Lewis Hamilton has a distinct identity in F1, which does not relate only to his on-track achievements.

Credits: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

The British driver is a prominent member of the fashion industry and is a pioneer in bringing the worlds of F1 and fashion together. Moving to Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton is starting to tap into Italian fashion with X user Athena posting a photo of him sporting the Valentino 2024 Fall Collection.

Hamilton‘s iconic all-black look, featuring a floor-length overcoat, came at this year’s Film and Fashion Party by British Vogue. The annual event took place in association with Tiffany and Co. and featured a multitude of A-list celebs and fashion mongers. Hamilton, however, stole the limelight as he was the only athlete to attend the event. The current Mercedes driver was on point with his fashion sense once more.

A multitude of hosts graced the events, including Cara Delevingne, Emily Blunt, Emerald Fennell, and Ayo Edebiri. British Vogue’s latest head of editorial content, Chioma Nnadi threw the party for the first time.

Nnadi and Hamilton also posed for a photo alongside each other, generating further buzz. Dua Lipa, Anya Taylor-Joy, Central Cee, and Ed McVey were also present at the event.

Lewis Hamilton and his fashion choices becoming a concern for F1 teams?

Thanks to Hamilton, a new trend caught wind in F1, particularly at the start of race weekends. Known as the ‘Lewis Hamilton fashion week,’ it features the different outfits. that the Briton wears when he enters the paddock. These flashy outfits have become a trend, and fans love them as they are much more interesting than the team jerseys that drivers usually wear.

He introduced fashion in the sport, and inspired several people to follow in his footsteps. It even gave way to the newer drivers on the grid feeling comfortable in expressing themselves through their fashion. Pierre Gasly, Zhou Guanyu, and Valtteri Bottas are all examples of the same.

However, senior F1 photographer Kym Ilman believes it might not be a good trend for F1 teams. With more drivers opting to express themselves through their clothing, Ilman sees a worrisome trend. He thinks drivers might start negotiating a ‘right to wear’ clause in their contracts. Not only will it allow them to wear their preferred clothing on Thursday but also on the rest of the race days when not racing.

This could lead to damaging the teams’ ties with their sponsors. Teams give specific clothing to their drivers to wear as they carry their sponsors’ names. Should drivers do away with the trend, the brands’ visibility will go down. As such, sponsorships might come under threat, and teams will have to scramble to find replacements.