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In this series, you will hear various personalities talk about Formula 1 and discover what attracts them to the sport.
When the aroma of sizzling beef and melted cheese wafts from his brightly colored food truck in the Gard countryside, Nicolas Willaume is more than just a hamburger maestro: he is a self-taught ambassador of French street food and a lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. The 29-year-old, who was crowned French hamburger champion in 2018 and is now a member of the national competition jury, grew up to the sound of roaring engines on Sunday afternoons. “In the early 2000s, my father's family made watching F1 a ritual,” he recalls, a habit that still fuels his passion for the sport today. Willaume's love for the Grand Prix goes beyond the thrill of speed. He is drawn to the chess-like strategies employed by the teams and the distinct personalities of the drivers, describing the championship as “a grand spectacle.” Although he has never set foot in the paddock himself, his father's trips to Barcelona, Monaco, and Monza have given him a taste of the atmosphere there. The race that made the biggest impression on him was the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher's engine failure allowed Fernando Alonso to win the title. If he had the opportunity to drive an F1 car, Willaume would find it difficult to choose just one. “I would opt for the legendary 1988 McLaren MP4/4, Alonso's 2006 Renault for a touch of French pride, or Niki Lauda's Ferrari 312 T, the most beautiful of them all,” he says. His attachment to the heritage of the sport is evident in his favorite team: Ferrari. “The red, the brand, the legends who wore scarlet… everything is iconic,” he notes, although he refuses to name a favorite driver, preferring those with strong character and personality. Behind the wheel of his everyday vehicle, Willaume drives a modest BMW 1 Series, but his automotive dreams are anything but ordinary. “The Ferrari F40 is the ultimate dream car, a pure legend,” he admits, adding that a modern 812 Superfast would also satisfy his desire for performance. When asked to predict the outcome of the current championship, he predicts a familiar result: “Lewis Hamilton will win the title, thanks to his experience and the reliability of Mercedes.”
Between cooking hamburgers and judging cooking competitions, Willaume's life is a mix of fast food and fast cars, each fueling the other in a unique French recipe for passion.
