Photo: Getty / Designed by Wesley Hall
There are more eyes on Formula One than ever before. Given the rising success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Lewis Hamilton’s shocking move to Ferrari, and the internet’s obsession with WAGS, it’s no surprise that fashion brands are keeping tabs on the starting drivers of the 2024 season. But while brands and fans alike would love to have drivers sitting front row at Fashion Week, the year-long Formula One schedule makes it almost impossible to catch a glimpse of these stars in any of the fashion capitals. (We have yet to get Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz at a Ferrari show.) Luckily, the paddock is a great place to keep up with the drivers’ street-style ’fits. While accounts dedicated to Hamilton’s looks have existed across social media for years, these days, every driver, including George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon, has a budding fan page highlighting their closet.
The 2024 season officially kicked off today with the Bahrain Grand Prix, and, for day one of their practice session, drivers showed up to the paddock dressed to impress. Noted fashionista Hamilton showed up in a look fresh off the runway from Sabato De Sarno’s first menswear collection for Gucci—which has yet to arrive in stores. F1 legend Fernando Alonso’s Instagram used to be filled with photos of him in his car, but these days, you can see him regularly posting his paddock looks since the announcement of his Boss brand ambassadorship last year.
These arrivals are also a great way for drivers to represent their merchandise brands to the paparazzi and press, and, therefore, the world. Daniel Ricciardo, an early adopter of the merchandising model among drivers, seizes these moments to show off his latest Enchanté drops. Today he wore a T-shirt that’s already selling out on the website.
The professional career of drivers is turbulent, with stars like Ricciardo becoming alternates from time to time, so it makes sense that more and more of them are delving into new territories. With many also residing in Monaco, one of the richest and most expensive countries in the world, it’s always wise to have multiple streams of income.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
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