Fashion
The Scuderia AlphaTauri drivers uniting fashion and Formula One
Join F1 stars Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda as they check out the latest pieces at the AlphaTauri Store Graz ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
The world of fashion has always loved the speed and thrill of Formula One racing. The passion and courage of drivers, the glamorous grand prix locations and the celebrity audiences have excited designers and inspired their clothing collections.
But today the worlds of fashion and F1 are fusing as never before, as we see more of the drivers' personalities on and off the track. Nothing represents this new spirit of collaboration better than the Scuderia AlphaTauri team, sponsored by Red Bull’s stand-alone fashion brand AlphaTauri, and its drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.
It is a very bold statement for a fashion brand to own a team
Before the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, the drivers dropped by AlphaTauri’s store in nearby Graz – a bold contemporary space in the historic heart of the city – to learn more about the collections, pick up some new garments and share their thoughts about a more style-conscious F1.
Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly in outfits by AlphaTauri
© AlphaTauri
“Fashion has impacted F1,” said 26-year-old Pierre Gasly. “You see teams now in the sport paying more attention to their outfits, to their team kits, making them more stylish and more affordable, thinking more about what they wear.”
“But in the other way as well - as F1 drivers we are all ambassadors of our sport,” the Frenchman said. "We are only 20 drivers. A lot of people are paying attention to what we do, what we wear, so obviously the way we dress, some may get inspired, some may like it."
Social media, Netflix’s Drive to Survive, and new camera technology that can effectively put us in the race cars with the drivers, listening to their exchanges with their teams, has brought them closer to us than ever and brought F1 a new, younger and more diverse audience. This has increased focus and attention on the drivers and their lifestyle.
“It is a very bold statement for a fashion brand to own a team - we are racing against car manufacturers,” said Gasly. But it reflects the opening up of the sport to new influences.
"Everyone has their own personality, people can be the way they want to be. For me it is very important to have that freedom, to wear what I like and dress the way I want, to feel myself.”
Pierre Gasly in an outfit by AlphaTauri at the brand's Graz store
© AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda wearing AlphaTauri
© AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda, 22, shares that enjoyment of the freedom and self expression that fashion can bring. He particularly enjoys the wide range of AlphaTauri’s collections – which he says can bring him sophistication when he wants it, as well as comfort and ease for the frequent travel through the racing season.
“I think clothes are items with which to show your personality and character. You can play around with lots of style... AlphaTauri clothes feel cool. Style was something I wasn’t thinking about much three years ago,” said with the Japanese driver with a laugh.
“When I’m travelling, I want to wear comfortable clothes – but you want to be stylish as well. As a driver people pay attention to you, so you need something that makes you happy.”
Gasly also finds that with AlphaTauri clothes he can cover the full range of his commitments as an F1 driver, but also, importantly, relax and be himself.
“They have everything you need. [The collection] goes from very comfortable to very formal; classy, elegant. If you want to be a bit more chilled they also have such clothes – I appreciate and enjoy it.”
Gasly made his F1 debut in 2017, and won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.
“Fashion in my life is important for me because it also disconnects me from my day-to-day job,” he added. "When we get to the track we have a lot of pressure, a lot of adrenalin. As a sports team we are very focused on delivering the performance. Then when I go home, I have another life, a personal life, and fashion is my way to get away from this racing life and get into my own world as Pierre Gasly."
Yuki Tsunoda dressed in AlphaTauri
© AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri embodies the F1 racing team’s mindset of creativity and ambition in its designs and innovation in textiles, comfort and performance. Both drivers appreciate the functionality of the clothes and the levels of craftsmanship.
“AlphaTauri is very innovative in terms of the materials that they use and always advanced in terms of technology. It makes [the clothes] authentic and unique and that is the signature of AlphaTauri,” said Gasly, who is working on a capsule collection with the brand.
“I’m really happy the way things are going with AlphaTauri and with being more involved in this industry because it is something I want to develop in the future. I’m enjoying the adventure together,” he added.
Longer-term, the fusion of fashion and F1 embodied by Scuderia AlphaTauri has the potential to bring a greater audience to the sport and fresh impulses.
“I think it is a really good thing. You get attention not only from motorsports fans, it is also bringing people from the fashion world,” said Tsunoda.
“We have a lot more people now,” said Gasly. “More diverse people are coming to the sport, not just the diehard motorsports fans. It is a pretty good time! F1 is booming.”