If you're having dinner with Lewis Hamilton, you'd better stay off your phone. The seven time F1 world champion has opened up about the importance of conversation and connection in his life, and the number one rule for having a meal with him is to be present: "It's trying to make sure you're slowing down and genuinely connecting with people on a deeper level."

The Scuderia Ferrari driver has partnered with S. Pellegrino for their new Dinner Dialogues series, which saw him gather together around the table with some of his oldest friends to peel back the layers and have real, in-depth conversations. And they don't hold back, revealing their most embarrassing moments and how they like to impress someone (for Lewis it's music).

In the spirit of important questions, we sat down with the driver for a dialogue of our own, asking about everything from his favourite pizza topping (it's important information), to how those F1 end of season dinner parties actually came about, and the toughest conversation he's had in his career.

two individuals dining at a table with visible food and drinkspinterest
S Pellegrino

Cosmopolitan UK: This new campaign is all about being around the table and having meaningful conversations with friends. But what is the hardest conversation you've had to have in your career?

Lewis Hamilton: There are difficult conversations all the time. There are always going to be difficult conversations at work, about life choices, and when you're changing jobs. I think changing jobs is probably the one that's the most difficult.

What makes a great meal with friends?

We're in a time where you go to a restaurant and everyone's taking pictures of their meal or texting on their phone. Not everyone, but you look around and you see it happening a lot. I already try to make a point of having everyone put their phone in the middle of the table if I do go to dinner, which is not too often.

That’s why this was a really cool idea that S. Pellegrino put together - an amazing opportunity to bring my best friends together. These are the guys that I really grew up with, who have been with me through thick and thin. So for us to have really good conversations, just laughing and reminiscing about the past, upbringings, some of the struggles. It was a meal and a conversation that I've not really had with them for a long time because we don't all get to be in the same place at the same time.

During the 'Dinner Dialogues,' you mentioned you've been recording music. When are we going to hear it?

I get that question all the time. But every year, you're just in a different place and you write more, so I don't have an answer for you there. I'm sorry.

What's on your dinner party playlist?

I've got a really eclectic and broad playlist. It depends on the situation and the environment. We were in the States just recently on a sunny day for lunch, and we put on Brazilian music, for example. So you have like samba music playing. But then if you're in London, you wouldn't play samba so much in London. One night you might like Marvin Gaye and classical things. It really just depends. You've got to feel the vibe, I think, and it's not necessarily a one-go-to thing.

Now that you've spent more time in Italy, are there any Italian customs, traditions, or meals that you've taken into your own life?

Well, firstly, in Italy, the food is better. It's just the ingredients are better than what I'm experiencing elsewhere around the world. The quality of food is really great. If you have great pasta there, you're not feeling bloated from it and you're not feeling too heavy. So it makes sense why people can eat so much pasta there.

Their pizzas are ridiculous. I mean, the last two years, I've had more pizzas than in my whole life put together.

What's on your pizza?

I just like a Margherita. Oh, but with vegan cheese, obviously. But I've had to really find a place that does it, because you go to an Italian place and you ask for vegan, and they go, "What is vegan?"

The F1 end of season dinners have become legendary [where all the drivers gather together for one meal]. What inspired you to begin them?

It must be like three or four years ago now. I know [with the drivers] we see each other at least once a week when we're at the race track, and we do the drivers' briefing. And then we do the drivers' parade, and that's when everyone talks, but I don't really engage a huge amount with people there.

In my mind, I'm there for one reason and that's to win, not to make conversation and talk about holidays, because that's what they talk about, or gaming.

So I set up this dinner and I asked them all at a drivers' briefing in Mexico. I said, "Look, I was thinking of putting this together. Will you come?" And they all accepted.

I've just put it on for the last few years now. It's a really amazing night. Each time, we're all sitting next to a different driver, perhaps someone we're not as close to, because there are drivers that are closer to other drivers. It forces real, fun conversation.

We're all so competitive with each other and we all want to win. It creates a cool moment for us to just have a laugh. You get to see some of the really cool, fun characters, things that you didn't know about the individuals as well, because you usually see them with a visor on.

Is there a seating plan?

I think for the next one, I probably will make a seating plan.

Who do you want to sit next to?

The last one, Charles [Leclerc] and I just ended up sitting next to each other. The one before that, I think, was George and I. So it moves around. Who would I like to sit next to today? Maybe I'd sit next to Isack [Hadjar] and Nico [Hulkenberg].

One more question - if you could bring anyone back to life to have a dinner party who would it you pick?

Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.

Any drivers in the mix?

For a fun dinner? James Hunt.

Watch Lewis Hamilton gather together around the table with some of his oldest friends in S.Pellegrino’s 'Dinner Dialogues' on YouTube, and inspire your own conversations with their new limited-edition bottles.