Lewis Hamilton has by no means raced simply to win. He has raced, and continues to race, to go away a mark that goes past the monitor. That is now confirmed in black and white by the Might 2025 cowl of Vogue US, the long-lasting version devoted to the Met Gala. A traditional tuxedo, a assured gaze, and a strong message: there isn’t a longer a boundary between driver, activist, and cultural icon.
Lewis Hamilton is just the second man in historical past to seem solo on the quilt of Vogue US—after Harry Types—however this milestone is far more than aesthetic recognition. It symbolizes a journey that started removed from the highlight, in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of London, the place younger Lewis labored arduous to be the very best on monitor whereas additionally dreaming wide-eyed by music movies and American movies. Whereas each household useful resource went into his future in karting, he was additionally constructing his identification by vogue—usually carrying second-hand garments, however with a really clear purpose: self-expression.
In Method 1, which he entered in 2007, the British driver has damaged data and stereotypes with equal resolve. On monitor, he made historical past along with his 7 world titles. Off it, he redefined the position of the fashionable driver—not simply an athlete, however a public determine in a position to make use of himself as a story house. Within the paddocks, between briefings and press conferences, he launched a brand new visible language, characterised by daring and more and more deliberate stylistic decisions.
It wasn’t straightforward. At first, he was anticipated to put on solely team-issued gear or formal apparel, and he himself recounts how “trapped” he felt in a picture that wasn’t his. However over time—and particularly after reaching his present standing within the sport—he selected to vary the principles of the sport. He started exhibiting up at Grands Prix in more and more private appears to be like, usually sparking dialog and paving the best way for different drivers.
At the moment, the Briton seems as co-chair of the Met Gala alongside names like Pharrell Williams and A$AP Rocky. The theme of the occasion, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Type,” celebrates Black dandyism and Black magnificence as types of resistance, identification, and affirmation. For Lewis Hamilton, this isn’t only a vogue theme—it’s lived expertise. It’s the story of his father, of his household’s sacrifices, of all the time feeling underneath scrutiny and needing to excel greater than others to be accepted.
However Lewis Hamilton has by no means settled for being accepted: he wished to remodel the house round him. On the 2021 Met Gala, he purchased a complete desk to deliver younger rising Black designers with him and provides them a platform. A selection that proved sport, fashion, and social dedication can—and should—stroll collectively.
Now, as he prepares for the Might 5 occasion with stylist Eric McNeal, the message stays the identical: each element, each material, each line of that look shall be meant to inform a narrative. A narrative that doesn’t cease on the first nook, however continues over time, shapes tradition, and enters collective reminiscence.
Lewis Hamilton is now not “simply” a Method 1 champion. He’s an emblem of change. After the Ferrari revolution, this Vogue cowl—and his presence on the Met Gala—are but extra proof that even from the beginning grid, it’s potential to begin altering the world.

Supply: formula1.it