When Nina Dobrev first attended an F1 event over a decade ago, she went as a casual observer. Similar to many recent Formula One fans, she streamed Netflix’s Drive to Survive and immediately fell in love with the sport. Fast-forward to now, and Dobrev is all-in with F1 thanks to her greater appreciation for the world-class drivers and their sensational teams.
This past weekend, Dobrev attended the 2025 Miami Grand Prix on behalf of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support their iconic partner, Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Vampire Diaries star is also friends with Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, who competes for Ferrari.
In an interview with The Manual, Dobrev discusses her newfound appreciation for F1, her collaboration with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, and what she looks for in acting roles at this stage in her career.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
With a sport, there is always a moment that sucks you in and ignites your love for it. Can you remember the moment that sparked your interest in F1?
Nina Dobrev: It was a collection of a few moments, I suppose. I had been to a race, maybe in 2013, the Monaco Grand Prix. I was into it, but not as invested as I am now. Then, I was shooting a movie in Greece called The Bricklayer with Aaron Eckhart. It’s an action movie. With action movies, there’s usually a lot of downtime where you’re doing nothing.
One of our friends invited us to go to the Monaco race again. At this point, Drive to Survive had come out since the last time I’d been to a race. I knew I was going to this race, so I should probably educate myself and find out a little bit about it [F1] so that I’m not going in completely blind. At that point, I think there were four or five seasons of the show. I turned on the show while I was in my trailer for what I thought was 30 minutes. By the time I realized it, I was already done with season 2, and they [the film crew] still hadn’t even called me to come to set. They were running behind.
I just became obsessed with, like, every little detail. Learning about the cars, the engineers, and the people, it really takes a gigantic village of hundreds of people and hundreds of millions of dollars. It was much more interesting to me once I knew more details about people’s lives, the passion, the heartbreak, and everything it took to get to Formula One. My respect for the sport really grew once I got into the nitty-gritty details and was educated.
As someone who’s never been to a race, it’s the novice in me asking this. Describe the feeling of race day.
Dobrev: It’s electric. It really is an electric feeling. As you can imagine, it’s extremely fast-paced and exciting. Everyone there is also such a big fan. You don’t really go to races if you’re not really into it. You feel everyone else’s energy and the excitement along with the actual speed of the cars —they’re really loud. You can hear and smell the tires burning. It really is extremely exciting.
The stakes are just so high, too. Once you’re invested in the sport and you know about the people in the sport, you really feel the stakes. It’s nerve-racking and exciting to see what’s going to happen.
You’re in Miami with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support Ferrari. Can you talk to me a little about that partnership?
Dobrev: Yeah, I’d love to. It felt like the most natural and organic partnership. I got really excited when they called because I’m an F1 fan, a Peroni fan, and a Ferrari fan. Lewis [Hamilton] is a dear friend. Getting to support all three at the same time in such a beautiful place is really exciting.
Miami is notoriously and extremely hot. Getting to have a Peroni 0.0% in my hand to keep me refreshed throughout the weekend is going to be a bonus and a very welcome accessory to all of my F1 looks this weekend.
The non-alcoholic drink market has exploded in recent memory. I’m in my 30s, so even 10 years ago, these options were not as popular. Now, any restaurant or bar has a whole menu dedicated to it. Why do you think it’s become so much more acceptable these days?
Dobrev: I love that there’s the option. Sometimes, you’re in the mood to have a big night. And sometimes, you’re not. Like you said, it is more socially acceptable to have the option. I’m in my 30s as well. As you get older, the hangovers hit a lot harder. [Laughs]
For example, on Sunday, I’m getting up and heading to the race pretty early for a meet-and-greet with Ferrari and some walks through the garage. I’m getting up and having to start my makeup early. I can’t really afford to go out and have a big night. Being able to have something [Peroni 0.0%] that tastes good, looks good, feels good…
Whatever your decision is for not wanting to have an alcoholic beverage, it’s not really anyone’s business either. Sometimes just having that [Peroni 0.0%] in your hand also drives away those unwanted questions from people like, “What are you drinking?” You look like you’re still enjoying yourself, which you are because you have a delicious Peroni in your hand, and you’re not being judged.
You mentioned Lewis Hamilton, who will be competing this weekend. One of the best to ever do it. As someone who’s spent time with him, what have you seen behind the scenes that makes him a champion?
Dobrev: He’s truly the most competitive person next to my fiancé [Shaun White], the other most competitive person I’ve ever met. [Laughs] The two of them together — that’s when you can really see the champions within the two of them. They’re playfully competing with each other all the time. When we were in Antarctica, they both jumped into the ocean and competed to see who could swim out further in an incredibly cold environment.
You have to have that drive, the mental focus, the passion for it, and the dedication, and he [Lewis] definitely has that. It’s not just in one area of his life. He’s a Capricorn, and I’m a Capricorn. We’re days apart, actually. It is a very Capricorn thing that Lewis has. We’re stubborn, bossy, and we don’t take no for an answer. We will pursue anything until we basically get it. He definitely has all of those great qualities.
Lewis is crossing into your world. I know he’s about to have a huge summer producing F1. It looks fantastic.
Dobrev: Yeah, I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see the movie. I’m a big Brad Pitt fan and a fan of the sport. The two combined, I’ll be the first one in line.
You recently wrapped a movie in Australia with Russell Crowe, Bear Country. I watched some behind-the-scenes videos of you in the makeup chair. It looks like a pretty intense action thriller. Can you give me a little teaser of what to expect?
Dobrev: I haven’t seen it yet, but the script is really fun. We had a great time in Australia shooting it. Russell Crowe is obviously a legend. I’m very excited for everyone to see it. It’s definitely an action-packed and fun movie that will hopefully come out next year. We’ll see.
You’ve been on a hit TV show. You’ve done successful movies. At this point in your career, when you’re reading a script, what are you looking for in a role? How has that approach changed from the beginning of your career to now?
Dobrev: The approach has mainly stayed the same. I think at the beginning of my career, I auditioned for everything and would take any job that came my way because I just wanted to work and wanted to keep working.
Right now, I think I’m a little more thoughtful about character, directors, where it shoots, [and] how long it shoots. There’s a lot of things that come into play as you get older, and the drives have changed. I want to be creative. I don’t need to work just to work. I want to work when I’m passionate about something.
