Lewis Hamilton has been the sharpest dresser in F1 for a very long time. Whenever he is not in his racing suit, the Briton dresses up finely, with fans and paparazzi waiting eagerly to see what the 38-year-old wears next. The suave driver has also given way to drivers like Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, and Daniel Ricciardo to experiment with their clothing and stand out from the crowd when making a public appearance. Known globally for his trendsetting dressing sense, Hamilton has now become part of an exclusive 500-member global group, as reported in an update by Instagram user ‘hamazinglew.’
While fans love Hamilton’s outfits, older F1 drivers and pundits mock him for the same. Many call it a sign of weakness, while others claim it to be an act of desperation and attracting attention. Despite the continued criticism by a select few, Hamilton chooses to defy them each time and continues to be himself.
Lewis Hamilton is part of The Business of Fashion 500 list
The Business of Fashion 500 is an exclusive list containing the names of 500 people from across the planet who are shaping the global fashion industry. It contains members representing eight categories, which include Designers, Executives, Media, Retailers, Entrepreneurs, Creative Class, Models & muses, and more catalysts. Hamilton has made the cut for the class of 2023 with Instagram user ‘hamazinglew’ posting about the same. Proud to have Hamilton’s name on their list, Business of Fashion said-
“Sir Lewis Hamilton is a record-breaking British racing driver in Formula One. Beyond his success on the track, where he remains the sport’s first and only Black driver, he has been instrumental in raising his sport’s global profile and deepening its ties to fashion.”
Ground-level editors nominate hundreds of names which are skimmed through by the senior officials before finalizing the names for each year. Usually, most people from the previous year continue to be a part of the list, and only a hundred new names feature on the list, making the feat even more impressive. Being one of the most famous drivers on the grid, not only is Hamilton a face of F1, but he is also a guiding light for the young drivers on the grid.
Pierre Gasly lauds Hamilton’s impact on the younger drivers
As the most successful driver in the history of the sport, Hamilton has a lot of young drivers who look up to him, not only because of his driving skills but also for valuable life lessons. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly is one such driver who draws inspiration from Hamilton, and RacingNews 365 quoted him praising the Briton for filling the younger drivers with confidence as he paved the way to normalize personal expressions.
“It’s important to say that without him, things would be different these days. I think Lewis opened a lot of doors for all of us.” Gasly added that he and Hamilton get along well and that he often thanks him for sticking to his values and beliefs despite drawing a lot of flak. The Frenchman also said that Hamilton’s actions have made the path smoother for the younger drivers to express themselves more freely via their clothes.
