Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton has been named as Lululemon’s latest global ambassador marking a gender shift for the athleisure brand and Formula 1.
Hamilton is a long-term advocate for diversity and inclusion and his partnership with Lululemon represents a commitment from both parties to celebrate this. That’s backed up by Lululemon’s commitment to Hamilton’s Mission 44 initiative, with both parties set to work together to “integrate movement and mental health experiences into their efforts to build a fairer future for young people through education, employment, and empowerment.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Lewis to the Lululemon collective as our newest Ambassador,” said Chief Brand and Product Activation Officer Nikki Neuburger. “Lewis is a game-changer in every sense of the word. His relentless commitment to performance, wellbeing, and impact align completely with what we stand for at Lululemon. We’re excited to partner with Lewis to innovate, inspire, and create positive change together.”
Hamilton said: “Lululemon product is such high quality, looks amazing, and ultimately delivers the performance I need it to. I’m excited to partner with a brand that embraces a holistic approach to wellness. Together, we want to inspire our communities to be the best versions of themselves.”
Hamilton’s commitment to diversity doesn’t just represent racial demographics, but gender ones also. In conversation with GQ, Hamilton exclaimed surprise when Lululemon came calling, saying “I didn’t actually know they were doing men’s.”
Hamilton recognises Lululemon quality
The seven-time F1 champion added: “Obviously, there were women that I’d met who would just be raving about Lululemon – I was like, ‘Uh, I can’t wear the leggings!’”
Hamilton has taken to the partnership well, hailing the Lululemon menswear range.
“Honestly, running, being in the gym [with] the weight, the feel of the fabric, it’s so rich,” he said. “Feel is everything.”
Despite Hamilton’s involvement with Lululemon being on the menswear side of things, his partnership with a brand with a predominantly female target market is significant in F1. The female fan-base in F1 is growing at an extremely fast rate. According to Forbes, women account for 41% of F1’s fanbase and further reports indicate the fastest growing fan demographic is women aged 16 to 24. More than Equal finds that female fans are 70% more likely than their male counterparts to engage with digital content.
For a female-focussed brand, partnering with F1’s biggest star with the highest social media following is a golden mix of ingredients presenting unique marketing opportunities. It also communicates to female F1 fans that they are being seen and heard.
F1 partnerships are catering to female fans
Hamilton and Lululemon isn’t the only case study showing that F1 partnerships are catering to the female gaze.
Aston Martin has bolstered its commitment to serving female fans with its recently announced multi-year partnership with British skincare brand ELEMIS. The partnership will feature a series of activations in 2025, including a limited edition range of products, exclusive ‘pit-stop’ ELEMIS treatments for the team’s paddock guests and a spa experience on the Aston Martin yacht during May’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Aston Martin has a strong-track record in pushing female representation on the world stage and has been doing so through its Driver Ambassador and F1 Academy head Jessica Hawkins. Hawkins and Aston Martin know how to break boundaries with the 30-year-old the first woman to drive a ground effect F1 car during a demo run in Saudi Arabia last year, a moment made all the more significant thanks to her being a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Hawkins has hailed the ELEMIS partnership with Aston Martin, saying: “As the Head of F1 Academy for the team, promoting inclusivity and ensuring that motorsport is a place where everyone is welcome is really important to me, so it’s incredible that ELEMIS have a similar focus, both within their partnership and their strategy more broadly.”
F1 partnerships seldom celebrate the series’ newfound popularity with female fans, but Aston Martin has provided a meaningful experience for its female VIPs through its planned ELEMIS activations (although pampering isn’t exclusive to one particular gender) and its limited edition products will cater to a broader range of fans as well.
Hamilton too, partnering with a predominantly female-focussed brand in Lululemon shows the sport doesn’t want to ignore the interest that is growing amid the sport’s newest sector of avid fans.
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