From the widescreen goggles of Juan Manuel Fangio to the sharp shades of Ayrton Senna—the Formula 1 track has long been synonymous with iconic eyewear. Today, 18 years after his F1 debut, Lewis Hamilton is firmly upholding this tradition.
After the wild child days of James ‘the Shunt’ Hunt, it’s probably not too controversial to say that British F1 drivers lacked a bit of aesthetic flair. Sure, Nigel Mansell’s moustache and flat-cap combo had a certain rural charm, but David Coulthard and Jenson Button and the sale-rail shirts they wore off the racetrack were every bit as boring as their driving on it. Damon Hill had a bit more spark—and he was pretty good back in ‘96, so we’ll let him off a little—but even still, out of the Williams race-suit he looked more like he was going for a weekend in the Cotswolds than jetting off to the Met Gala.
But then came Lewis Hamilton. Although he started out in the usual ‘rookie F1 driver’ outfit of a zipped-up team jacket and a pair of nondescript high street jeans in his first season back in 2007, it wasn’t long before he started to take things in a slightly more interesting direction.
With success on the circuit came confidence in the wardrobe, and by the mid-2010s and the start of his race-track reign, he began to develop his signature style. As the invites started coming in for fashion shows and awards ceremonies, that big ol’ Mercedes cap didn’t quite cut it anymore, and he was soon delving into the dressing up box to create his own look—a modern blend of streetwear, high fashion and classic tailoring.
Head-turning frames are also a big part of the mix. Scroll through the many Instagram pages dedicated to documenting Hamilton’s style that have cropped up over the last decade or so and you’ll find a treasure trove of high-calibre shades. While there’s no set ‘Hamilton-shape’ when it comes to sunglasses, his general rule seems to be big and bold. Echoing the baggy, oversized silhouettes he often wears, his glasses are often on the chunky side—whether it's a pair of wraparounds or some Cobain-esque bug-eyes.
Maybe unsurprisingly for such a connoisseur of elite eyewear, Hamilton is a big fan of the work of Jerome Mage, and is often snapped in Jacques Marie Mage shades. He sported the Molino 55 sunglasses at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix and chose the Jacques Marie Mage Jagger for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. He’s also been seen in the Walker, Devoto, and the Beck-inspired Whiskeyclone frames. Oh yeah, and he’s had his own collection—including a fully monochrome take on the hyper-rectangular Cliff wraparounds.
He’s also partial to Chrome Hearts—the ultra-exclusive made-in-USA biker brand that now creates some of the most coveted eyewear around (and lists us as a stockist—although you’ll have to head down to our Manchester shop to take a look as these super-rare frames are only available in-store). While it’s maybe expected that Hamilton dressed up a bit for all those swanky soirees he attends, what's interesting about Hamilton is that he brings his style to the paddock too—like when he wore a pair of sleek white Chrome Hearts Steezin frames and a super-breezy, ultra-baggy floral-embroidered Louis Vuitton summer suit at 2023’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s disregard for race-day dress-code isn’t just peacocking either, and in an industry not exactly famous for diversity or progressive politics Hamilton has long used his clothing to get his message out there. The ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’ tee he wore on the podium of the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix may have caused serious FIA panic, but Hamilton has never backed down, stating, “I won't stop using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right."
Now he’s at Ferrari, perhaps his most radical style decision has been to actually wear their gear. Although because we’re talking about Hamilton—he’s not doing that the usual way. While the rest of the paddock look straight out the catalogue, Hamilton has taken the heavily-branded Ferrari gear and made it his own—mixing that unmistakable red merch with massive cargo pants, Puma Suedes, gold-templed shades and… erm… micro-scooters.
At a time when vintage motorsport tees can go for big bucks in the streetwear world, Hamilton has applied the same flavour to the day job (without the endless Depop scrolling). Even this can be read as a message—he’s serious about his new team, but he’s going to do it his way. He might not be lifting trophies and splashing the Moët quite as often as he was a decade ago, but when it comes to swanky spectacles, he’s still way out in front.
