Zhou Guanyu’s Emblematic Rise on the Formula 1 Fashion Scene

Fashion is in Zhou Guanyu’s blood — literally.

Unlike many Formula 1 drivers whose parentage is often linked to the broader motorsports industry, Guanyu’s mother was a fashion designer and worked on fashion sets.

As the first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Guanyu has continued to break barriers in the motorsports space and beyond. Especially in China’s market, his popularity has skyrocketed since he joined Sauber’s Formula 1 team two years ago — Guanyu boasts more than 4 million followers across social media platforms Weibo, Xiaohongshu (or Little Red Book) and Instagram.

Most notably, Guanyu is a brand ambassador for Dior in China and has worked with the likes of Lululemon, Puma, LVMH’s Hennessy and more over the years.

This year also marked the sport’s return of the Chinese Grand Prix to the sport’s calendar, held in Shanghai — where Guanyu was born. He received a hero’s welcome and was given a special spot to park his car on the grid post-race to celebrate his first home race.

Viola Meng, a Shanghai-based fashion designer and vice president of the Association of Image Consultants International Chapters East, said that Guanyu’s rise in popularity has also widened the sport’s popularity in China and made him “a central figure for both existing fans and newcomers.”

Moreover, she said Guanyu’s position as the first and only driver from China has put him in a “unique position that fosters a sense of national representation — and resonates with young Chinese fans.”

Guanyu’s continued presence at various fashion week events over the years “indicates a successful crossover from motorsport to lifestyle and fashion, enhancing his own personal brand image. Zhou helps bridge the gap between Chinese culture and international trends by showcasing a modern, stylish image of Chinese athletes to the world,” Meng said.

When it comes to fashion itself, Guanyu told WWD that he is a risk taker and likes to try new things — whether it’s a new hairstyle, clothes or shoes. “Streetwear style is what I like the most and is what I’m most comfortable in.”

While many athletes on the main stage opt to work with a stylist by default, Guanyu stays true to himself by not working with one. He said he’s constantly keeping up with the latest collections put out, notable trends and then shops directly online. He cited Rick Owens and Kim Jones as his two major sartorial inspirations — with Chrome Hearts being his all-time favorite brand.

“For the outfits I pick for Thursdays (media day) and walking into the paddock, I don’t want to have a stylist deciding that,” Guanyu explains. “I go online, look at the latest collections and pick from it. I don’t want to end up forced to wear something I don’t like. I don’t want to be forced into someone else’s fashion sense.”

Contrary to Lewis Hamilton, who told WWD that he spends a lot of time deciding on looks for the season with his stylist Eric McNeal, Guanyu said he doesn’t plan that far in advance — oftentimes choosing his paddock fashion maybe a day or week out, at most. He often looks at a mix of the clothing he gets sent by partners and also makes sure to check the location’s climate to assess what makes the most sense.

“I don’t want to over exaggerate the fashion style,” Guanyu said. “If it’s not relevant or what I’d wear in a certain temperature, then I don’t feel like it makes sense. I want to show people that they actually can wear clothes very casually like I do. I pick different styles and colorways because when I’m at the track I try to be a little more colorful than when I’m at home.”

Beyond seeing his mother in the fashion industry, Guanyu reflected on his youth, explaining that he’s been interested in fashion since the age of 13, with this interest following him today. The Guanyu family left Shanghai for Sheffield, U.K., when he was just 12 to jumpstart his motorsports career.

The Impact of Fashion in Formula 1

Eliza Huber, senior fashion editor at Who What Wear, has covered Formula 1 and the wider impact of fashion on sports extensively since 2022. When it comes to Guanyu’s personal style, she said that it has clearly been appreciated by the younger Formula 1 fan circles who have noted the growing presence of fashion in the sport.

“It was a genius move for him to build a reputation in the sport as one of the most stylish drivers, partnering with big brands straight out of the gate,” Huber said. “Drivers, like athletes in so many other sports, have an expiration date — their bodies just can’t handle it. They must use their time in the spotlight to build a CV outside of the sport to keep their success going in other areas.”

