Lewis Hamilton on why Singapore is ‘one of the most demanding races’ – and what he’s bringing off-track

CNA Lifestyle spoke with F1 racer Lewis Hamilton ahead of his collaboration with Marina Bay Sands, marking the Southeast Asian launch of his lifestyle brand Plus44 (+44) and non-alcoholic spirit brand Almave.

Lewis Hamilton is set to launch his labels, +44 and Almave, in Singapore. (Photo: Marina Bay Sands)

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Come Sunday, Oct 11, seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will compete in this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, aiming for his fifth victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

But before that, the multi-hyphenate will be in town for the Southeast Asian launch of his lifestyle brand Plus44 (+44) and non-alcoholic spirit brand Almave – part of his partnership with Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

The collab will see three activations across MBS: a +44 pop-up featuring a limited-edition capsule collection; the launch of The Lewis, a zero-proof cocktail co-created with Hamilton and the Almave team; and The Almave Circuit, a collection of bespoke Almave cocktails available exclusively at MBS.

Ahead of the launch, CNA Lifestyle spoke with Hamilton on the inspiration behind the labels and what it’s actually like behind the wheel at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain attends a news conference ahead of the British F1 Grand Prix, in Silverstone, England on Jul 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Hamilton first launched +44 in 2022 and recalls being “blown away by the response”.

“My fans were so excited to be able to represent TeamLH [Hamilton’s fan community] in a way that actually looked cool and fitted into their style,” he said.

Hamilton added: “Since then, it’s become more of a streetwear brand that appeals to non-racing fans as well, which I’m really proud of.”

Over the years, +44 has partnered with renowned creatives on various collections, including Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami and illustrator Ralph Steadman.

This has extended to a partnership with Singaporean artist Jahan Loh this year to create a capsule collection “channelling the dynamism of racing culture”.

+44 will unveil a limited-edition capsule collection at its first Southeast Asia pop-up experience at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. (Photo: +44)

While celebrity-owned labels have become commonplace these days, Hamilton insists +44 isn’t about putting his face or name onto a piece of clothing.

He explained: “My fans are really creative and they dress in a way that reflects that, so +44 is about creating different collections that they can wear in their day-to-day lives and feel like they’re able to express themselves.”

Adding that every +44 drop reflects a different theme or interest, Hamilton gave the example of his collaboration with Jahan Loh, which utilises the latter’s Spaceman character.

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“I’ve always been fascinated with space but [Loh’s] Spaceman figure is about way more than that; I think it represents moving beyond what feels safe and going out into the unknown. I see a lot of myself in that idea that you can go beyond what’s possible, so I really feel like a part of me is in every single item,” said Hamilton.

While Hamilton admitted that he has “an incredible team who do the heavy lifting of bringing things to life”, design is one area he’s really involved in.

“I’m a perfectionist, and I really care about what I put out there for my fans. It’s why I’m so excited about this collaboration with Jahan Loh,” he said.

“I think his work is so cool and the idea that my fans will get to wear something that I’ve created alongside him is amazing.”

This year will also see the Southeast Asian launch of Almave, Hamilton's non-alcoholic agave spirit. (Photo: Almave)

Almave was born out of Hamilton’s desire for a “good non-alcoholic alternative for those nights when [he] didn’t want to feel the effects of alcohol”.

Launched in 2023 by Hamilton and master distiller Ivan Saldana, co-founder of Mexican spirits company Casa Lumbre, Almave is a non-alcoholic blue agave spirit made with real agave. It is billed as the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic blue agave spirit.

“The global non-alcoholic category has grown exponentially in the past decade, and so I knew this was something people would want in their lives, but there was no genuinely great-tasting, authentically-made non-alcoholic tequila on the market,” said Hamilton.

Almave is a non-alcoholic blue agave spirit made in Mexico using techniques adapted from traditional tequila production. (Photo: Almave)

By now, Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to the Singapore Grand Prix, having won in 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Sharing his experience behind the wheel, Hamilton called Singapore “one of the most demanding races of the year”, adding: “It pushes you to your limits physically and mentally, from the intense heat and humidity inside the cockpit to the relentless nature of the track itself.

“You have to stay completely focused for the entire race, and there’s very little room to switch off. Crossing the finish line here always feels like a real achievement, whatever your result, although it obviously feels even better after a win.”

Lewis Hamilton arrives during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore on Sep 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

According to Hamilton, preparing for the Singapore Grand Prix involves arriving “well acclimatised” and “spending time training in hot conditions, keeping on top of hydration and recovery, and making sure you are as fit and focused as possible before the weekend”.

He added: “In the car, it is then about managing your energy, staying calm and maintaining concentration from start to finish.”

