Clothes matter in a lot of sports – to the extent that many come with a specific uniform, often color-coded to make it easier for viewers to tell who’s who on the pitch. But when you’re just sitting in a vehicle… how much do the threads you don affect your experience and chances of success?
Well, it might not surprise you: a lot. Let’s look at this.
Branded, Tailored Outfits
You’ll have noticed, if you’ve watched any amount of rally driving, that the drivers often wear overalls decorated with logos and colors – but did you know that these are tailor-made for both driver and co-driver? Every team will come up with its own design, the better to stand out, which really helps when it comes to photo ops!
Any other official rallying clothing will also have branding, but perhaps more importantly, everything a rally driver wears must comply with the standards set by the International Automobile Federation. And furthermore, every item will come with something known as a homologation tag – something that will get checked during every technical inspection. Without the tag, the drivers can’t race.
And while most people looking at the fashion element will be focusing on the clothes they can see, underwear matters here too! Did you know a rally driver has to don fire-resistant underwear for the race, just in case the worst should happen?
To get an idea of what the clothing generally looks like, check out Christine Giampaoli Zonca, a woman who always looks pretty phenomenal on the track. The striking green highlights of her (often) black attire draw the eye in and immediately attract attention, and the green accents continue onto her helmet and other accessories. At the same time, the branding is nice and clear, regardless of whether it’s appearing on a black background or a white one.
She’s just one example of what on-the-track clothing can look like, but a particularly good one because her gear is so striking and memorable. Take a quick look at this post, and you’ll see exactly why those green flashes stand out and draw your eyes to her, even with that wild track flashing past! Christine GZ definitely looks the part, and she’s a highly skilled driver too.
Please embed the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYkP6qRINCb/
And as a last little tidbit of info, did you know that rally driver shoes are particularly important? Shoes matter immensely for all kinds of sports, but they might seem more important when it comes to hiking or other foot-heavy activities. Maybe you think they don’t matter so much for rallying? You’d be wrong!
The driver needs a really good feel for the pedals, meaning that thick-soled, inflexible boots tend to be unpopular in this sport, with most drivers opting for soft, supple shoes that will keep them in touch with the car, helping them feel how it is responding to braking and accelerating.
Of course, the shoe has to do more than that though – safety is a priority. A driver’s shoe has to cope with heat, keep the feet cool, meet modern standards, and endure hours of pressure. There’s a lot to it!
Does The Branding Change Every Year?
Something you might note if you follow these races on a casual basis is that the branding is constantly getting updated. From year to year, you might see either small or significant changes, depending on the team’s success, recognizability, sponsorship, and more.
But the short answer is yes, the branding does tend to change every year, whether the changes are subtle or major. Sometimes, changes will be made from a safety perspective if a standard gets updated, but often, it’s about aesthetics. And because racing gear tends to wear out fairly quickly anyway, it’s not an issue to change the outfits’ appearance from one season to the next.
Do The Clothes Matter?
Apart from the safety perspective, you might wonder how much the clothes really matter. Once again, the answer is a lot.
Various studies have been done over the years, trying to determine how much the clothes we wear affect our moods and the way we interact with the world. One found that 96% of participants felt that clothes changed their emotional state. That’s potentially huge when it comes to rally racing, a sport that depends upon holding your nerve, trusting your teammate, and remaining calm in high-pressure situations.
And having the right uniform goes beyond safety and comfort. It goes to finding the right mental state to excel on the track, to create a connection between your mind and your current activity. Rallying is a surprisingly challenging sport, with drivers often training for 9+ hours a day, and some burning over 4,600 calories per day just while testing.
Clothing is certainly just one small aspect of that, but it’s serving multiple important roles:
So, next time you watch a rally driver prepping for a race or getting out of a vehicle, take a moment to appreciate the energy and investment that has gone into what they’re wearing; it’s a small piece of race day, but it’s one that matters immensely.
