Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

Welcome back, besties, baddies, and biddies! I have just returned from the land of poutine and people who don't jaywalk as much as they should, otherwise known as Montreal! I had a delightful time at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, but I'll write more on that at a later date. I hate writing these intros and always do them last, so I don’t have much to say except that if you’re a member of the Alphabet Mafia (aka the LGBTQ+ community), you should fill out this form ASAP.

Lastly, I've been quoted in some stuff recently! Big thanks to Bloomberg and The Zoe Report for the chats.

Anyway, it’s a jam-packed issue with plenty of long-awaited features. Enjoy!
 

A Dissertation on the "Sexualization of F1 Drivers" Debate

A confession: I’ve rewritten this section probably five times. I’ve just accepted that this is as good as it’s gonna get.

A chat about this “[women] are sexualizing the drivers” complaint in the F1 fandom has been a long time coming for Engine Failure, mostly because I’ve found myself privately growing increasingly agitated yet bored by the discourse. It’s mostly funny to me in the sense that certain Formula 1 fans think they’re sooooo original for waging a very one-sided Holy War against women talking about hot men when I’ve covered this ground in politics, wellness, and other beats. Same shit, different community. *snores*

Now, I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few subscribers to this newsletter who vaguely fall into the camp of "yeah, we shouldn't sexualize the drivers!"; it's one of those stances that seems relatively harmless and even progressive on the surface. However, as is often the case, things start to fall apart the closer we look at them and the sooner we begin to apply (say it with me now) ~nuance~.

So here it is: Your favorite ace hottie is here to break this allosexual-on-allosexual violence down — during Pride Month, no less. It’s my time to shine!!!!
 

What Do People Mean By “Sexualizing the Drivers”?

Let's start with a simple question: What exactly is the problem? This one is a little difficult to pin down, but I’ll try my best. Basically, a portion of F1 fans are upset at the notion that people (by that, many of them appear to mean entirely women) are commenting on how aesthetically attractive the drivers are, mentioning how hot these guys are on thirsty photos and videos from teams, drivers, and the F1 org alike, and creating their own content around that. In fact, they’re just upset if anything remotely attraction-based, sexual, or sensual comes into play in F1, with detractors claiming that women pointing out the drivers’ attractiveness in any form is “sexualizing” them and therefore “ruining” the sport. It's a very absolutist approach. (Imagine a world where women truly had that level of power. If I could eradicate entire communities of annoying busybodies by simply mentioning that someone has washboard abs, I’d achieve world peace before lunch. Can this be the allosexual equivalent of the Bloody Mary superstition but where if I yell "PENIS!" three times into a mirror, these folks will vanish in a dramatic puff of smoke?)

As expected, this “sexualization” debate has devolved into a larger disturbing discourse around women's presence in the F1 fandom. There are claims that any mentions of hot drivers only started when ~DTS fans~ (a deeply coded and downright ridiculous phrase) began following the sport. (I can assure you through copious research and a recent deep dive into the 1970s F1 era that this is patently and hilariously false.). Under this line of thinking though, the arguments are that 1) every woman only got into Formula 1 for the aesthetically pleasing drivers, and 2) women who do like the fact that the drivers are attractive are Bad™ for the sport. In addition to this classic anti-sex rhetoric and shaming, this whole obsession over whether or not women are “sexualizing” these men is then used as a means to discredit all women who enjoy any element of the sport, and it has created in-fighting among women themselves, some of whom then feel like they need to defend that they’re ~not like other girls~ who enjoy discussing that the drivers are hot. (God, misogyny is a minefield!)

First of all, much of the stuff these anti-"sexualization" crusaders are losing their goddamn minds over is a lot of grade-A vanilla shit. These Jim Bob Duggars are having a conniption over women pointing out that Carlos Sainz’s hair *Regina George voice* looks sexy pushed back or that Mick Schumacher was thirsty when he randomly posted a shirtless video wading into a body of water. (Spoiler alert: He is! Let the man be single and obviously ready to mingle!) What's next? Are these critics gonna go into anaphylactic shock over a woman showing a little bit of ankle? Some of y’all need to read more romance novels and dive into some erotica, I swear to God.

Here’s the thing: I don’t buy that 99% of these people actually care that deeply about if the drivers are being "sexualized" or not. This sitch reminds me of earlier this year when a clip of conservative activist Bethany Mandel not being able to define the term “woke” (despite writing an entire book railing against the word) went predictably viral. I realized something important in that moment: The vaaaaast majority of folks crying foul over drivers being “sexualized” can't actually define the phenomenon in their own words (i.e. not just throwing some Merriam-Webster word salad out there) because it doesn't actually exist — at least, not in the way they're using it.

Moreover, I don’t believe most of these crusaders yelling about “sexualization” would actually even care about the larger social framework around what sexualization has historically meant, who has been impacted by it, and how to stop it in the present day. How do I know that? Well, I haven’t seen these same people en masse being outraged online about the remarks that plenty of male podcast hosts and content creators have made commenting on the hotness and sexuality of these drivers, team principals, and others in F1. Not to mention, a not significant number of those male-run shows, accounts, and channels are celebrated for the co-opted language, personas, and ideas — or in many cases, straight-up stolen ones — that they took from F1 programming originally centered on and created by women, people of color, and queer folks. Where are those big ol’ moralists of F1 then? Nowhere to be found? Shooooocking.

