Why Formula 1 is actually for the girls
A deep dive into my favourite sport, the importance of hobbies + fandom and what to wear to an F1 weekend
Note: This substack is a little long - if you’re reading this via your email, it’ll say ‘View Entire Message’ at the bottom - click on that to keep reading, or view the entire newsletter in the Substack app (my preferred way of consuming these). PS All the fashion related content is at the end :)
I don’t know how to drive, never learned and I don’t plan to (sorry to my husband). So why do I love a sport dedicated to driving a car!?
Well! It all started in 2020. A little show popped up on my Netflix called Drive to Survive. I ignored it, obviously. Why would I care about that? But then I listened to an episode of podcast, Armchair Expert with Australian Formula 1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo. Being Australian, I knew the name and had seen plenty of chatter about him over the years. Personality and a good story will always get me interested in something. Over the course of the almost 2 hour interview, Daniel’s sparkling personality piqued my interest in the show.
My husband and I sat down to watch the first season, and we were hooked. (The first season, it’s a lot to take in but stick with it. Skip through to Season 4 if you want arguably the best season of the show with the fiercest competition)
In the years since, my interest turned into obsession. I consume F1 content daily. I send articles and memes to my mum and husband, chat about gossip and driver/team rumours with my family. I have a (probably very annoying) knack for diverting any conversation with anyone to Formula 1, like that one time I was getting a massage after having issues with my neck and I managed to chat to the therapist for 20 minutes about F1 driver’s neck strength. I even named my new kitten, Toto - after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
I’ve watched F1 in an Irish pub in Milan, a nightclub on Oxford St in Sydney, in airport lounges, on a retreat in the Daintree rainforest, at an AFL game and many early mornings and late nights on my couch.
Why do I care/why should you?
So why do I love it? I truly believe if I can love it (the least car interested person), you can and will too. I always say my biggest regret in life is not getting into Formula 1 sooner. I used to live in Melbourne, right near Albert Park Lake, where they host the Aus GP - and I would HATE that time of year so much. It was loud and it interrupted my commute to and from work. If only I knew then, what I know now.
I love Formula 1 for many reasons. If you love Bravo and any Housewives esq show - you’ll love Drive to Survive. DTS shows you just how much drama there is in the sport. It gives you access to the drivers, their personalities, the team bosses, the ups and downs of all of their careers, just how much is on the line, the incredible competition at the races week-to-week, how much money is involved (it’s the most expensive sport in the world); it’s intense.
It is an incredibly cut-throat industry. In Formula 1, the best and worst thing is that anything can happen. There are 10 teams, 20 drivers in total (2 drivers to a team) and they always say, you’re only as good as your last race. So throughout an F1 season, if a driver isn’t performing they can be replaced instantly. Rumours swirl and sweep through the F1 world like crazy. It’s a lot to keep up with but it keeps things very interesting.
When you love a driver and go all in on their journey - like I did with Daniel Ricciardo - I had my heart broken through his many lows over the last few years. That might sound insane to someone who has no interest in the sport, but that is my truth. The sport will make or break your heart.
Beyond the show, I began watching the race weekends live. When people think of Formula 1, they often only think of the Monaco race but most people don’t realise there’s 24 races within an F1 season. The season starts in March and finishes in December with the entire sport flying across the world many times over throughout the year.
Living in Australia, this means a lot of late nights and early mornings to watch practice sessions, qualifying and the race live - which I do as much as I can. I listen to F1 podcasts, read articles, follow almost every driver, team principals, many F1 personalities and commentators. I am ALL in.
Loving Formula 1 has shown me how important and vital is it to have hobbies, to be a fan. Fandom is something people can laugh at from afar but truly, I believe it’s one of the secret sauces to life. Feeling excited and to have something to look forward to and keep track of every single week can keep you going when you’re having a hard time. It gives you connection and a community. To love and care in such a pure and wholesome way, I want that for everyone.
I have also completely buried the lead. The drivers are CUTE! Along with the importance of fandom and hobbies - in life, I believe one must have crushes (I am a Libra after all). Many of the drivers have beautiful partners with interesting lives, who I also love to follow.
