Formula 1 drivers and their sunglasses of choice

It is hard not to want to be a Formula 1 driver.

They travel to the most luxurious places in the world, enjoy the adoration of thousands of fans, and get paid millions of pounds for the privilege. Nice work if you can get it.

Of course, they have an incredibly grueling schedule beyond the weekend thrills on the racetrack. Serious fitness routines, hours of press obligations, and plenty of time spent in testing, to name but three.

Also, they’re constantly in the public eye – a role model, a fashion model, even a sunglasses model.

When it comes to looking cool when you’re in hot countries, F1 drivers are rarely seen without a slick pair of shades.

Here’s what the top drivers are wearing.

Lewis Hamilton

The question here isn’t what sunglasses Lewis Hamilton wears, but which brands has he not been seen in? Lewis is a style icon for a generation, one of the most successful drivers of all time, and this year, he’ll be aiming for a record-breaking eighth title.

Next year, he will of course be joining Ferrari. Ray-Ban has been a sponsor of his new employer, Ferrari, for many years, and Hamilton is partial to a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, often the Round Double Bridge.

They have a classic feel, but perhaps not quite as classic as Aviators, another style Lewis has often been seen wearing.

That said, at various times, he’s been seen in models from Police, Dita, Thom Brown and Persol - he's had almost as many sunglasses brands on his nose as he has seasons in the cockpit.

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen may be in hot pursuit of Lewis’s GOAT crown, but has no chance of catching him in the style stakes.

Whilst Hamilton has an Instagram account littered with different styles, Verstappen is rarely seen in sunglasses.

His team, Red Bull, does partner with Dita, though – and on occasion Max has been seen in Dita’s Flight-006 sunglasses.

Lando Norris

The 24-year-old Lando Norris is another young gun, a style icon who has yet to reach his potential on the track.

Driving for McLaren, he’s finished in the top seven for the last three years and will be hoping to beat that in 2024.

He is often seen in his range of shades from Sun God, named Lando Silverstone Zephyrs. He helped design the model with striking 8KO Chrome lenses and an LN4 engraving, his personal brand.

Sebastian Vettel

There was a time when Sebastian Vettel was chasing Michael Schumacher’s record for title wins. He grabbed four in a row from 2010 to 2013 but retired in 2022 without adding to that tally.

As an edgy character with a reputation for being impatient and private, his glasses reflect who he is.

He’s been seen in the angular Ray-Ban hexagonal sunglasses with sleek, gold frames.

He’s also been pictured in a slightly more casual pair of Oakleys as well, synonymous with racing and motorsports, again reflecting his personality.