In other words, if you’re only worried about how a small subset of apparent cisgender heterosexual women talk about drivers — and you only go after them — but aren't interested in a larger conversation about the F1 fandom's (and the world's) uncomfortable relationship with sex at large, I have to whip out one of my favorite Logan Roy quotes: “I love you, but you’re not serious people.”

But anyway, let’s say for argument’s sake that people were actually interested in learning more about the scholastic underpinnings of this sexualization debate. I’m ready to jump into that.
 

How Is "Sexualization" Actually Defined in a Larger Sense?

At its most basic level, sexualization is defined as making something sexual in character or quality or becoming aware of sexuality. That's entirely separate from the divisive theory of sexual objectification, which is making someone the object of sexual desire. In a vacuum with no context or social positionality, all of this doesn't really mean anything. But of course, none of us live in that kind of vacuum; it's when we apply the filters of our world — for instance, the sexualization of men versus women, people of color versus white people, and more — that the inequities bubble to the surface.

Academic work into sexualization is often centered on the further oppression, marginalization, and harm that occurs when a person already from an underrepresented identity is sexualized — and when sexual expression is regulated. To pretend that the dynamics of sexualization and objectification are the same regardless of identity is an intellectually dishonest take; of course there are differences between how women are sexualized versus men and the consequences of those interactions. Age matters. Race matters. Socioeconomic status matters. Body type matters. The list goes on and on. This obviously doesn't mean that men can't experience something like negative body image and other adverse effects of sexual objectification; it does posit, however, that women are much more likely to experience those things as well as serious harm because of it, such as sexual violence, on a much larger scale. Not to mention, there are scientific arguments that evolution and social changes have caused us to see men as whole beings and women as only sexual parts. Not great!

Additionally, the source matters. Where do you think many of the photos, videos, edits, and fancams of drivers looking hot come from? You guessed it: Content generated by drivers and teams themselves. Even the most asexual homie among my fellow aces can tell that Ferrari is doing something suggestive when routinely putting up photos and videos of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz taking their ice baths. These are very much images that these parties consented to and put out in the world for public consumption. So if these F1 Puritans believe that these are generally gratuitous, wouldn’t it make more sense to focus that ire on the teams and drivers themselves than their followers, especially if this is what they truly cared about and weren’t just interested in shaming women as a means of social control? Say it with me now: Hmmmm.

Using that framework, let’s talk for a second about sexualization and internet fandoms. Lucky for me, after I spent three months typing up a whole thing about this, star Vox reporter Aja Romano published a phenomenal piece about the history of literal Puritanism in online fandom culture and how social justice rhetoric has been co-opted for harmful means to police those very fandoms over time. My main takeaway: The desire to control how women — and therefore society — discuss sex, sexuality, and sensuality is nothing new, nor are the ways in which the means of control get a facelift every few years but keep the same objectives. While Aja’s article focuses on fandoms based around fictional characters and dives into more Tumblr-specific issues that started popping up a decade ago, there’s plenty that still resonates within the Formula 1 community, especially given that drivers and F1-adjacents themselves are often treated almost like works of fiction on the web. And if you're wondering where user-generated content fits into my whole argument, we'll get to that a few sections down. (Btw, I’m not exaggerating when I say Aja Romano is an A+ reporter and I’ve read everything under their byline. A few recent favorites: The problems with the true crime "genre," a demand for better journalism for trans people, and a reflection on Elliot Page's memoir.)

Now of course, once a small subset of people starts crying foul of “sexualization,” there becomes a question of how far they’ll go to eradicate it — and the people they're really after. That’s where their arguments get both wildly unserious and extremely dangerous.
 

A Look at the “Anti-Sexualization” Crowd

So, if the drivers themselves and the people who like that content and create their own based on it aren’t necessarily the problem most of the time, what’s really going on here? Let’s break down just a few of the dynamics typically at play among folks who tend to freak out about aesthetics, sensuality, or sex appeal in spaces like (but not limited to) the F1 fandom:

1. A great deal of people — of many different identities — simply don’t know how to discuss aesthetic attractiveness and how that affects our society, so they use words like “sexualization” and point the finger at others instead of simply interrogating why they’re so uncomfortable. (In the words of my friend Jocelyn, “That sounds like an iss-you, not an iss-me.”)

In this regard, I was actually thinking a lot about Tressie McMillan Cottom’s incredibly dynamic piece from a few years ago about how American culture doesn’t know what to do about the fact that U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is attractive and how that affects her position and popularity in certain circles. In fact, quite a few liberal-leaning folks feel like they’ll get their feminist cards revoked if they mention, in a nuanced manner, that aesthetics play a part in her work. Conservatives in that debate, meanwhile, have a tendency to reduce AOC to solely her attractiveness since they don’t know what to do about it given that it belongs to an “unruly body,” as McMillan Cottom calls it. Either way, none of this has to do with AOC herself.

In that vein, it seems odd to me that some people don’t want to talk about the fact that many of the drivers are indeed attractive and have used that to get ahead — not to mention, they readily and willingly employ that attractiveness professionally and commercially. Once again, therein lies my question: What about other people enjoying that content served up by the drivers — and teams, sponsors, and the F1 org — makes certain folks so unable to simply fucking deal?

