The Lap of Luxury: Formula 1’s Luxury Renaissance

THE LAP OF LUXURY: FORMULA 1’s LUXURY RENAISSANCE

BY ISABEL PARK

How LVMH’s ten-year partnership with F1 signals the transformation of motorsport into a cultural phenomenon beyond the track

April 29, 2025

Credit: Louis Vuitton \ Formula 1

In the roaring cathedral of motorsport, where precision is measured in milliseconds and innovation in revolutions, Formula 1 has engineered a new relationship with the meticulous world of high fashion. This year marks the beginning of French luxury giant LVMH’s ten-year partnership with Formula 1 where Louis Vuitton and TAG Heuer take center stage via bespoke trophy trunks and official time-keeping. The marriage of these two worlds – one defined by blistering speed, the other by patient artistry – creates an alchemy that transcends both.

Louis Vuitton has crafted custom trophy trunks to house the first-place trophies of each race. The trophy trunks reimagine Formula 1’s finish line in leather and canvas, capturing the kinetic energy of the track in meticulous craftsmanship. Made in Louis Vuitton’s legendary Asnières atelier, a daring black-and-white checkered “V” for “Victory” adorns the maison’s iconic Monogram canvas, while racing stripes pay homage to each host nation’s colors. Although these exclusive F1 trophy trunks remain the privilege of champions, F1 fanatics can channel their own racing spirit at the South Coast Plaza Louis Vuitton boutique, where personal trunks can be custom painted with bespoke colors and designs.

original-587DA291-F70D-4D38-8155-B1AB57F02FD3 Large

Lando Norris with Australian Grand Prix trophy. Credit: Louis Vuitton \ Formula 1

Credit: LVMH

This partnership arrives at a pivotal moment in time: Formula 1’s American audience is surging, its demographics diversifying and its cultural footprint expanding beyond petrolheads. While European fans have been long devoted to the motorsport series, it has historically struggled to find its foothold in America. However, in recent years its popularity among American audiences has reached a fever pitch – largely thanks to Netflix’s wildly popular series Drive to Survive. The show, which follows the lives – and drama – of the 10 teams and their two drivers, has catapulted the sport’s popularity, converting many into devoted motorsports fanatics.

Credit: LVMH

Lewis Hamilton wearing Dior at a Rimowa event. Credit: Rimowa

Lewis Hamilton wearing Louis Vuitton. Credit: Icon Sportswire\Getty Images

Also this season, TAG Heuer returns as the official timekeeper for Formula 1. Here, the same exacting standards that craft Louis Vuitton’s custom trophy trunks, time the world’s fastest cars. A remarkable 47-inch pit lane clock achieves accuracy measured in a thousandth of a second. Recalibrated at each race, TAG Heuer technicians ensure the clock maintains its unerring exactitude across every circuit. This pursuit of perfection echoes equally through the TAG Heuer boutique at South Coast Plaza, where its Formula 1 watch collection translates championship-level precision into wearable form.

While the presence of Louis Vuitton’s bespoke trophy trunks and TAG Heuer’s official timekeeping at Formula 1 race tracks around the world may seem like a natural alliance, this was not always the case. As Lewis Hamilton told Harper’s BAZAAR, “There was [once] a sense that high fashion and high performance couldn’t exist alongside each other.” Yet in 2025, this perceived incompatibility has been all but forgotten, evidenced by more than just LVMH’s partnership with F1. Hamilton – a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion – is no stranger to the fashion world. He serves as an ambassador for renowned luxury brands such as Rimowa and Dior, and will jet from the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday to the Met Gala on Monday, where he will serve as a co-chair for the prestigious event.

LVMH’s decade-long commitment to Formula 1 isn’t simply the adorning of an already glamorous sport with additional luxury trappings. It’s something far more transformative – the perfect intersection of luxury and glamor, sport and spectacle. In short: a new era where high fashion and high performance don’t just coexist – they amplify each other’s cultural resonance.