Lewis Hamilton has opened up on the resistance he faced in Formula 1 when he first pushed to wear his own clothes in the paddock
For so long had the Formula 1 paddock only seen sponsor-laden team wear before Lewis Hamilton. Yes, there were hints of an interest in fashion from a number of drivers – Michael Schumacher knew how to throw on some leather and fur once upon a time.
But it was Lewis Hamilton that really intertwined fashion with F1, and his impact in this way has been transformative. Now in his second year with the Ferrari team, he’s discussed how he dismantled the stigma around dressing the way he wanted.
“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. Looking back at the restrictive environment he entered in the late 2000s, he revealed his frustrations: “For most of my career, every driver arrived in team kits designed by people outside of fashion; the clothes were horrendous.”
According to the seven-time champion, there was a toll in wearing the same outfit across the season.
“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 added. Unsurprisingly, the traditional view of F1’s then-management pushed back. “It took a long time to get the bosses to agree. I basically had to break the rules.”
Tired of waiting for permission, the driver took matters into his own hands.
“I just turned up one day in my own clothes,” he admitted. Much like now, Hamilton arriving in the paddock wearing a curated outfit had an incredible commercial impact. Nowadays, we fondly call it the paddock catwalk – something that Hamilton began with this one moment.
“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.”
Since then, other drivers followed in his footsteps. 2025 champion Lando Norris has often enjoyed soaking up the camera flashes as he enters the paddock wearing his own outfits. And even Max Verstappen’s famous skinny jeans have been the focus of fashion commentators.
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,” Hamilton notes with a sense of pride. “I love that. Everyone should feel comfortable in their own shell.”
Hamilton’s love of fashion came from a desire to find identity in an isolated environment.