I will interject that the rules of modern masculinity are partially to blame for this one. I’ve had some weeeeird interactions with dudes who were trying to compliment drivers on their looks and straight-up didn’t know how to do so; it’s not like Society™ gives men the tools for that either. I liken this phenomenon to how many men feel like they’re “allowed” to say that actor Ryan Reynolds is attractive nowadays but no other actor. And similarly, for whatever reason, many male F1 fans have no problem telling me that Charles Leclerc is cute, but they’re unable (or unwilling) to articulate those same feelings about almost anyone else on the grid. The horror!!!!

2. As we discussed in the above sections, there’s another subset of people who more directly use this fake moral panic over “sexualization” as one of many ways to patrol and police the fandom, even if they put it that way or not. More specifically, it’s aimed at driving a specific type of (usually cis hetero) woman out of the sport if they don’t fit an impossibly specific mold of what it means to be ~a fan~. 

Personally, I believe these kinds of folks will always aim to make women out to be inferior fans no matter what they do. If the issue isn't ~sexualizing drivers~, they use something else that's wildly contradictory, downright silly, and intellectually dishonest to pick apart how these women consume and experience things they enjoy.

Meanwhile, you don’t see me demanding that these F1 podcasters, writers, and other commentators who’ve suddenly taken an interest in Lewis Hamilton’s fashion name all of the designers Lewis has ever worn to the Met Gala before I proclaim them “true fans.” Y’all would think I was ridiculous if I did that. (Besides, I simply don’t care what those fuckers are doing; I’m too busy minding my own damn business and enjoying my version of F1 fandom. That’s what people who are content with their lives and have access to a good therapist tend to do.)

3. Because quite a lot of this vitriol comes from self-identifying men, I have to point out that the root of their distaste for discussing the drivers’ more allosexual qualities could also be rooted in A) an extreme discomfort with anything seen as remotely homoerotic (i.e. they don’t want to be men thinking about other men’s appearances) and/or B) a lot of insecurity about women not feeling this attracted to them but being attracted to these famous drivers. I mention these problems not to mock people who are experiencing those difficulties but to say that those are better dealt with via conversations with a licensed healthcare professional, not through harassing and bullying women on the internet.

4. Here’s the demographic that always pains me: I’ve seen fans of this sport who aren’t men — typically women, though it’s limiting to talk in terms of a gender binary — occasionally go down this path of trying to shame other women and distance themselves. 

The term “internalized misogyny” gets thrown around a lot, but sometimes we have to call a spade a spade. Unfortunately, this notion is often anchored in the idea that a particular “right” kind of non-cis het male fan will be deemed worthy by ~the male-centric fandom~ if they go after some of their own kind. It’s always a bummer to me personally — though not entirely surprising.
 

Is There a Problem With Liking Formula 1 for the “Hot Men”?

My short answer: Generally speaking, no. Well-adjusted and unbothered people simply don't care all that much why everyone chooses to like the same thing they like.

I've already talked about this problem in plenty of Engine Failure issues going back two years, so I'll summarize it quickly: This aforementioned regulation and enforcement around what it means to be the “correct” type of fan is simply exhausting, not to mention unhelpful and excruciatingly boring. If someone gets on Instagram every race weekend morning just to see if there are a few photos of their favorite cuties on the grid, does that really matter? NO, DEAR READER, IT DOES NOT.

During the Canadian Grand Prix this past weekend, I had to sit next to the world's most obnoxious guy who spent the entire race getting mad at what other people were doing. Two young women (who weren't blocking anyone's view) took a few photos of the hairpin from the grandstand entrance to our right, and he started yelling at them. Some people came in late and had trouble finding their seats in the next section over (but again, still weren't blocking anyone and weren't even near us), and he yelled at them too. This went on and on the entire time. Me? I sat there enjoying Alex Albon getting a fucking P7 in a Williams on a one-stop strategy. That dude next to me? He spent a whole lot to time letting his crusty face turned red in the sun (like many problematic people's complexions, his skin definitely needed to be heavily moisturized) and missing out on a whole lot of goodness on track in an effort to chastise a bunch of strangers. We were sitting next to each other and yet had wildly different experiences — in his case, it was likely worse, all because he didn't know how to keep his eyes on the track and enjoy what he paid for.

As I hinted at earlier, there's also a tendency for certain F1 fans to want to prove that they're ~not like those other fans~ because they like the sport for the racecraft, the engineering, yada yada yada. I assure you: We are all silly people for liking this sport. We spend lots of time and money watching rich men with daddy issues (save for the few who have mommy issues and a couple who have issues with both parents) go vroom on some asphalt. No matter how you slice it, that's a ridiculous notion, and we'd probably be better if we spent some of our time, energy, and money helping humanity in a more direct way. However, doing so would mean missing out on a beautiful part of life: Loving things just because we can, not because they're always practical. That goes for all sports, hobbies, and more. So instead of wasting time trying to prove how you're superior for liking something absurd in a "better" way (you're just...not), focus on embracing that thing — whatever it is — to the fullest on your own terms.

We all end up in the (literal and/or metaphorical) ground at the end of this life. Stop yucking other people's unproblematic yums on the way down the shoot.
 

