A$AP Rocky Speeds Into Formula 1

In a dimly lit cocktail bar at the Venetian Hotel—with the jingling of casino slots humming in the background—A$AP Rocky holds court.

The rapper is chatting with a handful of friends and media members about his unlikely new role as Puma’s creative director, with a brand-new Formula 1 capsule just released in conjunction with the ostentatious Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In some ways, his collaboration with Puma makes perfect sense—after all, his partner, Rihanna, has a longstanding FENTY X PUMA sneaker line. But Rocky concedes his new partnership might seem a bit odd at first, since he hasn’t exactly been a longtime fixture of Formula 1 or motorsports.

So, what got him into the sport to begin with?

“I got into F1… because of Puma,” he laughs, quickly adding, “Nah, I’m joking—I think car culture has just always been prevalent in hip hop, and what not. It goes hand in hand.”

As a kid growing up in Harlem, Rocky admits he didn’t watch much Formula 1, and you can’t blame him. Most Americans were unfamiliar with the sport until just a few years ago, when Netflix’s Drive to Survive turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Now, it’s one of the hottest sports in the country, as evidenced by the over-the-top glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which drew a ton of intrigue and rivaled the Super Bowl in attracting some of Hollywood’s most high-profile celebrities.

But Rocky is quick to stress that car culture, even some iconic Formula 1 names, were a big part of his upbringing.

“I remember seeing a Ferrari in Harlem,” he said. “Like, some drug dealer bought it back in the day—I don’t know who he was—I just remember seeing it in the middle of the ghetto. It looked like a centerpiece, an exhibition.”

Rocky’s goal now is to mix his favorite things with Formula 1, with plans to release more products in 2024 and beyond to coincide with a handful of high-profile races. Puma execs said they gave Rocky a tremendous amount of creative freedom to try a variety of unique ideas as they went back and forth with him on designing the collection.

“I feel like there’s a big gap between Formula 1 and street-car culture, and I’m here to bridge that gap,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anybody more perfect than me to introduce both cultures to each other and shit, you know?”

The recently released capsule is certainly different, especially for a traditionally buttoned-up sport like Formula 1. Items include a long-sleeve graphic shirt with detachable gloves, denim shorts with a removable plaid apron, and a frayed, distressed balaclava, all of which were inspired by motorsports.

“So, this balaclava is derived from an image of a racer whose balaclava caught on fire—but he survived!” Rocky says, laughing a bit at how crazy it sounds. “We kind of wanted to use that money look, integrate that… Maybe I should’ve left that part out!”

The end result is a fashion line that Rocky hopes will appeal to a broad range of customers, in spite of some of its bolder, off-the-wall pieces.

“It’s still streetwear, still fun, still youthful… and if you’re in your mid-30s or 40s, you probably won’t feel too silly wearing a few pieces,” he laughs.

The new Puma capsule was just one highlight of a wild, fashion-forward Las Vegas Grand Prix. Formula 1 has always been a luxury-brand sport—with some drivers looking like they’re walking the runway as they make their way to the paddock—but even more brands, designers, and artists than usual seemed to unveil unique collaborations during this past weekend.

For example: Streetwear brands Palace and Kappa collaborated with French team, Alpine, for a new camo collection; Japanese artist Takashi Murakami teamed up with Lewis Hamilton’s +44 brand for an exclusive merch drop; luxury brand Sacai partnered with Mercedes to unveil a collection of varsity jackets; and Alpha Tauri, the fashion line of Red Bull, enlisted artist Brendan Monroe for a glittery and zebra-striped Las Vegas capsule.

An overwhelming number of events and activations popped up throughout the week to mark the release of all of these new items, including a Puma pop-up at an abandoned gas station featuring Rocky, Rihanna, dirt bikes, and a throng of fans. It all made for a busy, sleep-deprived week for fans and celebrities alike.

Back at the Venetian cocktail lounge, Rocky is ready to celebrate, ordering shots of Mercer + Prince, his own whiskey, to toast his Puma collection and the Las Vegas Grand Prix in general. Despite a few hiccups, the race itself proved to be worthy of the buzz, and Rocky—who knows a thing or two about high-profile sporting events, with Rihanna having performed at this year’s Super Bowl—says the hype is real.

“I ain’t got no sleep last night—vroom, vroom!” he laughs. “I’ve never felt this in Vegas before, never felt it anywhere. It’s apples and oranges if you’re talking Super Bowl or this, cause it’s so many new fans, so much new sub-cultures and other people coming into the sport now.”

He points to himself as a prime example: “Look at me, baby—we here now.”