When Lewis Hamilton isn’t taking over racetracks at F1, he’s putting together a stylish fit and standing out among the crowd; his style and swag will soon be on full display in two weeks when he co-chairs the 2025 Met Gala. But as he prepares to take over the famous steps, he’s reflecting on how he broke into the sport and broke down barriers on how racers could present themselves.
Speaking to Vogue as one of the cover stars for their iconic Met Gala May issue, Hamilton shared how he was first interested in fashion from a young age and drew inspiration from people like Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop” and Michael Jordan.
Once he entered into the F1 space, he quickly realized however, that they weren’t too welcoming of expressive fashions for their racers.
“When I first signed with F1 I was only allowed to wear suits and team kits, and it was horrible. I didn’t feel comfortable, and I didn’t feel like I was able to be myself,” Hamilton explained.
Thankfully though, he didn’t let the momentary limits keep him down for too long and eventually found the courage to push the boundaries and step into who he truly was. But it came with pushback.
Explaining how he finally spoke up and showed up for himself, Hamilton explained:
“Look, I want to turn up to the track in what I want to wear. I’m here now—you can’t get rid of me or change the way I dress. The pushback was massive, but when the sport saw the impact of my little runway, other drivers started doing the same thing.
Now, Hamilton’s courage will be on full display at the top of May for this year’s famous gala. When asked for his hopes for this year’s event—which centers on Black dandyism and its history—Hamilton said that he hopes it “sparks conversation and reconfirms the connection between fashion and self-expression, and how deep it runs in Black culture.”
He also hopes it allows for Black folks remember that we can own our identity, how we show up, how others show up and how we can use fashion as a tool to combat stereotypes and misconceptions about Black humanity and history.
“If you think about where we are in the world—and particularly in the States, in terms of people pulling back on diversity—I think this Met Gala sends a really strong message that we must continue to celebrate and elevate Black history,” he said.
This year’s Met Gala is set to take place on May 5.