Why Does It Feel Like A Lot of This Discourse Is Bubbling Up Now?

To be clear, these people bullying female F1 fans about anything remotely sexual or sensual is nothing new, but it does feel like it’s reached a new level during the 2023 season. Here's why I believe we're seeing an uptick now:

1. There's simply more content of these drivers in all contexts than ever before. That's due to a variety of factors, including Liberty Media's own digital strategy (and their desire for more openness in the sport), the pervasiveness of F1 internet fandom and awareness that's exploded in the past half-decade, and a larger media presence in general. Drivers themselves have noted that the uptick in media duties has been difficult to juggle in the past few seasons.

2. There are also more F1 fans — particularly fans from a plethora of different backgrounds — than ever before. Y'all can refer back to my conversation with Magnus Greaves last year, where he talked about how much the goalposts of F1 fandom have shifted in the past few years and why certain long-time fans from particular demographics are uneasy with the notion that they're not the center of the cultural universe in this sport anymore.

3. As an extension of those first two points, there’s more recognition nowadays for content creators, journalists, and other media folks from a variety of backgrounds and a larger number of opportunities — especially for those who are doing things a little outside of the box — to expand their fandom in the sport. To be clear, Formula 1 has a looooong way to go in terms of both equality and equity on this front, but it's led to a diverse coalition of people becoming infinitely more visible than ever before. Again, that makes a few people very angry, and they'll use any means necessary to scale back that influence.

4. Back in 2021 and early 2022, I used to joke in EF all the time about the fact that every U.S. news outlet published some sort of “Wow, Americans are really into this Formula 1 thing!” article. In 2023, there’s a new type of article that has arisen: The fangirl piece. As a refresher and for full transparency, I’ve been interviewed and quoted in several of these, so I’m commenting on the overall trend and not the individual pieces (most of which are incredibly well-written and come from folks who are existing F1 fans and respected journalists!). But basically, increased media attention on the breadth of female F1 fandom has come with a lot of issues from other fans, who are either upset that these pieces don't capture their own very specific experiences or don't want to admit that people who don't look, talk, or sound like them are driving a great deal of the sport's popularity and future. (And if this playbook of backlash sounds familiar, look no further than the Gamergate controversy from a decade ago as women started to gain a foothold in that world.)

Now, of course, I’ll get into critiques of the women-centric fandom and feminism in the community at a later (but still soon) date; that’s a whole other dissertation I just simply don’t have the space for here. But I do think there’s plenty for us to chat about regarding the needless gender essentialism and whiteness that can spring up from modern fangirl culture, which can often exclude people of color and queer folks while simultaneously appropriating their behaviors and rhetoric.
 

So, Is There a “Right” or “Wrong” Way to Talk About Drivers’ Bodies?

I’m writing this section not for the virtuous dickwads who cry “sexualization!!!!!” at titties in Renaissance paintings but for the people who want a real conversation on this topic. As with anything, this isn’t a black-and-white question, but rather ones filled with shades of gray. Hopefully my thoughts below on how I personally categorize things as an F1 writer and a fan will help you make a few determinations for yourself.

On one side of the spectrum, I don’t believe for a second that drivers like Lewis Hamilton or Pierre Gasly or Carlos Sainz (or teams like Ferrari) are acting with complete naivety when they post shirtless photos and thirst traps on Instagram. Moreover, these men do not need to share these images or videos with the internet if they don’t want to; no one is threatening them if they don’t do it, and while they may receive a little ribbing from peers or F1 folks around them (like when people used to poke fun at George Russell for constantly taking his shirt off), they won’t receive widespread backlash or slut-shaming for doing so in the same way women often do. 

Obviously, there are any number of reasons why these guys do it: Maybe they like showing off their bodies, maybe they want people to slide into their DMs, maybe a contract really does encourage it, whatever.

On the other side of the spectrum, speaking solely for myself, I don’t repost images or videos of any kind that were taken without drivers’ (or anyone else’s) consent and were obviously meant to be a private moment. This includes most paparazzi photos and videos away from the track (which are often taken when drivers and their significant others are on private yachts or beaches or whatever) and weird videos where someone obviously shouldn’t have been filming, particularly in an intimate space. Often those types of content are rarely sexual or sensual in nature and instead just feel like an invasion of privacy.

Personally, I also generally don't partake in any external discussions, comments, and speculation of drivers' actual sexual activity, sexual orientation, or things of that sort. Unless it's something like Checo's veeeeery public 2022 Monaco cheating scandal, I stay out of the specifics. It's one thing to enjoy a shirtless photo a driver took and willingly posted on Instagram, point out how nice Carlos Sainz's legs look when he's wearing The Correct Denim™, talk about queering F1, or write things like this very piece on sexualization in the sport; speaking for just myself, it's another level to speculate via this kind of platform about some behind-closed-doors action, and it's something I very much don't want to wade into in my own public fandom of the sport for the most part unless there's a much larger and more important reason.

Another line that can lead to some blurring on the "sexualization" front is the increasingly large bevy of fanfiction about these drivers. I’ve written about Formula 1 fanfiction before and have a more expansive follow-up to that piece outlined for the near-future (I'm very excited about it!), but I see where that can sometimes make things complicated — though I do have a tremendous amount of respect for the world of fanfiction, and I believe this is a delicate topic that doesn’t have a simple one-size-fits-all answer. (Also, there’s a great deal of excellent discourse around the gray areas of fanfiction, particularly when it’s inspired by real-life people, if you want to take a look in good faith.)

