Lewis Hamilton recalled his early memories of the “massive” pushback against his own fashion choices making it into the Formula 1 paddock.

The seven-time World Champion admitted it felt “horrible” in his early days in the sport by his style being confined to team kit and suits, so eventually took matters into his own hands by wearing what he wanted into the paddock which, in a sport influenced by drivers wearing sponsored and team clothing, came with its own mixed response at the time.

Lewis Hamilton ‘didn’t feel like I was able to be myself’ before bringing his fashion to F1 paddock

It was in Hamilton’s Mercedes days where he began experimenting by wearing different clothing into the Formula 1 paddock, having begun his career at McLaren under the leadership of Ron Dennis.

Now at Ferrari, the Briton admitted he had to “break some rules” in order to bring his own style to Formula 1 in years gone by, after feeling he had to fit into a “mould” when he arrived in the sport.

Known for his love of fashion, Hamilton told Times Life & Style last year that, when it came to choosing his own outfits for paddock arrivals: “I just started taking the risk, I started to just do it, even though I wasn’t allowed to, and eventually [people] noticed the positive effect that it was having. I had to break some rules.”

Since then, other drivers like Zhou Guanyu have publicly cited Hamilton as inspiration for wearing different clothes into the Formula 1 paddock, and while the seven-time World Champion has said “the pushback was massive” to what he did when he first started bringing his own style to the sport, he has seen other drivers follow his example since.

“Just before I got to Formula 1, I remember being looked up and down by a boss, and he definitely wasn’t impressed with what I was wearing,” Hamilton told Vogue.

“I was probably in FUBU and Timbs. I remember thinking, ‘Shoot, I’ve really got to fit into this mould.’ And my dad expected me to fit into that mould too.

“Sometimes I would dress one way leaving the house, then drive down the road and change into a baggy, swagged-out look.

“I would go out and have the best night ever, then change back into what I left the house wearing before I came home.

“When I first signed with F1 I was only allowed to wear suits and team kits, and it was horrible. I didn’t feel comfortable, and I didn’t feel like I was able to be myself.

“Eventually, I had the courage to push beyond those boundaries and say, ‘Look, I want to turn up to the track in what I want to wear. I’m here now—you can’t get rid of me or change the way I dress.’

“The pushback was massive, but when the sport saw the impact of my little runway, other drivers started doing the same thing.”