Why Aston Martin is bringing house music to F1 fans

Here is a wild crossover that actually makes total sense: Aston Martin has officially teamed up with the British record label and house music specialists Defected Records. The pairing of motorsport and music is far from a new invention, but with the massive growth of fans across both Formula 1 and house, the timing of this collaboration feels spot on. After all, house music was born in Chicago at the start of the '80s and has since exploded into the mainstream, frequently taking over global charts.

It has already planted a flag firmly inside the paddock. Just take a look at a driver’s social media round-up and you will likely see their clips paired to a house tune (yes, Oscar Piastri, we are looking at you). But Aston Martin has taken this connection to another level entirely by hosting a 'Driven By Sound' pop-up in Central London for their I/AM members.

As Rob Bloom, Aston Martin's Chief Marketing Officer, explained: "We want to associate ourselves with iconic properties and Defected absolutely ticks that box." Bloom noted that Defected believes house music lives both on and off the dance floor, mirroring the mindset of the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team as they look to welcome fans into their world whether they attend a Grand Prix or not. Pointing to the brand's 100-year history, Bloom emphasized that the outfit has always been a cultural phenomenon that punches outside its category.

When looking at why house was chosen over any other genre, Bloom pointed out a natural alignment. "If you look at house music and F1, we both bring scale and intimacy," he said, noting that F1 boasts 825 million fans worldwide while still delivering deeply personal experiences. For I/AM members visiting the Soho pop-up, that meant grabbing a complimentary coffee and enjoying DJ sets from Sam Divine and RUZE, or participating in a run club hosted on the Sunday.

Inside the venue, guests could inspect Fernando Alonso’s race suit and helmet, or interact with a sound wall playing a mix of team radio, the Honda power unit, and team radio from F1 Academy driver Mari Boya. Simon Marlin, a house producer from The Shapeshifters, weighed in on the power of the genre: "Dance music has evolved a lot since I've been doing this... That can only happen through shared experiences that are delivered in a way that makes you feel special, that makes you go beyond what you expected."