Formula 1 is not just a high-octane battle of car manufacturers, driving, and racing. While it remains one of the most thrilling sports for motorsport fans, it has also become the perfect spot for fashion.
The visionary behind this cultural shift is none other than seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. By consistently treating the F1 paddock as his personal runway, he has proven that an elite athlete can dominate the track while redefining the world of high fashion. From Rick Owens, Dior to Burberry, the current Ferrari driver has always dared to be different. Let's take a look at what the Briton himself has said about a sense of style he never compromised throughout his two-decade F1 career, even when others showed up in what he called "horrendous" outfits.
F1 is basically a different kind of sport. It is a mix of elite human athleticism and cutting-edge engineering. But bringing fashion into that space was completey a personal choice and that is exactly what makes Hamilton an icon in the world of motorsport and fashion both. “To be a racing driver, you had to fit a certain shape: go to bed at 10 PM, dress a certain way,” Hamilton told Esquire.
“For most of my career, every driver arrived in team kits designed by people outside of fashion; the clothes were horrendous.” he added.
But Formula 1 is also a sport filled with cameras. For someone like Hamilton, and honestly for anyone who checks themselves in the mirror every time they pass by one, appearance matters. While the other drivers arrived in the same boring team gear day after day, he chose to show up in his own style first, then change into the race kit. And, it wasn't an easy shift.
"I'd arrive and feel terrible wearing the same thing 180 days a year. I asked if I could show up in my own style and change into the kit later," he says. "It took a long time to get the bosses to agree. I basically had to break the rules."
When Lewis Hamilton Decided to Change the Image of Formula 1
One day Hamilton woke up and decided not to wear those team clothes, and showed up in his own style. It may have shocked traditional F1 officials at first, questioning why he was breaking the rules.
But what's wrong with it if it only makes the sport cooler and connects it to the world of fashion, and vice versa? "I just turned up one day in my own clothes," he shares. "Once they saw the attention and positive press it brought, and how it elevated the brand and the team, they allowed me to do it every single day."
Gateway for Other Drivers
In doing so, Lewis Hamilton made it easier for other drivers to express themselves as well. What used to be a space of uniformity slowly opened up to individuality, with more drivers now confident enough to step away from standard team gear and show a bit of their own personality through designer clothes.
“Corporate companies often don’t think about the style or the suit. Now, it’s become the norm to see other drivers turning up as themselves. I love that. Everyone should feel comfortable in their own shell.”
Hamilton's relationship with fashion also comes from a more personal place.
"I grew up in a household where no one was fashionable, and expressing yourself was never discussed," he says. "Being in an environment that wasn't diverse, you didn't want to stand out any more than you already did by being the only person of colour in the room.”
Hamilton’s Fashion Brands
So, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion chose to be the one. And, over the years, he has built his own independent streetwear brand +44 (Plus44), releasing themed collections like the Silverstone drop and Vegas Days pieces during race weekends.
At the same time, he has worked closely with major names in the industry. As of early 2026, he serves as a guest designer for Dior, collaborating with Kim Jones on menswear capsule collections, while also partnering with Lululemon as a global ambassador, contributing to product development with their innovation teams.
His earlier collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger, especially the TommyXLewis line launched in 2018, played a huge role in establishing him not just as a face of fashion, but as a designer in his own right.