When you hear of all of the trends that F1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, and others, do you ever wonder what fashion statement they’re making? People have always wondered that. It’s not only about the outfit and the look but also sunglasses.
Max Verstappen, the 2021 Formula 1 World champion, has been seen wearing Dita Flight-006 sunglasses. Another Formula 1 legend, Sebastien Vettel, usually wears Ray-Ban Hexagonal glasses. The stylish and trendsetting Hamilton wears a pair of Thom Browne TB807 sunshades at some races.
F1 drivers lead the way when it comes to being at the forefront of fashion. But when you see them on the streets or during post-race interviews, you don’t know what sunglasses they are wearing. In this post, I will uncover the latest fashion trends in sunglasses at an F1 racetrack. . . .
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A Look At Sunglass Trends Through The Years
F1 drivers are some of the highest-paid people on earth, so people want to know, “what sunglasses do F1 drivers wear?” That’s a question we’ve all thought about at one time or another, but we don’t ask it because we’re afraid of seeming ignorant.
The truth is, though, if you could get the answer to that question, you might be able to save yourself hundreds of dollars and countless hours in the mall. This post will look at the latest sunglass trends these F1 drivers wear.
We’ll take a peek at the eyewear a few of the previous F1 drivers sported around the track from the past decade or two.
F1 World Champions And Their Sunglasses From The 90s
Looking back through Formula 1 history, several memorable names have paved the way for their impeccable racing skill and incredible fashion sense that they paraded on track and off track. Let us take a brief look at a few of these racing drivers and learn about the eyewear they proudly wore.
Alain Prost’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
At the 1993 FIA World Championship, Alain Prost won his fourth Formula 1 Drivers trophy in his Williams Renault. That was also the second consecutive Constructors Championship title for Williams Renault.
Alain won 51 races, but he sported some of the coolest-looking sunglasses off track. Alain Prost, also fondly called “The Professor,” was often seen wearing Serengeti Coppa sunglasses, both on track and off track.
Ayrton Senna’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
The late great Ayrton Senna, one of the most remarkable Formula 1 drivers of his time, died tragically in April 1994 while driving his Williams Renault at the Imola Grand Prix.
He was a Brazilian Formula 1 driver that won three World Drivers Championship titles from 1988, 1990, and 1991. Ayrton Senna didn’t often wear sunglasses, but a few photos have shown him wearing Boss sunglasses. A few snapshots of Ayrton Senna have also shown him to be wearing a pair of Porsche Carbon sunglasses.
TAG Heuer has since designed trendy sunglasses with the Ayrton Senna brand to keep the memory of this talented former F1 World Champion alive. TAG Heuer’s sunglasses exemplifies the elegant style and personality of racing legend Ayrton Senna.
Michael Schumacher’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Seven times Formula 1 World Champion, Michael Schumacher was a German racing driver that drove for the Jordan Formula 1 team in 1991. He subsequently drove for Benetton, Ferrari, and then later in 2012 drove for Mercedes.
Michael Schumacher held 91 race wins, 68 pole positions, and 155 podium finishes in his racing career. That is some impeccable racing stats for a German Formula 1 driver! However, off track, Michael had a unique sense of style and was not afraid to show it off to his fans and the world.
Schumacher was often seen wearing Rayban-4057s. On some race days, the seven-time world champion was also seen wearing a pair of Oakley’s. If want to emulate Michael Schumacher’s look, you can get a pair of these Ray-Ban 4057s at Amazon below.
Jacques Villeneuve’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Canadian-born Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve won his first Formula 1 World title in 1997 while driving for Williams. In Jacques’s racing career, he has also competed in the 1995 Indianapolis 500 and the PPG Indy Car World Series and went on to win both of these racing series. He is also the son of Gilles Villeneuve, who was also a Formula 1 driver for Ferrari.
In 2002, when TAG Heuer released the “SportsVision” range of sunglasses, Villeneuve became the brand ambassador. As the brand ambassador for TAG Heuer, he was often seen wearing the SportsVision sunglasses on and off-track during the 2002 and 2003 Formula 1 season.