Throughout his time in Formula 1, Guanyu cited Hamilton as someone he admires, for his role in the current shift the wider fashion industry is playing and for his asserting himself as a major public figure. For many years, Hamilton fought against the unfair restrictions put on drivers — including protesting against FIA race director’s Niels Wittich ban on drivers from wearing body piercings or neck chains during the race.

“Lewis made a massive impact for our sport,” Guanyu said. “He made it more widely open. In the past, it’s been more about the racing driver. Lewis really showed people who he is off track. And when he comes back, he’s purely focused on the job and being one of the greatest drivers ever.”

With the paddock now becoming the next red carpet similar to the NBA’s tunnel walk, Guanyu said that Formula 1 had never been on that level of cultural impact or influence before Lewis. Using fashion, Guanyu shows off his personality and who he is as a person outside of motorsports.

As a brand ambassador for Lululemon in China and timed to the 20th anniversary of the Chinese Grand Prix this year, Guanyu collaborated on a limited-edition collection with the brand including clothing, bucket hats, bags and more.

Huber said that fashion has become a widely appealing medium for athletes today because it gives “fans a glimpse of who [they] are off the court or track.” Moreover, clothes are a nonverbal form of communication — especially true for Formula 1 drivers who are covered from head to toe when they step into the race car.

“Paddock [out]fits help fans get to know them in a way they can relate to,” Huber explained. “The age-old saying ‘dress for the job you want’ applies here. When you put on a great outfit, you feel better and more confident — and in Formula 1, confidence is paramount to success.” While most fan will never meet their favorite athletes, she said fans can “learn about them by deciphering their outfits.”

Rashi Gaur of @hamazinglew is the first account to showcase Hamilton’s fashion on Instagram since 2018 and has seen the shift in the English driver’s impact firsthand. “Drivers have realized that it is important to show your personality through fashion as fans can relate to them more when they’re able to better express themselves,” Gaur told WWD.

Despite her account being dedicated to Hamilton, Gaur can often be seen on her Instagram stories also rooting for Guanyu — “I always want to know what he is wearing.” Gaur said when Guanyu first stepped into the paddock with his brand Dior ambassadorship, he was the only driver on the grid operating on a similar level to Hamilton.

“Zhou genuinely enjoys playing with fashion,” Gaur said. “I’ve seen him experimenting with his style, from Rick Owens to Dior — he seems very committed to looking stylish as much as he can in the paddock. As a fan, it makes me happy that drivers are normalizing showing off their personal style more because it has more impact than they realize.”

Meanwhile, a fan account dedicated to decoding Guanyu’s style specifically is @zhouguanyu.closet, run by Alicia Warcollier and followed by Guanyu. She first started documenting his style on Instagram in 2022 after seeing Gaur’s success with Hamilton. (Warcollier said Gaur encouraged her to start her own account.)

Warcollier said she was drawn to Guanyu because she saw his “genuine love of fashion” with a “more authentic” approach to other drivers. After seeing Guanyu attend a Prada fashion show in 2022, she was hooked — taking note of his style being a “mix of comfy outfits with oversize hoodies, streetwear outfits and more sophisticated outfits.”

On Nov. 6, Guanyu put out a statement on social media that he would no longer be racing for Sauber after this year — “I will be leaving the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber at the end of the 2024 season. I am immensely proud to represent my country as the first Chinese Formula 1 driver. I hope that my racing continues to inspire others who are following my story. I’m now discussing a number of options to stay in the Formula 1 Paddock.”

While discussing his future with WWD, he said designing fashion as a future endeavor is at the top of his list. Whether a future as a fashion and image consultant in Formula 1 or continuing to show off his sense of style in another motorsport category, Guanyu’s pushing the envelope for paddock fashion is sure to be a major influence on next year’s roster of rookies entering the grid for 2025 — especially as Formula 1 enters its next chapter filled with fashion sponsors, including an unprecedented 10-year deal with LVMH, across the paddock.