Motorsports and British Style: How Racing Drives Style
BY Natasha Bailey ON 01 July, 2025
Each summer, the roar of engines and the flash of fashion cameras converge on one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues at the Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 1950, it held the inaugural race of the modern F1 World Championship, cementing itself as the beating heart of British motorsport.
While the cars may be the headliners, a parallel spectacle unfolds trackside, where cutting-edge fashion, heritage brands, and race day aesthetics share the limelight. This isn’t just a modern trend. Motorsport and fashion have been racing in tandem for decades.
Designers like Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen have taken inspiration from motorsport silhouettes, while brands such as Balenciaga and Off-White have embraced the aesthetics of motorsport in their collections. Even the streetwear boom borrowed from the paddock, with logos, patches, and jumpsuit-inspired cuts have now become standard fare.
From fireproof overalls to leather gloves and aerodynamic shades, motorsport has long had an aesthetic edge. Initially functional, racing attire became fashionable. The aviator jacket, the racing stripe, and the bomber jacket have all become staples in fashion today, and we can trace their lineage back to the track.
No one embraces fashion more than the drivers themselves. From James Hunt in the 70s to Lewis Hamilton’s front-row at Paris Fashion Week, F1 racers have long blurred the line between athlete and style icon.
As the sport modernises and expands into new markets, like Miami, Las Vegas, Singapore, F1 is increasingly becoming a cultural, not just athletic, event. Fashion brands see Grand Prix weekends as marketing gold: glamorous guests, VIP lounges, and a media blitz that spans continents. Designers are now crafting race weekend wardrobes, and collections are being released to coincide with key races.
The synergy between fashion houses and F1 teams is now stronger than ever. With teams like Mercedes collaborating with Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss with Racing Bulls, and driver Carlos Sainz with Hackett London.
From vintage jumpsuits to luxury watches, pit lane to runway, Formula 1 is no longer just about performance, it’s about presentation. And nowhere is this more evident than at Silverstone, where the engines are loud, and the fashion statements even louder.