Kimi Raikkonen’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Finnish racing driver Kimi Raikkonen, also fondly referred to as “The Iceman,” competed in Formula 1 between 2001 to 2021. Kimi won the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship in his Scuderia Ferrari. Raikkonen also finished second in 2003 and 2005 and finished third in 2008, 2012, and 2018.
In his career, Kimi Raikkonen has won 21 Grand Prix races and has had 103 podium finishes! That is some pretty impressive racing statistics for this Finnish racing driver. But the very reserved and shy racing driver was also a fan of sunglasses and hardly ever took them off.
At Formula 1 races and post-race interviews, Kimi wore a fabulous pair of Oakley Shaun White Dispatch edition sunglasses. Kimi’s Oakley’s were mostly mirrored lenses with a gold reflective coating. The Oakley sunshades suited Kimi Raikkonen’s sporty, masculine and classy sense of style.
During the 2018 US Grand Prix, Raikkonen was spotted wearing a Ray-Ban Scuderia Ferrari RB4309M sunglasses. The Ray-Ban RB4309M sunglasses were part of a limited-edition Scuderia Ferrari Collection produced exclusively for the Ferrari F1 team and worn by Kimi’s Ferrari teammate, Sebastien Vettel.
In the 2021 F1 pre-season testing for Alfa Romeo, Kimi was often spotted wearing a pair of Carrera Eyewear sunglasses.
Lewis Hamilton’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Sir Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver and a racing legend is a seven-time Formula 1 World champion. Hamilton is the only driver to match the same number of world championships as Michael Schumacher. Lewis is the current Mercedes F1 driver and has previously raced for McLaren from 2007 to 2012.
Hamilton’s pole positions and race wins stand at a very impressive 103, yet to be beaten. He currently holds records for the most pole positions and the most wins. Lewis has expressed his unique sense of style on an off track. He is a fashionista and has set radical fashion trends for others to copy and follow.
He is always seen wearing the latest sunglasses to match his trackside coveralls or his stylish fashion sense off the racetrack when it comes to eyewear. The stylish and trendsetting Hamilton wore a pair of Thom Browne TB807 sunshades at some races.
At other times, Lewis is seen wearing a pair of Emporio Armani eyewear, probably one of the priciest sunglasses around. What else would you expect from a Formula 1 racing driver with a $54 million salary?
Hamilton is a trendy guy, so he wouldn’t necessarily wear the same eyewear more than once! At the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis was seen wearing a pair of Gucci GG 1065/S sunglasses which cost $200.
Lewis’s collection of fashionable eyewear doesn’t stop there. The previous year, at the 2013 British Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver was also seen wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton Suspicion sunglasses. Hamilton has also been known to wear a handmade Italian pair of Retro Super Future sunglasses.
He has a few other brands that he does not always “take out for a drive” in his collection. The Police brand of eyewear has partnered with Sir Lewis to design his unique Italian-made sunglasses. Luxury brand Louis Vuitton is also part of Hamilton’s collection of name-brand eyewear.
A few other well-known name brands make up Hamilton’s eyewear collection, and I’m sure that his collection of stylish eyewear is growing daily. Lewis Hamilton is known for mixing up his fashionable and functional sunglasses.
Sebastien Vettel’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Sebastien Vettel is a German F1 racing driver who drives for Aston Martin. He previously drove for BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, and Ferrari. While driving for Red Bull, Vettel has won four Formula 1 World titles, which he won consecutively from 2010 to 2013. Sebastien Vettel has had 53 race victories, and 122 podium finishes, with 57 pole positions.
Ray-Ban was one of the sponsors for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team, and so one of the perks for Vettel at the time was about wearing the latest in Ray-Ban eyewear. The Scuderia Ferrari Collection sunglasses were created exclusively for the Ferrari F1 drivers, so Vettel was often sporting some of their most iconic frames.
The Ray-Ban RB4297M model Scuderia Ferrari Collection came black with polarized Silver Mirror Chromance lenses. The traditional Ferrari branding always appeared on these models with some flashes of red and carbon fiber resembling the materials of the Ferrari F1 car.
Jenson Button’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Jenson Button was a British Formula 1 racing driver that raced for the Brawn GP F1 team. His first drive in Formula 1 was with the Williams team in 2000. In 2001, he switched to the Benetton F1 team, and for the 2003 F1 season, he moved to the BAR (British American Racing) team.