All this to say, there isn’t a singular approach to how we have to think about the way we discuss the drivers. They (and their teams and sponsors) themselves are trying to market their images around things so far outside of racing nowadays, and I actually think there are many fascinating chats to be had with why that is and the consequences of it — without shaming fellow fans.
 

What Are Next Steps in Ending This Discourse About "Sexualization"?

This is where things get a little thornier. As y’all know, I don’t think it’s particularly effective for me to demand that other people follow a certain number of prescribed steps to be less garbage humans to others. We’re all on our own respective journeys; you can’t make other people — especially strangers on the internet — evolve if they simply don’t want to.

That said, I do think that one of the most important steps I’ve ever taken in life can be summed up by the Walt Whitman quote in that iconic Ted Lasso darts scene: “Be curious, not judgmental.” If you don't understand why a lot of people are so attracted to these drivers and why they want to share that on the internet, it might be good to stop and poke around and think about it. But if talking about how hot a driver looks today isn’t what you want your personal F1 experience to include, I have great news for you: There are a million other ways to peacefully coexist with those who do and enjoy the sport the way you want to without harming others through harassment and bullying. Just mute or block accounts you don’t vibe with, free them from your headspace, and move on. After all, that’s what I do every time some of these loud ass male F1 podcasters show up on my TikTok FYP when I’m just trying to find non-mayonnaise-based pasta salad recipes and Queen Charlotte fancams. (You can never have too many videos of Corey Mylchreest doing that giggle. The real girlypops know what I’m talking about.)

If “be curious, not judgmental” in general is too much of a leap for you at this time, I will say the next best thing you can do — for your own sake and everybody else’s — is to simply stay in your lane. Or, at the very least, save your critiques for your group chats, private Discords, and DMs. Lord knows we don’t need any more commenters with bad takes clogging up social media posts and showing up on everybody’s feeds.

And in the rare moment where someone does, in fact, cross a line with what they're posting on this front, consider whether or not you're the best person to let them know that. Are you in community with them? Is there someone else already taking care of the situation who's better suited to step in? Give it a little thought first.

*takes giant swig of matcha* There you have it folks: The dissertation on this “driver sexualization” crap. May we never have to talk about it again.

It’s Time to Chat About the Stroll-James Wedding

As anyone who follows the comings and goings of F1 Society™ knows, there was a big wedding in May at long last: Lance Stroll’s sister Chloe Stroll married Olympic snowboarding medalist and Daniel Ricciardo bestie Scotty James in Venice, Italy (and got the Vogue Italia treatment too!). The pair first got engaged in November 2021, so they’ve had a longer march to the altar. (And as of the week that I'm sending this, they're currently honeymooning in Kenya. Oh, and Chloe is finally coming out with music at long last on July 14th. The "Surrender" fans know what's up!!!!)

To me, this event ranks up there with Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s nuptials earlier this year (Sofia used her wedding to become quite the summer It Girl), and I loved every second of it. When nepo babies and heiresses get married, I expect certain things: Pristine locales! Excessive signs of wealth! Multiple outfit changes! And guess who delivered on all three? Chloe!

To go through a few particulars of this shindig that were most interesting to me personally:

1. Chloe had at least five different outfits throughout the weekend between her rehearsal itself, rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception, and brunch. We know from the Vogue Italia article on the subject that her ceremony dress was Dior, but we don’t know much other than that (which pains me because she looked fabulous!).

2. Lance didn’t seem to attend any of the pre-wedding trips (engagement excursion to St. Tropez, Scotty’s bachelor party, the works), but he was definitely among the groomsmen and looked great. Love to see it. There was even controversy over whether or not he walked Chloe down the aisle because he helped her out during the rehearsal, but don't fret: Daddy Stroll was there.

3. I said this on Instagram but I'll repeat it here too: It never ceases to amaze me how many "best friends" rich people have. It makes sense though: When your life is endless leisure and you don't really have to worry about work or chores or anything, you have plenty of time to galavant around the world doing whatever you want with other people who also have nothing but time on their hands. I respect it!

4. Quite possibly the wildest shit to come out about this wedding didn't hit the airwaves until a month later: It appears that these nuptials were where the super controversial PGA Tour/LIV Golf merger was brokered. Oh, and the whole thing is predicated of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali not noticing the PGA Tour commissioner in Venice during this big wedding weekend. HILARIOUS.
 

The Daniel Ricciardo-Kelly Piquet Celebrity Matrix

It’s no secret that Daniel Ricciardo wants to be a bigger celebrity and enjoys the act of ~being known~. I’m not saying this as if it’s some sort of character flaw (though it does bring about personal complications) but rather a statement of fact: The guy likes to be popular!

There are four major components of DR’s current quest for celebrity, the first of which I already addressed a year ago and three more that’ve been fully on display in the past two months:

• His forthcoming Hulu show (which we still don’t have any details on, so I don't have much to say here)
• His Met Gala appearance
• His new Enchanté Cafe Collection drop, adjacent commercial, and subsequent rebranding of the line as a separate endeavor from the rest of his merch
• His new ESPN livestream commentating gig

Let’s dive into the Met Gala first.

