Sunglasses & Formula 1: When Speed Met Style

Before the helmets: the age of goggles

In the first decades of racing, eyewear was survival gear: open cockpits, dust, oil and insects at 200 km/h. Drivers wore leather masks and goggles — the ancestors of today's sports wraparounds. When closed helmets became mandatory, sunglasses moved off the track... and into the paddock.

Carrera: a brand christened in a race

No story of eyewear and motorsport is complete without Carrera — the brand that in 1956 took its name from the most dangerous race of the era, Mexico's Carrera Panamericana. Its full journey deserves a read of its own: Carrera — the sunglasses with racing DNA.

The paddock as a catwalk

In modern Formula 1, the drivers' arrival at the paddock is a fashion ritual — and sunglasses take centre stage in every frame. Lewis Hamilton has made eyewear part of his public image like no one else, while Charles Leclerc starred in a Ray-Ban campaign — a partnership that brought the brand even closer to Scuderia Ferrari. At the same time, brands such as Oakley have historic roots in motorsport, dating back to when founder Jim Jannard sold motocross grips out of the boot of his car.

It's no coincidence that manufacturers now stage campaigns inside racetracks: the F1 audience is young, global and obsessed with style — exactly what eyewear is looking for.

Why “racing” shapes are worn off the track

• Function turned aesthetic: wraparound shapes and bold lenses were born for protection at speed — and ended up as a style statement.
• The myth of the driver: from Steve McQueen (see Persol) to today's grid stars, the face behind the glasses sells the dream.
• The camera: in a sport that lives off TV footage, eyewear is branding at eye level.

If racing aesthetics win you over, take a look at the sports sunglasses and the Carrera collection at Eye-Shop — from the official reseller with the full range.