How Lewis Hamilton used fashion to change the F1 paddock and gain confidence

Lewis Hamilton has revealed how using his interest in fashion helped him feel more like himself in the Formula 1 paddock, an environment that was initially neither diverse nor inclusive.

The Ferrari driver has never been afraid to push the boundaries with his race day entrance outfits, often opting for custom looks. One particular series of outfits that gained traction on social media at the time came during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. To mark the end of his time with Mercedes before he moved to Ferrari for 2025, his outfits from Thursday to Sunday gradually transitioned from full silver to full red.

"When you arrive to the racetrack, you walk through the gates," the seven-time champion told Esquire UK. "Basically, you walk through the turnstiles, and there's a distance that you have to travel. And I remember when I first arrived on the scene in Formula 1, and I was still discovering my style.

"I also didn't feel comfortable in the environment in the sense of it - it wasn't very diverse. I didn't feel like it's a place that you could really be yourself. It wasn't an inclusive environment. It wasn't about 'be yourself in this space.'

"I think discovering my sense of style, finding a way to be able to express myself - I'm being pictured every day in team kit. You're in team kit for 90-odd days in the year, the same top, and for me, that's a killer. Like, it kills me."

Aside from how it made the British driver feel more comfortable, he also explained that he was "grateful" to be able to inspire several other drivers who have now begun to express themselves through style in the same way.

"So all the drivers in the history of the last 70 years, probably - at least in my time - they're always in team kit. It's never, never on their radar of what they wear. They just wear the team stuff and shorts or whatever it may be.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

"But for me, it's something that I've really found myself in. It's given me a lot of confidence to show up in my own gear, and then I switch over to my team kit, and it's been amazing to see that.

"It feels like it's liberated all the others to be like, 'Oh, I can do that too.' And so now you're seeing all the different characters, all the other drivers that arrive to the track turning up in their own style and coming up with their own... really showing their character, and I think that's been empowering for them too.

"So I'm really grateful to have been a part of that."