Schaffhausen/Geneva, 1st April 2022: During today’s Watches and Wonders exhibition in Geneva, an exclusive live conversation, titled ‘Being a Pilot’, took place between Seven-Time Formula One™ World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Nine-Time Grand Prix™ motorcycle racing World Champion Valentino Rossi.
Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen brought together the two GOATs (greatest of all time), who are both members of the IWC family, to discuss their careers and lives on track.
Hamilton, considered to be the most successful Formula One™ driver in history, races for IWC’s longstanding partner, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. As well as his seven world titles, he holds multiple records within the sport including most race wins - and is an advocate for greater global equality.
Speaking today, ahead of this season and as he strives for the record 8th Championship, Hamilton discussed his future without racing. He said:
“I don’t have any desires to race in anything else.” Hamilton continued “We’ve grown up in the space being at those tracks, the smell, the vibrations, the sound. It’s difficult right now to imagine life without it, but at some stage there’s going to be a period of time where I don’t have it and I’m sure I will miss all that cocktail of emotions that derive from all those different elements.”
Rossi called time on his incredible 26-year motorcycling career in 2021. A global icon, he won a record-setting nine championships in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGPTM. In 2022, the Italian 43-year-old is switching to four wheels for a new chapter, competing in this season’s ten-round GT World Challenge Europe.
Commenting on his career change, Valentino Rossi says:
"I want to be stronger. I want to be faster and to race in important races." He continued “I want to be fast, I want to try to understand where I can arrive and if I can stay at the top, also with the cars.”
Together in conversation, the two racing legends reminisced about a day in 2019 where they switched vehicles and discussed how they felt making the swap from two wheels to four and vice versa. The conversation covered the transferable ‘meta skills’ of racers, their career highlights, as well as their mutual respect and friendship.
Notes to Editors
B-roll content is available for download here: [insert Vimeo link]. Content is free to use and free of copyright restrictions
The video of the live conversation between Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi is available on; https://www.iwc.com/gb/en/specials/live-stream.html
Images can be found online at press.iwc.com
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.
Content is free to use and free of copyright restrictions
Running order of b-roll:
00:00 – IV Lewis Hamilton
03:10 – IV Valentino Rossi
05:43 – GVs Lewis Hamilton
1 April 2022
