Is Formula 1’s Future Dependent on Fashion?
Formula One has a long, illustrious history in the world of marketing, partners and commercial sponsorships. In a bygone era, motorsports uplifted tobacco, boozy beverage and insurance businesses, bringing big bucks to those willing to cash out in the name of mechanical speed. Those days, however, have dissipated, making way for less controversial and deleterious alliances. Increasingly, Formula 1, its teams and drivers are delving into the vast and undeniably profitable world of fashion.
Motorsports races are more than simply car events - they are an opportunity for individuals with a common interest to share a social experience. The soaring highs and crestfallen lows of such an affecting sport garner an intense reverence of one’s chosen team. Opting to display that deep adoration, exhibiting support via a team cap, hoodie or t-shirt aids in fabricating community.
Image: PUMA
The latest proof of such an association will be unveiled at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend in November as PUMA assumes a fashion-forward partnership with F1. Commissioning A$AP Rocky as creative director, F1 and PUMA, desire to propel their joint apparel to an ample audience. This is not PUMA’s first foray onto the motorsports circuit with the German sportswear brand declared an official F1 provider earlier in 2023. As part of a multi-year affiliation, PUMA will supply uniforms to all F1 personnel from 2024 coupled with F1 branded apparel, footwear and accessories. Earlier in October, Williams revealed a collection of items designed with the sportswear brand which they hope will “inspire a new generation of motorsport enthusiasts and showcase the perfect blend of performance and style.”
Under the powerful hand of Liberty Media, global interest in Formula 1 has skyrocketed (in many ways thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series.) Fashion brands are leveraging this substantial, still-growing passion with Tommy Hilfiger working alongside Mercedes AMG Petronas, BOSS entering a relationship with Aston Martin and positioning themselves as the next title sponsor for AlphaTauri. On being the official travel wear partner of McLaren Racing, the CEO of Reiss stated: “I think us in the fashion world have been watching it [Formula 1] with interest and feel that now is a good time as any to associate ourselves with high performance, high quality and a highly innovative industry that has some similarities to what we do.”
While 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been the athletic ambassador choice for many a brand during his 16-year career at the pinnacle of auto racing, it is only in the last several years that drivers from mid-level teams have followed Hamilton into this sphere, employing their star power. AlphaTauri and ex-Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, after a brief stint away from the track, has gone one step further, founding his own fashion house Enchanté. The latest collection, inspired by Ricciardo’s fondness for Austin and its rich musical history, may not scream of supercars yet it offers his fans an ‘if you know, you know’ approach to supporting, and promoting, their sporting hero.
The future of Formula One and its popularity is reliant on a myriad of influences, yet the masterfully subtle guidance of fashion may prove the most commercially sound.
