F1 legend Lewis Hamilton was summoned to London ahead of the British Grand Prix to mark the grand opening of a racing-inspired pop-up event with Ferrari.

To celebrate the second year of partnership between Scuderia Ferrari HP and Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, UK fans have been treated to a slice of Italy in the heart of Covent Garden.

The 40-year-old appeared in great spirits at the launch alongside the evening’s host, Nick Grimshaw, with the duo watching on as Pizza Chef Michele Pascarella offered a masterclass on how to cook the Hamilton-inspired #44 pizza.

During a Q&A with host Grimshaw at the grand opening, Hamilton reflected on the culture shock he experienced having switched from a largely British garage when driving for McLaren and Mercedes, to now spending most of his time in Maranello with Ferrari.

‘The Brits loved curry, my British team they would always have a curry so like on Sunday morning when they’d come into the race they’d literally stink, they all smelled of curry in the morning, garlic was just in our engineering room all the time,’ Hamilton said.

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Lewis Hamilton was all smiles for The House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% event in London

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The F1 legend took part in a Q&A session with radio host Nick Grimshaw (pictured)

‘They weren’t passionate about food otherwise. Italians? Oh my God. There’s literally a scheduled time in the day, lunch they can never, ever miss.

‘Sometimes I go into the garage to talk to my mechanics, I’m like, where is everyone? They’re at lunch.

‘I think they’re the only team that does that!’

The House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is open from 3rd–5th July at The Stables in Covent Garden. Free tickets are available via sign-up at Club Peroni.

Rob Hobart, Marketing Director at Asahi UK, commented on the pop-up: ‘We’re proud to bring The House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to London – an experience that embodies everything our partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP stands for: passion, precision and premium Italian style.

‘As we enter our second year together, we’re excited to give fans a unique opportunity to get closer to the world of F1, all while enjoying the refreshing taste of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.’

The House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% was declared open by none other than seven-time champion Hamilton ahead of his first home race in red at Silverstone this weekend.

A standout feature of the event was the chance to get up close to a Ferrari F1 showcar, with replica helmets and race suits of Hamilton and Leclerc’s signature racing looks also on show.