Let me be honest: walk to any local race track or sports club and you’re hit with a very specific aesthetic. It’s (mostly) loud, it’s bright colors, and it’s covered in many many different sponsor logos that all seem to be fighting for your attention. Ive once read somewhere that’s its “engineer-chic”, but that also might be a TikTok term. In the end, it’s functional, but it lacks direction.
I’ve spent a lot of time in our Formula Student team lately, and it’s impressive what one team can do. But when I looked at the merch there was a massive disconnect. Its either some niche joke (no offense here) or a shirt with a drawing of the car (also no offense here, but its all kind of the same?). But its obviously not only in formula student, also in professional racing. Professional Sports. You can find it everywhere (and tbh, it’s not only the merch). In my experience working with engineers, design and aesthetic does matter to them. But so does accuracy and functionality. And when it comes down to it, the latter wins.
Then I started looking at how the world outside of racing (and tbh, sports in general) is changing. You see brands like Aimé Leon Dore collaborating with Porsche, or Daniel Arsham turning a 911 into a piece of eroded art. And it’s not only in racing, but also tennis or golf, for example. They are selling something technical or niche and made it lifestyle.
Disclaimer: This text was refined with the support of AI. The reflections and observations are based on my personal experience of attending the event.
