The New Rules Of Men’s F1 Style: From Trackside To City

Not long ago, Formula 1 fashion meant oversized team polos, sponsor-heavy jackets and caps that were worn with pride but rarely with much consideration for style. They served a purpose – showing allegiance to a team – but they weren’t exactly the sort of pieces you’d reach for when getting dressed on a normal day.

That’s changed.

Over the past decade, Formula 1 has quietly evolved into one of the most culturally influential sports on the planet. Netflix’s Drive to Survive has brought in a new generation of fans, race weekends have become full-scale lifestyle events, and the paddock itself now looks closer to fashion week than a traditional sporting arena.

Naturally, fashion brands have taken notice. The result is a new category of clothing that sits somewhere between luxury sportswear and elevated fanwear: pieces that borrow the DNA of motorsport but work just as well in the city as they do beside the pit lane.

Few collaborations illustrate that shift better than Reiss’ ongoing partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, a collection that blends British tailoring expertise with one of the most iconic teams in motorsport.

Understanding how it works begins with understanding the new rules of Formula 1 style.

Rule One: Motorsport Is The New Luxury Playground

Formula 1 has become a magnet for luxury brands. Watchmakers, champagne houses, fashion labels and automotive partners now treat the sport as one of the most powerful cultural platforms in the world. The audience is global, affluent and highly engaged, and the atmosphere surrounding race weekends reflects that.

Monaco’s harbour fills with superyachts. Miami feels like a fashion event disguised as a Grand Prix. Even traditional races like Silverstone now attract celebrities and creatives who treat the paddock like the most exclusive front row in sport. This new environment has naturally influenced the design of motorsport-inspired clothing.

Rather than producing obvious merchandise, brands are increasingly focusing on pieces that feel like genuine additions to a modern wardrobe. Clean silhouettes, premium fabrics and subtle design cues have replaced loud logos and souvenir-style graphics.

The Reiss x McLaren collection sits squarely in this space. Instead of replicating the team kit, it translates McLaren’s identity into contemporary menswear staples: sleek outerwear, technical knitwear, and refined casual pieces that draw inspiration from racing without feeling like memorabilia.

A streamlined zip-through jacket or minimalist overshirt from the range, for example, carries subtle McLaren detailing while still looking like something you’d naturally wear in the city.

Shop Reiss | McLaren Racing Season 03

Rule Two: Subtlety Beats Sponsorship

Traditional Formula 1 merchandise has always been about visibility. Sponsors dominate the design, colours are bold, and branding is intentionally unmistakable. But the modern fan is looking for something different.

Today’s motorsport-inspired wardrobe is defined by restraint. Subtle logos, premium textures and thoughtful colour palettes allow the reference to racing culture to remain present without overwhelming the outfit. That shift is immediately visible in the Reiss x McLaren collection.

Instead of oversized graphics and sponsor patches, many of the pieces rely on understated details: tonal branding, small McLaren emblems or carefully placed flashes of the team’s signature papaya orange. The result feels refined rather than promotional.

Take one of the collection’s knit polos or lightweight hoodies. At first glance, they look like clean, modern wardrobe staples. Look closer and the motorsport influence appears in the detailing – the trim on a collar, the texture of a technical fabric or the discreet McLaren branding.

It’s the difference between wearing a piece of merchandise and wearing a piece of clothing that happens to share DNA with one of Formula 1’s most famous teams.

Shop Reiss | McLaren Racing Season 03

Rule Three: Performance Meets Everyday Wear

Modern Formula 1 style is also defined by practicality. Race weekends are busy affairs. Drivers, team members and fans alike move constantly between airports, hospitality lounges, hotels and evening events. Clothing needs to look good, but it also needs to travel well and feel comfortable throughout long days.

That’s where the design philosophy behind the Reiss x McLaren collection really becomes clear. The range is built around three capsules that reflect different sides of motorsport culture.

• Hype is the most expressive, featuring graphic tees, bold outerwear and statement pieces that capture the energy of race weekends. A varsity-style jacket or graphic T-shirt from this part of the collection feels perfectly suited to the atmosphere of a packed grandstand.
• Dynamic focuses on sleek tailoring and technical fabrics designed for movement. Lightweight jackets, sharp trousers and streamlined knitwear offer the kind of versatility that works for travel days and evening events alike.
• Fanwear is the most accessible side of the range. Think elevated hoodies, clean polos and everyday staples that bring subtle McLaren references into a wardrobe without demanding attention.

Layer a zip-up hoodie from the collection under a technical jacket, or pair a tailored polo with relaxed trousers and trainers, and you have an outfit that feels equally at home trackside or back in the city.

Shop Reiss | McLaren Racing Season 03

Rule Four: The Drivers Are Style Icons Now

Another reason Formula 1 fashion has surged in popularity is the drivers themselves. The new generation of racers isn’t just elite athletes; they’re global personalities whose off-track style is followed just as closely as their lap times. Social media has given fans a window into the wardrobes of drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s own Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The result is a shift in perception. Formula 1 drivers are now part of the fashion conversation. Brands understand this. Campaign imagery increasingly shows drivers outside the cockpit, wearing pieces designed for life away from the circuit.

That’s exactly how the Reiss x McLaren collaboration is presented. Norris and Piastri appear in the campaign wearing the collection’s jackets, knitwear and relaxed tailoring in settings that feel more like modern city environments than pit lanes.

It reinforces the central idea behind the collection: these are clothes inspired by the culture surrounding Formula 1 rather than uniforms for the race itself.

A sleek bomber jacket or tailored overshirt from the range looks just as natural on a night out as it does during a race weekend.

Shop Reiss | McLaren Racing Season 03

Rule Five: Trackside Style Has Gone Global

The final rule of modern F1 fashion is simple: the paddock has become a global style stage. Grand Prix weekends now bring together athletes, celebrities, designers and fans from all over the world. The atmosphere blends sport, travel and luxury in a way few other events can match. Naturally, people dress for it.

The modern trackside wardrobe tends to revolve around relaxed tailoring, elevated sportswear and versatile layering pieces that work throughout the day. It’s the sort of style that transitions easily from watching practice sessions to dinner later that evening.

The Reiss x McLaren collection is designed with that exact lifestyle in mind. A lightweight jacket layered over a knit polo, paired with tailored trousers and clean trainers, strikes the perfect balance. It nods to motorsport culture through colour and detailing while still feeling polished enough for everyday life.

And that’s the real takeaway from Formula 1’s style evolution. The best motorsport-inspired clothing no longer belongs exclusively at the circuit. It belongs wherever you decide to wear it.

Shop Reiss | McLaren Racing Season 03

—

A pair partnership with Reiss – words and opinions are Ape’s own.