In what was a complete intersection of all of my interests, Daniel Ricciardo attended his first-ever Met Gala at the start of May. He wore a custom Thom Browne suit, which the designer described as “black grosgrain ribbon tweed with grosgrain tipping.” DR made it clear in several interviews that he actively asked his famous friends and team how to snag an invite and very much sought out Anna Wintour’s approval.

As for why DR would want to go: For one thing, Danny Ric loves American celebrity culture and fashion (though I’d say his appreciation is different than that of someone like Lewis Hamilton or Zhou Guanyu), and an event like this is the pinnacle of both. On top of that, DR is involved with that Formula 1 project over at Hulu (although it might be stalled at the moment due to the Hollywood writers’ strike depending on where they were in the pre-production process), so it’d probably help for him to rub elbows with more of those film types. But above all else, Daniel is at a bit of a crossroads personally and professionally: He’s not on the grid this year (and there’s some murkiness around him coming back depending on who you talk to), he’s trying to set up a post-F1 career for himself in general, and as we've established, he likes fame, plain and simple. I don’t believe a single night at the Met Gala was going to transform DR’s trajectory; I see it as a small piece in a much larger puzzle he’s trying to figure out. (Plus, having a connection to Thom Browne aka a Serious Designer™ is a major step up.)

Speaking of Thom Browne, in terms of all of the designers there, Tommy B was probably the biggest winner of the night for me, so as an extension, Danny gets to soak up some of that glory. Every single outfit from his cadre of celebrities was a banger, and that’s hard to do in a year where the theme was basically “piece of shit Karl Lagerfeld and his Nazi House of Chanel.” 

Let's discuss the actual fit. It was...solid. I already put some of these thoughts on Instagram Stories, but my overall takeaway was that not putting DR in TB’s signature shorts (and then hacking them to a five-inch inseam) was a missed opportunity to show off his thigh tat and make a moment. (IMO, he basically needed to wear what Pedro Pascal ended up donning.) The suit was nice, but I was both surprised and unsurprised that Danny Ric didn’t go a little bolder. Daniel tends to thrive in his element when he is already known by the audience and adored, and at the Met, he seemed a little like a deer in headlights at times trying to figure it all out. Part of this is to be expected; it was his first time attending Fashion’s Biggest Night (overwhelming for anyone!), and he wasn’t there with his normal entourage. (This dude loves to roll up with 12 homies everywhere.) However, he had an incredibly charming interaction with the lovely Anne Hathaway (ANNE TRUTHERS, PLEASE STAND UP!!!!!) where she went up to him to say she loves F1. Plus, above all else, he got to be part of all the Thom Browne marketing for the event.

Moving on, I’ve received quite a few questions about why Daniel is even interested in going to the Met Gala. Let’s actually start with the inverse question: Why are Anna Wintour and Vogue interested in giving Daniel Ricciardo an invite to such an exclusive event that has only gotten smaller post-pandemic? (A recent episode of Vogue’s podcast The Run-Through pointed out that at its peak, over 800 people used to attend the gala; that number is now in the 400s.) The reasoning probably wouldn’t shock this crowd: Formula 1 is hot in the U.S., especially with the Las Vegas Grand Prix debuting later this year, and when it comes to having a few athletes on the Met Gala grid, an F1 driver helps. Lewis Hamilton has attended this shindig roughly half a dozen times, so he was probably considered in some form or another and didn’t attend for whatever reason. Even though Daniel Ricciardo is a reserve driver/Red Bull marketing puppet this year, he’s still one of the most recognizable and universally well-liked faces in the sport — especially over here in the States.

Lastly, a question that came up quite a few times: Could we see more Formula 1 drivers walking the Met Gala steps in the future? Eh, I don’t think so — at least, not en masse. On top of the fact that Vogue slashed those attendee numbers (tbh I’d still love to know how DR scored himself an invite in this economy), the event does tend to look for people with a certain sartorial and celebrity cache. Daniel wants to be a celebrity, and if his merch is any indication, he has some ambitions in the realm of fashion. Considering that athletes in general aren’t at this event in gargantuan numbers (and this year included heavy hitters like tennis GOAT Serena Williams, who announced her second pregnancy with her attendance, and WNBA sensation Brittney Griner, who just returned to the U.S. several months ago after almost a year of Russian detainment), I don’t think we’ll ever see half the grid rolling up in any given year. That said, I’d love to see Zhou Guanyu there someday, and obviously I’m manifesting a Lewis Hamilton return. I also wouldn't be surprised if Pierre Gasly slithered in too and maaaaaybe brought Charles Leclerc with him.

And speaking of merch, onto the second order of business: Daniel’s latest Enchanté Cafe Collection drop.

As a refresher, the Enchanté line has been around for a few years in various forms, but it’s become more and more elaborate as time has gone on and even has its own Instagram page. DR’s merch drops have also become more complex over the past three years or so, going from the usual run-of-the-mill stuff (T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, the occasional sweatpants) to a real operation. In fact, this latest Enchanté line included teacups, button-down shirts, a bracelet, a decorative tray, polo shirts, knitted sweaters, and more. He also debuted the line with a confusing teaser video starring Kristen Bell, who, along with husband Dax Shepard, is besties with DR. (Speaking of Kristen Bell, I don’t care what Hulu says, I need a season five of Veronica Mars to right the wrongs at the end of season four!!!! Boooo! Hissssss!)

