
Lewis Hamilton’s Move to Ferrari Sparks Commercial Boom
The seven-time World Champion’s switch to Ferrari marked only the second team change of his legendary career, following 12 highly successful years with Mercedes. His arrival at the Scuderia has not only created shockwaves on the track but has also triggered a commercial phenomenon, with brands capitalizing on the Hamilton effect.
Ferrari’s Marketing Powerhouse Gains Momentum
Hamilton, with over 100 race victories to his name, joined the most successful team in F1 history on a lucrative multi-year contract reportedly worth $57 million per season. His arrival has already played a pivotal role in Ferrari securing major sponsorship deals, including Hewlett Packard (HP) as title sponsor and a high-profile agreement with Milan-based banking giant UniCredit.
Now, according to a report by respected business outlet SportBusiness, Puma—Ferrari’s long-time apparel partner—has witnessed an explosive increase in sales of its Ferrari-branded merchandise in the months following Hamilton’s announcement.
A Shift in F1’s Sportswear Landscape
Hamilton enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Puma throughout his Mercedes tenure. However, ahead of the 2025 season, the Silver Arrows signed an exclusive deal with Adidas, marking the German sportswear giant’s first entry into elite-level motorsport.
Following the release of Mercedes‘ new team kit in February, team principal Toto Wolff revealed that Hamilton had expressed disappointment at missing out on the opportunity to be the face of the brand’s landmark F1 partnership.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Journey: A Challenging Start
While the British driver’s move has transformed the Maranello team into an even greater commercial powerhouse, his start on the track has been mixed. He finished a rain-soaked Melbourne Grand Prix in 10th place at the Albert Park circuit on debut before securing pole position and winning the sprint race in China at the Shanghai circuit. However, his sixth-place finish in the main race was later stripped due to excessive wear on his skid blocks, marking his second disqualification in two years—following a similar issue at the 2023 United States Grand Prix.
The only other time Hamilton has been disqualified in his F1 career was at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, when he was excluded for providing misleading information to FIA stewards.
As the season progresses, the question remains: can Lewis Hamilton’s influence off the track be matched by success on it?
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