Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is the greatest that Formula One has ever seen. I don’t necessarily mean his on-track talent, though there’s an argument to be made for that as well. I’m referring, here, to his ability to understand fashion like no other racing driver ever has. This man knows the gravity of the situation at hand, his first day at the longest-running and most-famous F1 team in history, after winning more races than any driver the championship has ever seen with Mercedes power. Every driver wants to race for Ferrari, and with retirement on the horizon, Hamilton knows this is his shot. He’s showing up and doing the work to make it worth it, and looking cool as hell doing it.
Not only does this double-breasted suit and matching overcoat give Hamilton the gravitas of an elder statesman of the sport, but it is shockingly similar to something Il Commendatore Enzo Ferrari would have worn himself. Hamilton is showing up at Ferrari when the team has seemingly figured out its car and is ready to deliver a title fight for the ages in 2025. This look has all the dramatic stoicism of a mature driver seeking his eighth Formula One World Driver’s Championship.
Hamilton has never shied away from flaunting his fashion sense in the F1 paddock. While his most recent primary rival dresses exclusively in Red Bull team kit like a 12-year-old with a favorite t-shirt, Lewis treats every walk to his pit stall like a fashion runway. He wasn’t given much leeway to create his personal style under Ron Dennis’ watchful eye at McLaren, but since joining the Mercedes factory squad in 2013 he’s pushed his way further into the fashion zeitgeist. He’s even stunted on everyone at The Met Gala, arguably fashion’s biggest night.
It goes without saying that I’m excited to see what Hamilton can do when he gets in the car for the 2025 season, but it’s almost more exciting to see what he’ll do when he’s away from the race track. This is a determined driver who will do what it takes to push, and he’s going to look damn good doing it. He even won over Twitter’s harshest menswear critic.