From their incredibly tailored racing suits, to some of the most gorgeous street fits known to man, Formula 1 drivers deserve recognition for their impeccable taste.
Everyone knows that the king of F1 fashion is, and always will be, Lewis Hamilton; his flawlessly coordinated outfits steal the show at every event as he treats every walk into the paddock like a red carpet. Meanwhile, younger drivers like Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunado have recently begun to step up their “off-the-track” attire, inspiring a new wave of McClaren and Red Bull fans.
In fact, Norris and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, wear some of the best racing suits of the whole grid, besides the obviously superior–and classic–Ferrari red suits. Boasting a bright orange that not many drivers could pull off (although we’d love to see Carlos Sainz in one next year), the papaya team are strong contenders for best dressed. Of course, Valtteri Bottas, with his iconic mullet and complete disregard for what he wears, deserves mention in this article; the Finnish-turned-Australian racer is well beloved by all, no matter what attire he dons, even if it’s a bright teal jumpsuit that leaves a little bit too much of a breeze.
Another oft-unconsidered feature of F1 racing is the helmet designs, which drivers have a large hand in creating. Despite the mandatory sponsorships and safety requirements, many drivers still have fun with it. Look no further than Lando Norris’ 2022 Miami Grand Prix helmet, which was made to look like an actual basketball. Valtteri Bottas meanwhile, in 2023’s pre-season testing, displayed a helmet that had been painted to look like his own face–complete with mullet and mustache. Honorable mentions include Zhou Ghanyou’s boba tea-themed helmet from Singapore 2022, and Alex Albon’s classic lilac helmet, which featured drawings of every single one of his pets (there are more than you’d think) in the Britain 2022 Grand Prix.
There is so much more to Formula One than big cars racing fast–all the drivers have unique personalities that are often found in their fashion sense, from Daniel Ricciardo’s simple and neat style to Charles Leclerc’s refusal to wear anything other than a Ferrari hoodie. Even the baseball hats that certain drivers like Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso refuse to go without represent an integral part of the sport–a passion for fashion.