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“Uh, I Can’t Wear the Leggings”: Lewis Hamilton Had No Idea Lululemon Also Caters to Men

Anirban Aly Mandal
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Formel 1 GP USA Austin Texas. Freitag 20.10.2023 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 Team

No driver on the grid has had the spotlight on him as much as Lewis Hamilton in 2025, particularly because of his impending Ferrari debut. But just days before pre-season, he broke the internet again, thanks to his new partnership with Canadian activewear brand Lululemon.

Known for its top-quality yoga and workout apparel, Lululemon is a huge brand worth $44 billion, that will surely see its popularity increase thanks to Hamilton. However, the brand has generally been associated with making apparel for women.

They do make men’s clothes as well, but that fact is likely not very well known among active-wear enthusiasts.

Even Hamilton had no idea that Lululemon catered to men before he started working with them on this upcoming partnership.

“I didn’t know they were doing men’s. Obviously, there were women that I’d met who would just be raving about Lululemon—I was like, ‘Uh, I can’t wear the leggings,” the seven-time World Champion told GQ.

Previously, Hamilton had struggled to find good activewear. In the same interview, he spoke about how uncomfortable some of the ones he wore were. “There’s some brands I just can’t wear because it’s itchy. I’m looking for that extra one percent,” he said.

And Hamilton found something in Lululemon, as he admitted to being impressed by their pitch, which is what made him sign a deal in the first place.

Unfortunately, the F1 community was not too pleased with Hamilton’s decision. That’s because former CEO and founder Chip Wilson made some incredibly distasteful comments about women’s bodies and fat-shamed many, which tarnished the image of the company.

They have since denied association with Wilson, who had left Lululemon in 2022, without which Hamilton may not have joined them at all.

Hamilton stands for everything that Lululemon believes in

Chief Brand & Product Activation Officer Nikki Neuburger is excited to strengthen Lululemon’s shared values with Hamilton through this partnership.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Lewis to the Lululemon collective as our newest ambassador. Lewis is a game-changer in every sense of the word. His relentless commitment to performance, well-being, and impact aligns completely with what we stand for at Lululemon,” she said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated.

Hamilton will take the lead in revamping the brand’s marketing strategy, social initiatives, and product design. A key pillar of this collaboration is Lululemon’s investment in Hamilton’s Mission44 foundation.

The former Mercedes driver launched Mission44 in 2021 to drive change through education. Lululemon’s Center for Social Impact will work closely with the foundation throughout their partnership to expand Mission44’s reach and programs.

Post Edited By:Somin Bhattacharjee

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal

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Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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