How Lewis Hamilton led the ‘hugely important’ charge toward greater driver self-expression

No matter where the Formula 1 circus has touched down for the weekend, one thing is guaranteed: Fans and photographers are sure to crowd around the entrance to the paddock, waiting on the arrival of the drivers – and snapping pics of their latest ensembles.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of a driver wearing anything but a team kit seemed laughable — almost sacrilege. But with the barrier-busting behavior of drivers like Lewis Hamilton, the staid world of F1 began to evolve into a world where self-expression is almost as highly valued as race craft.

Driver self-expression has always been critical to Formula 1

Grand Prix racing has attracted glamor into its orbit for over a century, dating back to an era when the racing grid was composed of high-society aristocrats looking to satisfy their sporting desires.

Men like Birabongse Bhanuban, prince of Siam, was a regular feature on prewar Grand Prix grids, while women like Hellé Nice brought feminine flair and Tazio Nuvolari arrived to each race impeccably dressed in his immaculate yellow jersey and pressed blue pants.

Since its founding in 1950, Formula 1 has seen countless drivers use their clothing to express themselves and build a personal brand that has stood the test of time. Alberto Ascari insisted upon wearing a light blue helmet while he raced, as much for superstition as for recognition.

Mike Hawthorn’s dapper bowties helped him stand out from the crowd. Even the flamboyant

James Hunt showed the world he was a bad boy who wouldn’t play by the rules — and he did it by wearing tight, risqué t-shirts and shorts with single-digit inseams.

But Formula 1 got corporate. As the sport entered the 21st century with big-budget television contracts and high-dollar sponsors, drivers were expected to behave in a way befitting of a corporate brand.

Then came social media.

Rather than embrace personality-driven internet platforms, Formula 1 built barriers to prevent any smidge of individuality leaking through.

Back when he was head of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone kept a tight rein on the sport. Nothing left the paddock that Ecclestone didn’t approve of, and social media opened up ample possibilities for unapproved content to slip through the cracks; as a result, it was wholesale banned in the paddock.

Understanding more on Lewis Hamilton:

👉 Lewis Hamilton car collection: Take a closer look at his incredible private garage

👉 Lewis Hamilton net worth: Where does he rank amongst the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes?

But with Lewis Hamilton, things changed. Or, more accurately, Lewis Hamilton made things change.

In 2016, Hamilton risked censure by posting on Snapchat during an FIA press conference, and that protest coincided with Hamilton’s growing experimentation with fashion. What began as the addition of a gold chain to his team kit transformed into so much more, and when Liberty Media purchased the sport in 2017, the champion was able to flourish further — and post about it on social media.

“I think [self-expression] is hugely important,” Hamilton told PlanetF1.com during media availability ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

“I think one has to be able to generally be able to express yourself and arrive as yourself.”

Hamilton recalled “hating” having to wear a school uniform,  and even being uncomfortable having to wear the same team kit as everyone else in his team when he began to pursue racing more actively.

“I felt like I was blocked from being me,” he admitted.

Of course, feeling uncomfortable in a uniform doesn’t necessarily correlate to on-track performance — but Hamilton notes that allowing drivers to “express themselves” also enables them to connect with fans in more meaningful ways.

“You see other drivers now, like, coming out of their shells. Their personalities are coming out,” Hamilton told PlanetF1.com .

“Coincidentally, the sport is bigger now than ever because you’re starting to see people for who they are and see through the corporate veil that is around these organizations. I think that’s a really positive thing.”

Taking a tour through the fan zones, it was easy to see exactly what Hamilton meant. Despite his absence, Guenther Steiner’s greatest quotes from Drive to Survive graced countless t-shirts. Folks missing fan-favorite Daniel Ricciardo were encouraged to write him a letter expressing their gratitude for him and his career. Another had a handmade tote bag bearing a screenshot of Charles Leclerc wearing a banana suit, pulled from his livestreams.

“My dad was really into racing growing up, but I’m not going to pretend like I was this big fan before DTS ,” a fan named Dianna told me. “[The drivers] all seemed super boring. I remember waking up on weekends and being so mad he was hogging to TV to watch this stuff.”

What changed her mind?

“I realized these guys weren’t just robots. I know it sounds stupid, but it was like — oh! They’re just really rich versions of normal people. They have hobbies and, like, taste and preferences and things they care about. It’s cool to see a little personality.”

The personality is key for connecting to fans, but as Hamilton noted, it’s also critical to feel secure in one’s self and one’s expression.

“We’re living in such a time where there are people with opinions on everything and judgement on everything,” he told PlanetF1.com . “You should be able to be in an environment, or workspace — not only in our industry, but in any industry — and be able to be who you are and not be judged on who you are.”

And in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton has paved a new way forward for any driver joining the sport.

Read next: Ranked: Lewis Hamilton’s 10 best F1 victories over his staggering career (so far)