I'll be honest: I didn't love the "commercial." It wasn't a horrifically bad or offensive video; it's just not where it should be considering how much time and money obviously went into it. But I do think it's a perfect metaphor for much of Daniel Ricciardo's creative work away from the track: It looks great on the surface and the general production value is high (he got Kristen Bell, after all!), but when you actually look at it more closely, it lacks...a certain amount of depth. I've watched this ad five times now, and it feels like DR had 27 ideas of what ~looks cool~ but no one was able to help him cut those down and come up with a really polished concept. (And at the same time, the Enchanté line's entire shtick has always been "things that vaguely mimic rich people's conception of luxury." There's not much more to it than that.) The end result of this commercial looks like a mix of a 2000s perfume TV ad mixed with horror genre elements and a bunch of art house shots — and not in an innovative way.

That said, there’s no doubt that Daniel Ricciardo is trying to do some interesting work in the space — and I think he's pushing the boundaries of what athlete merch can be — while really attempting to expand his celebrity through fashion. But while Enchanté is definitely a big step up from his previous endeavors, his work — both in terms of creativity and construction — isn’t quite there yet to justify some of the big prices he’s asking for, especially given that this is still technically sports merch and not necessarily drawing a larger fashion crowd who knows nothing about F1 quite yet. (A $175 knitted sweater is a bit steep for most people!) However, I can see what he wants to aim for given his love for brands like Rhude, Bode, Acne Studios, and NAHIMAS. (Speaking of Rhude, its founder Rhuigi Villaseñor is currently embattled in a massive lawsuit for allegedly stealing company funds to finance his luxe lifestyle; I'm not sure that's a path DR wants to replicate.) Overall, I do believe he’s on the right track and could potentially find a sartorial niche if he keeps working at it. This latest line certainly got my attention, even if I found the Kristen Bell video conceptually goofy. All of this also goes to show that no matter how rarefied the air that you already breathe is, there's always a higher plane to strive for that's even more exclusive. Or, as Miley Cyrus famously sang, "There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move." Pure poetry!

Last on our lengthy DR celebrity journey: That cursed ESPN livestream. Granted, the Canadian Grand Prix was ESPN's first go-around with this lineup (and I still can't believe Will Arnett is on his second F1 commentating gig...WHY???) I obviously didn't tune in live since I was, you know, at the actual race, but upon reviewing a recording later and watching all available clips (like this one), I have to say it was...pretty damn bad. Here's the thing: Commentating is a deceptively hard job to do well, similar to how people think podcasting is just talking; in reality, the best commentators are those who are well-researched, rehearsed, personable, and adaptable, and none of those things came through on this initial stream. (I liken this situation to Harry Styles believing he can act with no experience and not a lot of prep and then getting absolutely humbled by Florence Pugh in Don't Worry Darling onscreen.)

Overall, what do I think Danny Ric has to do if we really wants to keep trying to make all of this post-F1 racing stuff work? Well, a few things:

• If he wants to rule the fashion world, he needs to be seen at more shows during the world’s four most important Fashion Weeks. At this point, Lance Stroll (Yes! Lance!) has been to more of these than DR, and that needs to change. He should collaborate with a few well-known designers, especially those he already frequently wears. He’s had a few occasions where he’s been a main model for some of their launches, but he needs to become an equal creative partner with these existing brands as far as collabs go.

• If he's going to try F1 commentating, he's got to commit to the bit and get more help. Just because he obviously knows more about these cars off the cuff than 99% of the world doesn't mean he knows how to talk about them — especially to a general audience.

• Daniel needs an internal team shake-up — or at least a few new additions. While I'm certainly not claiming that all members of Team DR are terrible, it's obvious that the celebrity mountain Danny wants to summit requires different skill sets than he has in his entourage now, and that may force him to look for some fresh faces and new talent.

• As I said up top, we still don’t know what exactly is going on with that Hulu show, but if that series can be a big breakout hit from both creative and sartorial perspectives, that could go a long way in terms of solidifying DR’s status on these fronts, even if he’s not the one making those decisions.
   

Kelly Piquet’s (Pre-)Met, Cannes, and Daily Mail Adventures

Now that we’re really settled into the season, it feels like a good time to finally talk about all that’s gone in the world of Lewis’ closet. As he’s worked with Eric Mcneal for longer, it feels like LH has created his own version of a “work uniform” of sorts.

(As I’ve reported a zillion times in EF, Lewis started making a switch to working with Eric Mcneal most of the time roughly a year ago, and the two are currently working on all of his paddock fits for the time being. Lewis has also worked with stylist Jason Bolden a few other times for both editorial shoots and street looks; if you’re a real Fashion Girly™, you might remember Bolden’s name from his short-lived Netflix reality show Styling Hollywood, which also featured his celebrity interior designer husband Adair Curtis.)

