Max Verstappen always seems to don his race persona, quite literally. One could joke about how the F1 champion races, eats, sleeps, and lives in Red Bull’s racing overalls or their official merchandise. Unlike his racing counterparts, the Dutchman seldom wears casual or fashionable outfits.
So, when AlphaTauri (clothing brand, not the F1 team) announced they were roping in Verstappen as their global brand ambassador, it surprised Lando Norris. Well, AlphaTauri is a fashion and lifestyle brand owned by Red Bull. So the brand signing the four-time world champion isn’t much of a shocker. The surprise lay elsewhere.
Verstappen was wearing a non-Red Bull outfit while posing in front of an AlphaTauri-branded aircraft in the picture that was shared while announcing the deal.
With a black blazer and trousers, and with a light brown sweatshirt inside, Verstappen looked dapper. So much so that it was hard to believe that it was Max standing there. After all, fans and fraternity seldom see him in non-Red Bull attire. Norris commented on AlphaTauri’s post, possibly summarizing the general feeling of the F1 fanbase seeing the Dutchman’s new look: “No way????”
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Fitness blogger Lisa Migliorini, surprised much like Norris, cheekily congratulated AlphaTauri for making this seemingly impossible task happen. “Max without team racing kit!!! OMG, Well done @alphatauri”, she commented.
Even RacingNews365 joined in on the banter, highlighting how they felt “weird” after seeing Verstappen without the official race suit. That said, the fans were more than happy seeing the 27-year-old wear something cool and fashionable, and they probably are hoping this is a change for the long term.
Is Verstappen opening up to being fashionable?
Verstappen has officially commented about his appointment as AlphaTauri’s global brand ambassador. While he finds their collection classy and fashionable, the Dutchman likes how AlphaTauri clothing has a good fit and is comfortable to wear.
“There are other brands where it can look cool, but it‘s not comfortable to wear. With AlphaTauri, what I like is that it looks slick, it looks really stylish, and it‘s really great to wear,” Verstappen told AlphaTauri’s website.
Verstappen still prioritizes comfort over fashion when it comes to his clothing choices. And comfort is the hallmark of the Italian brand.
Currently, AlphaTauri has a partnership with Formula 1 in terms of providing clothing and apparel to all of the sport’s stakeholders. So, signing Verstappen, who is the reigning world champion, is an extension of its presence.
However, it is ironic how AlphaTauri’s stint running its own team in the sport did not last long. Red Bull renamed their sister team with the Italian lifestyle brand’s name from 2020 to 2023.
But with the F1 operations becoming too expensive for the clothing company, and its desire to reset its brand direction, Red Bull once again rechristened the team to RB or Racing Bulls after bringing in two key sponsors — Visa and Cash App.
