Lewis Hamilton has discussed his approach to style, both at the race track and away from it, explaining that ‘it kills him’ to have to wear team kit throughout Grand Prix weekends. The seven-time world champion is renowned for being one of the most stylish celebrities not just in sport, but in wider culture.

Hamilton’s interest in fashion is widespread and longstanding. He has long maintained that the Met Gala is one of his standout days of the calendar every year, and in 2025, he co-chaired the event with Colman Domingo and Anna Wintour. However, at the race track, personal style and expression is much harder to show off. While drivers often arrive to the circuits each morning in their own gear, they typically wear a handful of homogenised team-branded items during media roundtables, sponsorship activations and in between track sessions.

This is a source of frustration for Hamilton, who views style as a critical form of expressing identity. “I remember when I first arrived on the scene in Formula One, I was still discovering my style,” he told Esquire Lookbook.

“I also didn’t feel comfortable in the environment, in the sense that it wasn’t very diverse. I didn’t feel like it was a place where 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… so I was like, I’m being pictured every day in team kit and you’re in team kit for 90 odd days in a year, the same top. And for me, that’s a killer, like it kills me.

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express F1 newsletter, or join our WhatsApp community here.

“So I love variation, I love challenging myself, I love being bold and taking risks in what I wear. And I think how you show up and how you present yourself is incredibly important. So I’ve gone through a process of discovering the things that I love, designers that I love to work with, and this is just one of those looks.”