But first, let’s have a brief aside about how Lewis’ former stylist Law Roach. In early March, the unthinkable happened right around the start of the F1 season when Law, the famed celebrity stylist who dressed Lewis Hamilton for many years (along with Zendaya, Kerry Washington, Halsey, and many other A-listers), announced via clip art on Instagram that he was “retiring” from the industry. (He has since deleted the post, and he’s also made some strange Instagram Stories alluding to still being somewhat in that world. Hmmmm…) Along with a blurry stock image of the word “retired,” he wrote, “My Cup is empty….. thank you to everyone who’ve supported me and my career over the years. Every person that trusted me with their image, I’m so grateful for you all. If this business was just about the clothes I would do it for the rest of my life but unfortunately it’s not! The politics , the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win … I’m out.” He really does seem to have off-boarded all of his celeb clients save for Zendaya, though it appears he may be working with her in more of a creative director capacity.

When Lewis and Law Roach collaborated together, the two tended to stick to mostly a few big, recurring fashion houses with some smaller and/or indie brands thrown in. In contrast, Eric Mcneal often works with a broader palette and factors in some incredibly cool labels we typically don’t see at this level of visibility. Lewis still have a few faves, especially given his connection to brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior, but he's playing around with them.

Even within that framework though, Lewis tends to prefer either 1) two-piece matching sets or 2) oversized shirts over pants. Additionally, he made quite the splash at Coachella this year, with British GQ proclaiming that Lew single-handedly brought back Timberland boots. (Personally, I hate when outlets contribute to this phenomenon where one celebrity does a very normal sartorial thing and they’re seen as “saving” a trend, but ANYWAY…)

Regardless, aside from some real show stoppers like that sequined Rick Owens jumpsuit in Miami, Lewis tends to stick to this general "uniform" and doesn’t deviate from it. As for what else I’d like to see Lewis in, I feel like now’s the time to start playing around with some dresses and skirts. (Interestingly, I wasn’t surprised when Zhou began poking around this trend first; he seems a little freer in some regards.) I also wouldn’t mind a return to the Lewis’ Suit Era™ of yesteryear.


What About the WAGs?

There’s a lot of useless chatter out there about how Americans are ruining Formula 1 and blah, blah, blah. On top of the fact that it simply isn’t true (y’all sound like toddlers throwing a tantrum), I have to say that there’s one arena where Americans have come in and fucking wiped the floor: Fashion coverage.

I’m not arguing that no one has ever talked about fashion in the realm of F1 or done it well before this sport became popular over here. I’m just saying that American outlets and a bevy of incredible culture and fashion writers who were already in this nation's media rat race have set their sights on unpacking this scene’s sartorial choices and have gone about it in really innovative ways; they've even expanded to other motorsports series. Just look at what The Cut, Who What Wear, GQ, Nylon, Glamour, The Zoe Report, and Bustle have been up to.

Obviously I'm delighted on a personal level that there's so much good F1 fashion content to mine nowadays, but what makes me so excited is that so many of these pieces use style as a jumping-off point to talk about politics, social justice, and culture at large. I don't have much more analysis on this front, except to say that it's such a treat for all of us.

Thank you to everyone who wrote into last issue’s Conspiracy Corner question: Lewis Hamilton has decided that he’s finally dumping problematic biddies Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as his Hollywood entourage and getting other famous friends to replace them. Which two celebrities should he choose and why?

Onto a few of the answers:

• Julia: I wish I could stay faithful to my Swiftie heart and say Taylor Swift, but I honestly think Beyoncé and Lewis would be the most powerful friendship ever! I mean, the amount of Grammys and F1 titles!!! Also, he was/is into making music, so I think he should dump his actor friends and start hanging out with music folks. Beyoncé can take Jay Z with her, but I wouldn’t care about him. (Actually, Blue Ivy would look much better in the paddock!!)

• Hannah: Hugh Jackman firstly, because he has the multi-talented hustle that Lewis respects (Broadway! Logan! The Greatest Showman!) but is still a balanced person which I think would be good for Lewis, especially as he edged closer to eventual retirement and having to channel his celebrity in different ways than being on the grid. Hugh also can have humorous but healthy male friendships, which makes for a nice change. Lizzo is my second choice for the activism and pure fun they’d be able to have together. Lizzo is a party and I think she would be able to help Lewis have fun in a way we know he can based on his fashion choices.

• Elle: Anne Hathaway OBVS because she’s “a huge fan of F1” and Tom Holland just because I think he would be chaotically erratically endearing at a race. (He IS Peter Parker IRL.)

• Molly: Easy! Angela “The Queen” Bassett and Tyler “The Game-Changer” Perry. Both are brilliant at what they do and have helped change the landscape for people who don’t fit the mold — just like Lewis!

• Sara: First one would be Zendaya for sure. I don’t even think I need to explain this but to summarize the possibility of having both their incredible influence and iconic natures together would almost be too much. For the second one, Dylan O’Brian, 'cause Lewis 100% has a playful side (something that can be lost behind his record-breaking and calm but scary good driving) and Dylan would easily bring that out more.

• Andie: Chris Pine and Pedro Pascal (and then logically Sarah Paulson is there). I think Lewis and Chris Pine makes sense because they could vibe sartorially. And Pedro is just happy to be there.

Today’s question: Since we talked about sex in this issue and season two of "And Just Like That" premiered this week, let's combine the two: Name the four F1 drivers who'd make the perfect New York City squad and why.

Submit your answer here.