As another indicator of just how seriously, some teams and their owners consider the impact of fashion, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team is hiring a marketing operations driver clothing executive.
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Zhou Guanyu, Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo are some of the drivers who periodically turn up at fashion events. Hamilton will be one of the co-chairs of next spring’s Met Gala. In addition, fashion brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Prada, Boss and Dior have also aligned with F1 teams. Earlier this month, LVMH inked a 10-year partnership deal with Formula 1 that will lead to sponsorships for brands like Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer.
With the seven-time World Champion Hamilton heading to join the Ferrari team next season, the Mercedes team could be looking to ramp up its style quotient and social media reach. Hamilton has more than 38 million followers on Instagram alone. With millions of fans globally, F1 drivers need to always be ready for photographers and selfie seekers alike. Last year all of the 22 F1 races attracted 6.15 million people collectively versus 5.7 million in 2022.
The new hire’s chief responsibility is to serve as the project manager for drivers on the Mercedes F1 team’s styling planning and process. If you think suiting up F1 racers on the track is straightforward, think again. The new executive will coordinate with the drivers’ stylists and the team’s apparel partners to decide on looks for collateral shoots, marketing appearances, trackside walk-in attire and marketing appearances. The role will also involve a certain amount of diplomacy, since “managing relationships” with team partners and driver management is a must.
While F1 drivers roughly reach speeds of 220 mph on the straightaways, safety is paramount. Given that, they sport helmets, race suits, race boots, team balaclavas, gloves and jerseys on-the-track. Knowing how integral image is to fans, Mercedes is looking for an executive who will manage drivers’ nontechnical apparel and footwear such as personal, fitness, formal and travel clothing, as well as their walk-in attire for the F1 paddock and trackside.
The new recruit will also have to keep an eye out to ensure that drivers’ apparel is aligned with team partner deals, which means wearing competitors’ logos is off-limits. The Mercedes team’s apparel partners are “deliberately nonspecific at this stage,” according to a team representative and spokesperson, who was not at liberty Wednesday to share additional details.