In 2009, Jenson Button secured the World Drivers Championship in Brazil while racing for the Brawn F1 team. In 2010 he moved to McLaren and finished fifth. He subsequently retired in 2016, after being with the McLaren team for four years. Jenson has been known to be a bit of a fashion icon off track too.
His keen sense of style is impressive, and he relies on his sunshades to finish his dazzling look. He has been spotted wearing multiple sunglasses, and one of his favorites being the Ray-Ban Wayfarer and the Persol McQueens.
He was also spotted wearing Oliver Peoples range of eyewear, and at times he’s also been seen wearing Carrera Panamerika shades.
Fernando Alonso’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Spanish Formula 1 driver, Fernando Alonso, began racing for Minardi in 2001 before joining Renault in 2002 as their test driver. In 2003 he was given a permanent seat for the Renault team and subsequently went on to win two F1 world titles in 2005 and 2006.
Between 2010 to 2014, Alonso raced for Ferrari and came in second place behind Sebastien Vettel in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Alonso is the current Alpine F1 teams’ number one driver, having made a comeback to Formula 1 racing in 2021. In Alonso’s racing career, he has won 32 Grand Prix races, with 22 pole positions, and achieved 1,899 points from 311 race starts. Fernando has had a pretty illustrious racing career, but his choice of sunglasses is also something worth noting.
Fernando Alonso has often been seen wearing a custom-designed pair of Oakley Garage Rock sunglasses. The frame is made from O-Matter, which provides comfort and durability.
The lenses are designed with high-def optics technology that provides clarity and protection from the sun’s harmful rays. The polarized lenses prevent all sorts of glare coming off reflective surfaces.
He has also been seen sporting a pair of Oakley Holbrook sunshades. The Holbrooks are a timeless classic sunglass aimed at redefining the 60s style. The Oakley Holbrooks are also produced from O-Matter, with a plutonite layer coating on the lenses blocking all harmful UV rays.
The additional iridium coating on the lenses acts as a glare-reducing agent, thus increasing the clarity and visibility in indoor and outdoor conditions.
Max Verstappen’s Champion Winning Sunglasses
Current Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver for the Red Bull racing team. When Max was only 17 years, he became the youngest driver to race in Formula 1. After racing for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015, he was promoted to the parent team Red Bull in 2016.
At 18, he won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix in his debut for Red Bull and became one of the youngest drivers to have won a Formula 1 Grand Prix. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021, Max became the first-ever Dutch driver to win a Formula 1 title. As of the time of this post, Max has managed 20 race victories and 13 pole positions.
If he keeps up his quick pace around the track, this young driver has a very bright career ahead of him. But, off the track, Max’s sense of style is displayed with his pair of Dita Flight-006 sunglasses made from Titanium in a classic pilot design.
These stylish sunglasses integrate 100% UVA and UVB protection with an anti-reflective coating to keep the harsh and harmful sun’s rays out of your eyes. Since Max is in a partnership with sunglass brand DITA, he is always guaranteed to be seen wearing some of the most highly sought-after eyewear.
And being the current F1 World Champion, he has to keep up with the trend of luxury eyewear. Max’s other firm favorite for exquisite DITA eyewear is the Mach One DRX 2030 L.
What Sunglasses Do The Current F1 Drivers Wear?
We have had an in-depth look at a few of the classic, retro, and sometimes stylish eyewear that some of our past F1 racing legends have adorned over the years. We have also seen how these racing legends have shown off their unique class and style, both on and off track.
Now, let’s look at some eyewear our current F1 racing drivers are parading around the paddocks with.
Daniel Ricciardo’s Sunglasses
Daniel Ricciardo is known for his playful antics on and off track and has a loveable smile to go with it!
However, in his Formula 1 car, he is dedicated and focused on his racing and is a fierce competitor; ask some of his rivals. Daniel Ricciardo, the Aussie F1 driver, is unstoppable in style.
In his DITA System Two sunglasses, Daniel is comfortable with breaking fashion records. The DITA System Two sunglasses are made from a Titanium material, with ultra-thin 1.5mm Titanium forged side cups.
