From race tracks to house tracks: Why Aston Martin is bringing house music to the ears of F1 fans

Earlier this week, Aston Martin announced a partnership with British record label and house music specialists Defected. The pairing of motorsport and music is nothing new, but with a huge growth of fans in both F1 and house, the collaboration feels like it’s coming at just the right time.

House music as a genre was born in Chicago at the start of the ‘80s and has only grown in popularity, becoming mainstream with tracks frequently populating the global charts.

It’s already got a presence in Formula 1; just take a look at a driver’s social media round-up and you’ll likely see it paired to a house tune – yes, Oscar Piastri, we’re looking at you.

Aston Martin have taken this to another level with their partnership with Defected Records, hosting a ‘Driven By Sound’ pop-up in Central London for their I/AM members. From the outside, this pairing might feel like an interesting choice, but it’s a collaboration that makes a lot of sense.

“We want to associate ourselves with iconic properties and Defected absolutely ticks that box,” Rob Bloom, Aston Martin's Chief Marketing Officer explained.

“Defected is the belief that house music exists on and off the dance floor, and that community culture is so much more than just the music. We are absolutely in that mindset as the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team, and we want to engage fans and welcome them into our world, whether you go to a Grand Prix or not.

“The Aston Martin brand is 100 years old, but it's always been a cultural phenomenon. It existed way beyond its core product, we are very comfortable – in culture – punching outside of category, and that's the space we play, in which we are so much more than just a car company or motorsports team.”

Music has always had links with Formula 1, from its association with ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac to the incredible album created for F1 The Movie – the two passions always find a way of coming together. However, with so many genres to pick from, why did Aston Martin gravitate towards house?

“There's a natural alignment," Bloom continues. "If you look at house music and F1, we both bring scale and intimacy. Two global properties, in house music and Formula 1, and there are 825 million F1 fans out there in the world: it's truly global.

"But, when you bring fans together at little moments like this, that's where you get the intimacy. You can have huge global platforms that still have very intimate personal relationships and experiences as part of it.”

For Aston Martin's I/AM members, the Soho pop-up is a great chance to get up close and personal to the team, with activations that include a complimentary coffee whilst enjoying DJ sets from Sam Divine and RUZE, or a run club that’s hosted on the Sunday.

Once inside the venue, there’s also plenty to see: from Fernando Alonso’s race suit and helmet to a sound wall which invites guests to listen to a mix of team radio, the Honda power unit and team radio from their F1 ACADEMY driver Mari Boya.

“Dance music has evolved a lot since I've been doing this,” said Simon Marlin, a house producer from The Shapeshifters. “There's nothing more unique than finding friends on the dance floor.

"Defected Croatia is a great example of people that had never met each other 10 years ago, and now are the best of friends, crying with each other because the festival finished this year.

"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. They're the moments that bring people together, and house music is the biggest and best platform to do that. It's such a feel-good factor.”

The exploration of house music in Formula 1 has been seen through the genre’s biggest DJs collaborating on F1 Tracks – the official F1 playlist – or huge names like Diplo performing at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. The crossover between passions is clear, and who knows? Perhaps another driver will take up DJing after retirement – much like Alonso's compatriot Jaime Alguersuari, who now goes by the stage name Squire.