If you want to learn about luxury fashion, there’s worse things you could do than watch Formula 1. With the cost of building cars that can hurtle around a track at over 300 kmph, F1 has never exactly been a cheap sport - so it’s no wonder that it has come to attract, and even shape, the glamour and glitz of the fashion world. 

Historically, both the drivers and A-list celebrities who flock to watch them have been at the cutting edge of fashion - and that’s perhaps never been more true than it is today. 

Ayerton Senna

Many will say he was the greatest racer ever - exceptionally skilled and gutsy behind the wheel… A natural and incredibly driven talent. He was also something of a style icon, embodying several elements of the classic 90’s look. Frequently pairing baggy, oversized t-shirts with jeans and sneakers, his dress sense was simple but ceaselessly cool. Often, it was topped off with the Nacional Bank blue cap that became an iconic part of his look.

James Hunt

The bad boy of racing. Like most on this list we’re used to seeing him in his race-day get up, sporting his all-in-one red driving suit, a rollneck and a haircut befitting of a 70’s rockstar. Outside of work hours though, the charismatic driver was most comfortable in tattered jeans and t-shirts - in stark contrast to the designer clothing brands donned by some of the star-studded drivers of today.

Gilles Villeneuve

History has placed him in the shadow of the Hunt vs Lauda rivalry of the 1970’s, but Gilles Villeneuve was a fearless and spectacular driver in his own right; aggressive, determined and thrilling to watch. He’ll also be remembered as king of the rollneck, which he was rarely seen without on race days. 

Jenson Button

“Yeah, I’m the Brit who isn’t Lewis Hamilton that woke up and realised he was good.” - and good he certainly was. Jenson Button was a smooth driver, and just as smooth a dresser. A rugged looker, his fashion sense sense is every bit as sharp as his driving strategy - so it’s no wonder he has landed contracts with designer brands like Hugo Boss.

Michael Schumacher

Schumacher is another who I’ll always picture in the red and white overalls, but he was never one to shy away from making a fashion statement off the track. Sure, there were a couple of questionably tight shirts, the odd one open almost to the waistline - but hey, that was the nineties. Regardless, Schumacher was a man who wore what he pleased, and that’s what counts.

Nico Rosberg

His rivalry with Hamilton on the track is legendary, but Nico Rosberg's suave sense of style is another area where the two compete. Since his retirement, it’s not at all unusual to see a well-dressed Rosberg sporting luxury holiday shirts and classic sunglasses in some of Europe’s trendiest cities. 

Mario Andretti

An Italian who immigrated to the USA as a youngster, Mario Andretti is one of the most versatile and successful drivers not just in F1 but in motorsport history. He won the USAC National Championship four times, the F1 world championship (with Lotus), the Indy 500 and NASCAR Daytona 500. And he did it all whilst sporting a quiff that James Dean would be proud of.