The nose pads are also custom Titanium, finished off with Titanium temples on the sides. The lenses are 100% UVA and UVB with an anti-reflective coating.
Charles Leclerc’s Sunglasses
Charles Le Clerc made his debut in Formula 1 racing in 2019 for the Ferrari Formula 1 team. His natural coolness, quiet demeanor and unshakeable focus in his Ferrari Formula 1 car makes for a future world champion.
Being a Ferrari F1 driver, Charles Leclerc is obligated to wear eyewear from Ray-Ban, one of the sponsors for Ferrari. Lucky guy, right? Charles is seen parading around the pits and paddocks with his Ray-Ban RB8313M Scuderia Ferrari sunglasses.
The Ray-Ban RB8313M sunglasses are part of the Scuderia Ferrari Collection, which drivers like Sebastien Vettel and Fernando Alonso have previously worn, so Charles is gifted to be among a few of Ferraris racing legends. The lenses on the Ray-Ban RB series sunglasses are made from Polycarbonate, making them light and durable.
The dark black frames are embellished with the Ferrari logo in red and only add to the aesthetics of these stylish sunglasses. Charles has sometimes been spotted wearing the Ray-Ban RB4302M sunglasses with light blue gradients on the lenses. The Ferrari red frames suit Charles’s outfit, both on and off the racetrack.
Pierre Gasly’s Sunglasses
Alpha Tauri racing driver Pierre Gasly has recently launched his range of eyewear in collaboration with Hawkers. Pierre worked on his sunglass collection for two years with the Spanish sunglass brand.
The Pierre Gasly Sunglass collection consists of four stylish designs released for the 2021 Spring/Summer collection. Pierre’s style inspires each unique design. Pierre is a fashion enthusiast, and he considers sunglasses to be the perfect complement to any wardrobe.
In this YouTube video, Pierre is seen wearing each of the four sunglasses from his collection. Pierre Gasly’s Hawkers Citybreak sunglasses are inspired by a vintage design with octagonal-shaped lenses and made from various materials, including plastic and metal.
The classic double-bridge design gives the frame an authentic look while adding extra strength and durability. The rose gold and matt black color of these frames were personally chosen by Pierre Gasly himself. Hawker’s branding is embellished into the arms of the temples on these sunnies.
Lando Norris’s Sunglasses
McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris stepped into the Formula 1 scene in 2017 as a junior driver. Later in 2017, Lando tested for McLaren and set the second-fastest lap on the second day of testing at Hungaroring. He became the official McLaren reserve and rest driver for the 2018 Formula 1 season.
The McLaren F1 team later contacted Norris to be a full-time driver for the 2019 season, with Carlos Sainz as his teammate. He qualified eighth on his debut race in Australia and completed the race in twelfth place.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, he claimed his first F1 points by finishing in sixth place. Lando is always seen sporting the latest in eyewear when it comes to stylish sunglasses. For the 2021 F1 season, Lando has worn a pair of SunGod McLaren Formula 1 Team Edition sunglasses. In partnership with McLaren F1, the SunGod sunglass brand has created unique eyewear for teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Lando Norris has often been sporting a black Limited Edition SunGod Sierras with 8KO Polarized Fire lenses and a bright orange polarized coating. The branding on Lando’s fashionable eyewear bears Lando Norris’s name.
Conclusion
In F1, the sunglasses worn by drivers are both a fashion statement and a safety measure. Sunglasses are worn by drivers who have good eyesight but want to protect their eyes from glare and sun exposure. For many drivers, it is also a matter of comfort and style.
A typical pair of sunglasses will feature tinted lenses, reducing glare and improving visibility in bright conditions. Formula One drivers often have an endorsement deal with a particular brand of sunglasses, but in many cases, they will be wearing what’s given to them by the sponsor.
References
- https://www.allaboutvision.com/resources/human-interest/lewis-hamilton-sunglasses/
- https://www.shadestation.co.uk/campaign/Formula-One-Fashion.html
- https://www.selectspecs.com/blog/what-are-daniil-kvyats-sunglasses-from-the-austrian-f1-gp-2014/
- https://www.europastar.com/news/1000652526-villeneuve-returns-to-formula-1-and-tag-heuer.html
