Seeing Red: The Branding Genius Behind Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Era

The giant red helmet engulfed the young kart racer’s head, making his face almost indiscernible; but in his eyes was a clear and laser-focused foresight of the seven Driver’s World Championships (DWC) he’d go on to win with Mercedes and McLaren. A foresight that also propelled him into the whirlwind of Tifosi fandom upon signing with the most notable motorsport and luxury vehicle brand in the world: Ferrari.

Sir Lewis Hamilton — arguably the greatest Formula 1 (F1) racing driver of all time — started seeing red in his future long before his unique swagger hit the F1 paddocks. In a post he made to Instagram on January 1, 2025, the young kart racing Hamilton is seen sporting an all yellow race suit with red trim and red gloves. The giant red helmet with a clear visor is fitted snugly as his hands grip the wheel for dear life; his iconic “44” race number plastered in bold on the front of the white kart in faded black text with a yellow background. Look beyond the bright yellows and glaring reds and you see an unwavering determination in the kid’s eyes.

The chronology of Hamilton’s journey to becoming a Scuderia Ferrari HP F1 driver shocked the world back in February 2024 when news broke that he would be departing from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team after the 2024 season, ending a 12-year reign with the team. However, the red helmet kid that was locked in on his craft knew this was always part of the plan. What is the most novelistic, though, is the way he used his love for fashion and his athlete brand identity to tell the story of this transition through his wardrobe.

In the age of athletes increasing their presence online and leveraging social media to enhance their brand identities, an athlete’s stylistic choices have become huge markers of influence and affinity for their fans. The National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Football League (NFL), and other professional sport leagues have championed this cultural stamp. Many teams in the leagues have integrated sponsored digital marketing campaigns to highlight the stunning – and sometimes questionable – fits that these star-studded athletes wear to games and events. Some athletes pay fashion no mind and prefer comfort. Other athletes, like NBA Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, use fashion as a way to break stereotypes and try something new. But for Lewis, it’s about making a statement and telling his story.

Instead of the turning of a page, it was the changing of clothes. Literally.

In his final three days as a Mercedes driver during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton gradually transitioned from wearing a valiant white – a race suit color he wore throughout many of his six Driver’s World Championship winning seasons with Mercedes — to the blistering Ferrari red.

An athlete’s departure from a team they’ve become synonymous with is not easy for fans and especially not for the driver. It was also seemingly clear during the 2024 season that, whether it was the car or his personal performance, Hamilton was not happy and had not been happy with the Grand Prix outcomes during his final few seasons with the team. Despite this, Hamilton’s gestures through his fashion told a story of a peaceful transition. A change that he had dreamed of (but not planned) since the day that karting photo was taken.

Fast forward to January 20, 2025. Millions of Americans watched as Donald J. Trump was sworn in for his second term as the 47th President of The United States of America. Globally, Dr. Martin Luther King was celebrated for his impact on racial equality and the Black experience in the U.S. All the meanwhile, the die-hard Italian racing fans, or “Tifosi”, and the entire F1 world turned their attention to Maranello, Italy where Sir Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari HP made a fashionably on time announcement that he was officially a Ferrari driver.

Hamilton stepped on the wet tarmac of the Scuderia Ferrari HP headquarters in an all-black suit and trench coat with more buttons than his steering wheel and a Ferrari F40 beside him that was so fire it would have Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown from the Back to the Future movie series yelling “Great Scott”! The dapper attire also appeared to be a nod to former Ferrari driver and F1 legend, Michael Schumacher, who also rocked a black suit and trench coat on his first day, but with a blue shirt and red tie instead.

The nostalgic photo of Hamilton wearing that massive red helmet serves as more than just a memento of his upbringing in the sport. On his Instagram page, it is the bookmark that separates the end of his Mercedes chapter and the beginning of the one with Ferrari. Or the lone hanger that divides the black and white clothes from the red clothes.

On social media, it can be hard for an athlete to determine how they want to portray themselves. Should they post about their everyday life? Should they only use it to promote brand deals? What about captions, should they quote Drake or put something heartfelt? Should they change their filters and editing styles to match the changing seasons? So many first world problems to consider…

What Hamilton and his team have done is used his love for fashion and this historic signing to visually articulate his story. The story of a Black kid from the United Kingdom that was most often the only driver of color on the grid. The story of how that Black kid in the red helmet became the face of the sport and dominated in orange, grey, chrome, white, black, silver, and teal with McLaren and Mercedes. The story of that Black kid reconnecting with that red — but not a red of anger, a red of love.

The red snowboarding gear from his final days of the F1 offseason while out with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist snowboarder, Shaun White, bleeds into his James Bond sophistication next to the Ferrari F40. Many F1 enthusiasts who dissect everything related to their beloved drivers perceived the 7 windows on the building in the back of this photo to hint at Hamilton’s attempt at his eighth DWC.

This was followed by a ceremonious portrait of Hamilton in the same fit alongside Ferrari F1 Team Principal, Fred Vasseur and Ferrari CEO, Benedetto Vigna in front of a bright red door: the entrance to his new racing home.

Then the photo of him in the red racing suit. The yellow helmet. The tarmac. The opening of the red door. Hamilton is putting on a master class of storytelling through his personal interests and life events in a way that usually only the most dedicated photojournalists and visual artists accomplish.?

The storytelling and brand identity that Sir Lewis Hamilton has curated on his social channels is something for every athlete to emulate in their own way. Develop a media team that can help capture life moments and career milestones. Show instead of tell — allow hobbies and personal interests to organically convey a deeper message.?

But always remember to keep the main thing, the main thing. None of this beautiful storytelling is relevant without the resume Hamilton has built. Whether it’s footy (European football), basketball, baseball, karting – adopt that look in young Lewis’s eyes.?

See red and don’t look back. Keep that foot on the gas.

“That’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible. You can do it too…”

?- Sir Lewis Hamilton on the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team radio after winning his seventh world title