Formula 1 has never been only about sports. Since the early days of motorsports in the 1920s, race car driving has been synonymous with luxury, style and elegance. Yet, it was only later in the century that fashion companies started sponsoring Formula 1 teams. Benetton was one of the first brands to partner with Team Tyrell and Team Toleman in the 1980s, which resulted in now sought-after collections, according to l’Officiel.
Formula 1 is more popular than ever in the U.S. thanks to the Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive, which has attracted nearly 7 million viewers. It diversified the audience for F1, which went from a largely European, affluent and male viewership to women and Gen Zers gaining interest in the sport.
Lewis Hamilton stood as an obvious model for this newfound interest in F1 via his love of fashion but also through his use of social media and his association with celebrities. In 18 seasons, he became the most titled driver of all time, with seven individual world championships, eight team titles with Mercedes and 103 Grand Prix victories.
Fashion brands deciding to sponsor F1 is therefore not that surprising. Luxury houses are inspired by the sport for their collections such as Dior’s Fall/Winter 2022 and Chanel’s Cruise 2023, while Ferrari debuted a fashion line during Milan Fashion Week in June 2021.
The sport’s relationship with fashion has only grown stronger. In 2023, F1 was the second fastest-growing sport contributing towards the Earned Media Value of fashion brands, with a surge of 35%, according to a report by Karla Otto.
This success is largely due to Hamilton. Here are some of how he contributed to a fashion renaissance within the sport.
He showcased his personal style on the paddock.
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The driver showcased a variety of hairstyles, jewelry and his love for tattoos since the beginning of his career. In the same way that NBA stars assert their identity through fashion before a game, Hamilton quickly stood out as one of the only F1 drivers to display his sense of style. This was despite old-fashioned views on luxury and what a race car driver should look like.
“When I was first exploring my style in my initial years in the sport, it felt at times like I was the only one pushing those boundaries,” Hamilton told Business of Fashion about the criticism he received from fans, commentators and even F1’s former owner Bernie Ecclestone. “There was a sense that high fashion and high performance [in F1] couldn’t exist alongside each other.”
“Obviously the pioneer of fashion in the paddock was Lewis, opening so many doors for the rest of us younger guys,” fellow F1 driver Pierre Gasly told the news outlet. “Our sport is booming right now which brings great opportunities to build relationships like I have with brands like Vuitton or Berluti.”
He became a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger.
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Although Tommy Hilfiger has been involved in F1 since the 1990s, Mercedes-AMG decided to enlist the brand as one of its main sponsors in 2018. This resulted in Hamilton designing five collections between 2018 and 2020, as well as a recent collaboration with Awake NY.
The partnership allowed Hamilton to discover the world of fashion design. It also helped draw in female interest in F1 through collections designed for both men and women.
“Rising female interest and involvement in F1 is exciting,” Hilfiger told Harper’s Bazaar. “It adds a new, fundamental dimension to motorsport. The engagement we see across our social channels proves that our consumers are interested, invested and attracted.”
He used his racing gear to make political statements.
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Hamilton is the first and only Black Formula 1 driver to date. In 2020, he used his public platform to shed light on the Black Lives Matter movement and injustice against people of color. He wore several T-shirts in support of Black Lives Matter and paid tribute to victims of police brutality like Breonna Taylor. His stance inspired other F1 drivers to wear “End Racism” shirts and kneel on the track alongside him during the Austrian Grand Prix of 2020.
“Watching what happened with George [Floyd], I know it angered the world,” Hamilton told Road & Track. “For me, it brought up a lot of pain that I had suppressed from being a kid in England. Like being bullied in school. Walking down the street and being jumped by a gang of kids. Being held back in class, being bullied at racetracks. So, all these suppressed things that I funneled into driving my career, those came to light. And I realized that I want to utilize this platform.”
Hamilton invested over $20 million in his foundation, Mission 44, to support young people from under-represented backgrounds through education and employment. He said his fight against injustice fueled him with purpose that goes way beyond the track.
He got celebrities interested in Formula 1.
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Hamilton said his ex-girlfriend – potentially Nicole Scherzinger, with whom he was in a relationship for seven years – is the one who introduced him to Hollywood. This was the starting point for his creative endeavors, including his love for fashion, he told GQ.
The driver is also known for having a long-standing relationship with Justin Bieber and often posts himself spending time with celebrities. Beyond the glitz and glam, it is also a business opportunity for the driver, who is currently producing an upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.
The sport gradually started attracting public figures, who didn’t miss the opportunity to showcase their outfits on the paddock.
“F1 is the new red carpet,” Rocco Lannone, Ferrari style creative director, told Harper’s Bazaar. “We see Rihanna, Adam Driver, Naomi Campbell and many more requesting access to the Ferrari paddock and we recently dressed Alicia Keys in a custom-made Ferrari suit.”
He launched his own clothing line.
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As Hamilton furthered his career, he started to think about how he would occupy his time after retirement.
“I went through this phase of understanding that I can’t race forever,” he said in a GQ interview, which prompted him to cultivate his passion. “Because when I stop, I’m gonna drop the mic and be happy.”
He launched +44, his own clothing line, which features limited-edition drops and collaborations with artists such as Takashi Murakami and Hajime Sorayama. Hamilton hopes to eventually house talent under his own company, which he wants to be like a diverse LVMH.