The +44 pop-up experience by Lewis Hamilton will run from Oct 5 to 11 at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

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CNA Lifestyle 在 F1 赛车手刘易斯·汉密尔顿与滨海湾金沙合作之前对他进行了采访，此次合作标志着他的生活方式品牌 Plus44 (+44) 和无酒精烈酒品牌 Almave 在东南亚的推出。

刘易斯·汉密尔顿将在新加坡推出他的品牌+44和Almave。（图片：滨海湾金沙酒店）

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10 月 11 日星期日，七届一级方程式世界冠军刘易斯·汉密尔顿将参加今年的新加坡大奖赛，力争在滨海湾街道赛道上取得他的第五场胜利。

但在此之前，这位多才多艺的人士将来到这座城市，为他的生活方式品牌 Plus44 (+44) 和无酒精烈酒品牌 Almave 在东南亚的发布会做准备——这是他与滨海湾金沙 (MBS) 合作的一部分。

此次合作将在滨海湾金沙酒店 (MBS) 推出三项活动：+44 快闪店，推出限量版胶囊系列；推出与汉密尔顿和 Almave 团队共同创作的无酒精鸡尾酒“The Lewis”；以及 Almave Circuit，一系列仅在滨海湾金沙酒店 (MBS) 独家供应的定制 Almave 鸡尾酒。

在发布会之前，CNA Lifestyle 采访了 Hamilton，了解这些品牌背后的灵感以及在新加坡大奖赛上驾驶赛车的真实感受。

2026年7月2日，英国法拉利车手刘易斯·汉密尔顿在英国银石赛道出席F1英国大奖赛前的新闻发布会。（美联社照片/达科·班迪奇）

Hamilton 于 2022 年首次推出 +44，他回忆说当时“被市场反响所震撼”。

他说：“我的粉丝们非常兴奋能够以一种既酷炫又符合他们风格的方式来代表 TeamLH（汉密尔顿的粉丝群体）。”

汉密尔顿补充道：“从那时起，它逐渐发展成为一个更受非赛车迷欢迎的街头服饰品牌，我为此感到非常自豪。”

多年来，+44 与众多知名创意人士合作推出了各种系列产品，其中包括日本当代艺术家村上隆和插画家拉尔夫·斯特德曼。

今年，该品牌与新加坡艺术家 Jahan Loh 合作，推出了一系列“展现赛车文化活力”的胶囊系列。

+44 将在滨海湾金沙购物中心举办其首个东南亚快闪体验活动，并推出限量版胶囊系列。（图片：+44）

虽然如今名人创立的品牌已经司空见惯，但汉密尔顿坚称 +44 并不是要把他的脸或名字印在衣服上。

他解释说：“我的粉丝们都很有创造力，他们的穿着打扮也反映了这一点，所以 +44 的目标是打造不同的系列，让他们可以在日常生活中穿着，并感受到自己能够表达自我。”

Hamilton 还补充说，每一期 +44 的发布都反映了不同的主题或兴趣，他以与 Jahan Loh 的合作为例，该合作利用了后者的太空人角色。

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“我一直对太空着迷，但洛的宇航员雕塑的意义远不止于此；我认为它代表着超越安全区，走向未知领域。我能从这种超越极限的理念中看到自己的影子，所以我感觉每一件作品都融入了我的一部分，”汉密尔顿说道。

汉密尔顿承认他有一个“了不起的团队，他们承担了将想法变为现实的繁重工作”，但设计是他真正参与的一个领域。

“我是一个完美主义者，我非常在意我为粉丝们呈现的内容。这就是为什么我对这次与 Jahan Loh 的合作感到如此兴奋，”他说。

“我觉得他的作品太酷了，我的粉丝们能穿上我和他一起创作的衣服，这感觉太棒了。”

今年，汉密尔顿旗下的无酒精龙舌兰酒Almave也将在东南亚上市。（图片：Almave）

Almave 的诞生源于 Hamilton 想要一种“好的非酒精替代品，以便在那些他不想感受到酒精作用的夜晚使用”。

Almave是由Hamilton和墨西哥烈酒公司Casa Lumbre的联合创始人、首席酿酒师Ivan Saldana于2023年推出的一款无酒精蓝色龙舌兰酒，采用真正的龙舌兰酿造而成。它被誉为世界上第一款蒸馏无酒精蓝色龙舌兰酒。

“过去十年，全球无酒精饮料市场呈指数级增长，所以我知道这是人们生活中需要的东西，但市场上并没有真正美味、正宗的无酒精龙舌兰酒，”汉密尔顿说。

Almave 是一种产自墨西哥的无酒精蓝色龙舌兰酒，采用改良自传统龙舌兰酒酿造工艺的酿造方法制成。（图片：Almave）

到目前为止，刘易斯·汉密尔顿对新加坡大奖赛并不陌生，他曾在 2009 年、2014 年、2017 年和 2018 年赢得过该项赛事的冠军。

汉密尔顿分享了他的驾驶体验，称新加坡是“一年中最具挑战性的比赛之一”，并补充道：“从驾驶舱内的高温高湿到赛道本身的无情挑战，它都会在身体和精神上将你推向极限。

“你必须在整场比赛中保持全神贯注，几乎没有放松的余地。无论成绩如何，冲过终点线总会感觉像是一项真正的成就，当然，获胜后的感觉肯定更好。”

2024年9月20日，刘易斯·汉密尔顿抵达新加坡滨海湾街道赛道，参加新加坡一级方程式大奖赛的首次练习赛。（美联社照片/Vincent Thian）

汉密尔顿表示，备战新加坡大奖赛包括“充分适应当地环境”和“在炎热条件下进行训练，保持水分充足和恢复，并确保在周末之前尽可能保持最佳状态和专注力”。

他补充道：“在车里，关键在于管理好你的精力，保持冷静，并从始至终保持专注。”

刘易斯·汉密尔顿的 +44 快闪体验活动将于 10 月 5 日至 11 日在滨海湾金沙购物中心举行。

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