October is quickly becoming Austin’s busiest fashion month of the year. Just as Austin City Limits Music Festival drew to a close and attendees hung up their pink cowboy hats with boa trim, a whole new world was constructed about twenty miles away—one where the more money you spent on a Stetson the day prior, the better. Based in airport-blocked Del Valle, about thirty minutes outside the city, the Circuit of the Americas is home to the only permanent Formula 1 track in the States. More than 430,000 fans visited the racing compound this weekend, coming from anywhere from London to the United Arab Emirates to California. As the stars of the U.S. Grand Prix took lap after lap on the racetrack, twenty feet away, the rich, the famous, or just very lucky VIP-badge holders ruled their own runway.
Racing spectator fashion is its own genre: think a mechanic who buys her uniform at Neiman’s. But within the leather-bound confines of a cool racing look, attendees found plenty of ways to stand out. People clomped around in fresh-out-of-the-box Allens boots, identifiable by their wearers’ stiff walks. European guests, tricked by the cloud cover of a classic Central Texas 95-degree day, were sweating in their three-piece suits. The esteemed Paddock Club, located right off the track for prime viewing, hosted guests dressed to the nines in Prada and Loewe (though not as much Gucci as you’d expect). The “quiet luxury” trend had clearly gripped the racing fans: the more chic and less try-hard the outfits, the better. Even seemingly simple ensembles were made up of, say, $1,000 white T-shirts (armpit stains pending) and platform Prada boots.
The more daring attendees sported matching sets in monochromatic silk or leather. Some families showed up to the track decked out in their teams’ colors with matching Adidas Sambas, while a few brave women wore platform heels. We were all just trying to impress the F1 fashion king, Lewis Hamilton, who donned the hardest Versace chrome sunglasses to ever exist before racing on Sunday. See more of the best outfits from the Grand Prix—where the elites put more effort into their smizes and less into who was racing on soft compound tyres—below.
Chiara Calcara, a Brit in town from her home in New York, celebrated her birthday the day prior to the race. She “couldn’t imagine a better birthday than one spent at Grand Prix,” where she stationed herself in the Paddock and gathered an impressive haul of signatures from sixteen drivers and five principals.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Zack Ashley, the global head of brand partnerships at Cash App, was arguably the best dressed in the whole Paddock. Nothing tops a felt cowboy hat paired with wide-leg trousers with the finishing touch of a mini Gucci bag . . . are we right? Never mind the “I’m better than you” large sunglasses.
Photograph by Randi Reding
June Wynn sporting a pink suit with a crisp, white-fringed shirt.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Brazilian model Juliana Nalú flashing a soft smile and bold red sunglasses upon arrival in the Paddock.
Photograph by Randi Reding
The Ferrari Pope, or DJ Pratt, considers himself “a crazy fan having some fun.” It’s hard to be missed in a walking personification of the luxury Italian car manufacturer.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Molly Derry, owner of small-batch clothing label Molyan, matching her silky, powder-blue dress with her custom Momo boots.
Photograph by Randi Reding
As we know, the news never takes a break, but TV personalities Gayle King and Desiree Gruber found some time for the Grand Prix on Sunday where they arrived in unintentionally matching green ’fits. “I like this celadon,” King said. “My color is a nice sage green, with celadon.”
Photograph by Randi Reding
A fashionable trio posted outside the Paddock Club perfectly demonstrated the vibe of the weekend: all-white set, trendy jumpsuit, and denim vest. Don’t forget the coveted VIP badge as the main accessory.
Photograph by Randi Reding
This VIP is wearing a denim jumpsuit paired with a functional bandanna tied to serve as a neckerchief—a smart accessory with all the dust being kicked up.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Jordan Sanford, a content creator who specializes in ASMR car reviews, paid attention to the details of his outfit, down to the socks.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Hannah Freed came down from Dallas with her father for the event. Her look may seem simple and classic, but there was more thought put into the ensemble than you’d think: “This outfit took forever,” she said.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Tobi Momoh arrived just before the drivers’ parade in checkered green pants, but his main accessories were the many badges around his neck. “I didn’t even plan this one . . . I was just hoping it made sense,” he said of his outfit.
Photograph by Randi Reding
Max Bradley tipping his hat, showing off a perfectly positioned feather, before heading into the Paddock Club.