Every race weekend is ‘Lewis Hamilton Fashion Week’! The 7x champ is one of the best-dressed people in the paddock. Often, one might find Zhou Guanyu or Lando Norris trying to keep up. But Lewis makes an unmatched fashion statement. On the other hand, one will always find Carlos Sainz in his simple outfit. He is either in his team’s jersey or wearing solid-colored t-shirts or sweatshirts. A massive contrast in personality in terms of fashion!

Speaking with GQ, Sainz expressed his fashion identity. The Spaniard chooses comfort and simplicity over vogue. Honestly, even if Carlos didn’t say this, fans already knew his preference! However, it is always good to know. So if there was a hypothetical F1 fashion list. On a scale from 1 to 10, with Fernando Alonso at #1, for example, and Lewis Hamilton at #10. How interested is Carlos in fashion?

Carlos Sainz complains about the “modernism of today” and prefers the classic way instead

Carlos Sainz said he has zero interest in fashion. He told GQ, “Fashion is something that has never interested me on a personal level. I’m a very simple guy.” He added, “If I have to dress… To tell you the truth, I like the way men dressed 50 years ago and I wish they still dressed the same. I don’t like the modernism of today. I would say that what I do like is comfort.”

Fifty years ago, men’s fashion was evolving with funky patterns, but bell bottoms and turtlenecks were still popular. Carlos meant that men’s fashion in the 20th century was simpler and less fancy than today. The Ferrari driver further gave an insight into his choice of clothing. “If I have to go out in a sweatshirt, as it is called now, oversized, where I know that not many people are going to see me, where I don’t have to look elegant, I wear pants and an oversized sweatshirt because it’s comfortable.”

But, “If I have to go to a public place where I have to maintain an image, then what I like the most is the classic and the way men have always dressed.” As one can understand, Carlos is into classic fashion – simple tees, tuxedos, suits are the ‘Carlos Sainz genre’.

On the other hand, his teammate Charles Leclerc often wears stylish oversized denims to the paddock. Meanwhile, donning his simple regular denim, Sainz walks in with equal grace. Other drivers rock the paddock with their stylish looks too.

So what’s the next question in your mind naturally?

Who are the fashion icons of the F1 paddock?

The first name that comes to mind on hearing ‘fashion icon’ is Lewis Hamilton. He turns the paddock into his runway! The 39-year-old is never out of style. From endorsing big brands to promoting budding artists, Hamilton is a style statement. Matching the icon’s persona enters Stake Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu. And boy! He does know his way around fashion. We have all the respect in the world for Lewis Hamilton and his racing ability, and he seems to have garnered some brownie points with his clothing too, over the years!

Zhou prefers new fashion over vintage and loves Dior’s outfits. Then there is Lando Norris, who is emerging as a fashion icon. He never really had a ‘terrible style’. In Budapest, Lando’s new look alternated between a mix of David Beckham’s ’90s off-duty style with a touch of Jude Law’s character from ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’. Other than these drivers, most of the F1 paddock keeps a low fashion profile.

Sometimes one might find Esteban Ocon in fancy fits, but otherwise, the rest of the grid is mostly into simplicity.

While the contrast between Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton’s fashion is visible, the other drivers are no less. Now and then, someone or the other chooses to channel the ‘supermodel’ in them. It is honestly always great to see these men try out new things. Brings out a new side of their personality, indeed. And for once, maybe Carlos could also try something different! He would surely make a good model.What are your thoughts on this? Share in the comments.