Female fandom/women in F1
Turns out I’m not alone in my love and obsession. According to Forbes, female viewership of the sport has grown by 5.7% (approximately 50 million new fans) since 2021 and the female demographic is the core growth area for fans, totaling 41% of the total fan base.
“Formula 1 is a perfect example of a rights owner innovating its relationship with fans,” said Jon Stainer, Nielsen Sports’ Global General Manager. “Growth of interest, especially among women and newer markets like Saudi Arabia can be attributed largely by a shift in how the teams and drivers are profiled today, and the access they are affording global audiences. New sponsorship categories are opening up. We’re seeing a significant shift in the brands engaging in the sport, attracted to this changing fan demographic.” More info on this here.
Despite it being very rare, women can actually drive in Formula 1. Since the sport’s inception, 5 female drivers have driven at a Grand Prix weekend, with only 2 ever qualifying for a race.
This is where the incredibly important creation of F1 academy, run by Susie Wolff, comes into play. F1 Academy is the female-only racing series for drivers aged 16-25 introduced as an entry point or feeder series to get into F1. Beauty brands (and one of my favourites), Charlotte Tilbury entered into a huge partnership with F1 Academy last year by sponsoring Rodin Motorsport car of French Driver Lola Lovinfosse.
And closer to home, at the Melbourne Grand Prix, brands like Mecca Max, La Roche Posay and Shark Beauty are major sponsors for the 2025 race weekend; a very smart move given the rise of female interest.
Fashion in Formula 1; an ode to Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1 is known to be very jet-set and glamourous. No race weekend is without a celebrity or 10, gracing the grid during Martin Brundle’s famous grid walk.
For years, Lewis Hamilton has been using his arrival at the F1 Paddock to showcase his keen interest in fashion. Compared to almost all of the other drivers turning up in their team kit, I always look forward to seeing what he’s wearing. He never shies away from something unexpected.
He’s had the best in the business helping him build out his style moves and he currently works with stylist Erin Mcneal. No stranger to the fashion week circuit, Lewis has had a long-standing relationship with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and last year he became a brand ambassador for Dior and worked on a capsule collection with menswear designer Kim Jones. Last month, he signed on as global ambassador for Lululemon.
This May, Lewis will be co-chair for the Met Gala, along side Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and honorary chair LeBron James. The theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.
Here are some of my favourite Lewis looks from Formula 1 weekends.
Women of the Paddock
Another highlight of race weekends is seeing what the partners of the drivers wear. Some of my favourite girlfriends of drivers include; Lily Muni He, Alexandra Saint Mleux and Francisca Cerqueira Gomes.
What to wear to an F1 race weekend
2024 was the year I finally got to go in person to an F1 weekend. I went to not only the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne but also the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. If you’re wondering what to wear to the F1; you can dress up like Lewis Hamilton or Alexandra Saint Mleux or you can go casual and don your favourite team’s merch - anything goes.
My main advice is that you:
pick comfortable shoes - a lot of walking is involved
have a hat in your bag as you’ll likely be outside all day
if you’re going to have heaps of skin exposed, bring a shirt (or something similar) in case you need protection from the sun and apply SPF at home and bring some to reapply
bring a bag that can fit in snacks, water, portable phone chargers etc
Given that F1 races take place all year, throughout the world in all climates and seasons, what to wear will differ from place to place.
Below, I’ve created some moodboards for inspiration if you’re attending this coming weekend! Here is what I wore to last year’s Melbourne Grand Prix and the Suzuka Grand Prix:
Moodboards for inspo:
If you decide to watch Drive to Survive, let me know!
More Smooth Brain Thoughts soon,
Ali xx
I have to ask if you’re an Armchairie too, or just happened to link two AE pods? I’ve never met an armchairie in the wild but I’m a dedicated listener.
Also, the new series of D2S starting off with the text message scandal has me immediately back invested! Netflix knows how to get us all back into the zone
I loved this so much!!
As someone who watches every practice, qualifying, and race like it’s a scheduled life event, I felt this deeply. The obsession, the heartbreak, the late nights, the way it slowly takes over your personality a little… it’s all real.
I also really appreciated how you framed fandom as something meaningful. Loving Formula 1 isn’t shallow, it’s layered. The racing, the politics, the contracts, the fashion, the cultural shift after Drive to Survive, it’s such a fascinating ecosystem to be inside.
Such a good read.