IN CONVERSATION WITH CHARLOTTE TILBURY

interview JANA LETONJA

Charlotte Tilbury is the official partner of F1 Academy in 2024, which marks the beauty brand’s first-ever global sports sponsorship, and also the first beauty brand and the first female-founded brand to become a sponsor of F1 Academy. The landmark partnership empowers the next generation of young women in motorsport and continues Charlotte’s mission to unlock the magic of confidence and bring dreams to life.

Charlotte, how did the partnership with F1 Academy come to life, and what is its main purpose?

It all started with my introduction to Susie Wolff, the former racing driver and the Managing Director of F1 Academy. When I first heard about what she is doing to break open this sport for women, I knew we had to be involved as Formula 1 has huge potential for women. Susie has done so much to break open the world of motorsport, and she’s a hero to so many young women around the globe, so it’s such an honour to be the first female founded brand, and the first beauty brand to sponsor the F1 Academy.

I am so passionate about representation, inclusion and diversity, and women were so underrepresented in this sport that it was obvious to me that I could really help make a difference. I've always felt that just as has been proven with football, motorsport is a sport which women can excel at, and the world wants to see more of. I was shocked to find out that 40% of Formula 1 fans are female and yet more women have orbited the earth than driven an F1 car. Female participation is only 5% and our partnerships’ ambition is to change that.

The partnership is based on your goal to spread the message of confidence and empowerment. How important is spreading and sending out this message as loudly as possible?

As a female founder, my mission is to bring more joy, more empowerment and more confidence to everyone, everywhere, so this partnership is so important to me to amplify this message. We are using our global platform to elevate this new generation of fearless young female drivers and open up the traditionally male-dominated world of motorsports to even more talented young women. It's such an amazing and meaningful opportunity for us to be able to help more women.

Mostly though, it’s our mantra “Makeup your destiny”, that’s emblazoned on our Charlotte Tilbury operated by Rodin car, I want everyone to see and embrace. It's an empowerment mantra that I really hope any young woman watching F1 Academy, who might think that she could never be as brave or as confident as these young female drivers will take on board, because if you work together, with that vision and that goal, you can achieve anything.

This partnership marks many firsts for your brand. It has become the first beauty brand to sponsor the F1 Academy, and the first female-founded brand to do so. How special, exciting, and proud does that make you feel?

I am so proud of this partnership, of Susie and of all the amazing drivers and wider teams who are shaping the future of motorsport. Every race, we get excited to see the Charlotte Tilbury operated by Rodin car driven by the incredible Lola, which has our distinctive livery, complete with helmet and racing suit, so you see our signature night crimson and rose gold speeding round the tracks, emblazoned with the Charlotte Tilbury hot lips icon.

As a brand, we have been at all the F1 Academy races around the world which has been so exciting. I loved attending my first race earlier this year in Miami, which was incredible and such a buzz. Of course, we were so excited to be in the Netherlands and see so many of the amazing fans here this weekend, before we head off to Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.

What are the shared values you and Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, connected the most on?

Susie and I were introduced through a member of my team who has a background in motorsport and knew Susie from her karting days, and we discussed her vision for the Academy. Susie wants young women and girls to feel confident enough that no dream is off limits, no matter the odds. And like her, I have always believed in the power of limitless thinking, so we instantly connected on this. We both have a winning mindset, and our partnership epitomises this. It felt like the perfect partnership for my brand - the glamour, the stars, the fact that it’s global, the young social-first audience. We are both in the business of confidence.

What are your personal goals to achieve through this sponsorship in regard to supporting the young female drivers in the F1 Academy?

I love being able to pioneer, whether it's through makeup, skincare, fragrance, through technology like my app, or through our partnerships. My personal goal is to ensure we are empowering not only the next generation of female motorsport drivers, but all women and girls. We’re not just empowering females to enter sports, they don’t all have to be racing champions. This sport is fiercely competitive, and it’s intense. But those are also the skills you need to run a business and do other extraordinary things, whether it’s being the kind of friends who elevate other women, the mothers who raise confident daughters, or the sisters who have your back. They just need the confidence to do it, to unlock their potential, and believe in their own inner power to shape the world they want it to be.

Like you already menationed, you designed one of the F1 Academy cars, driven by the French driver Lola Lovinfosse, which features your brand’s signature night crimson and rose gold colourways, emblazoned with the iconic Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips and mantra “Makeup Your Destiny”. How exciting was designing the car for you, and how did you decide on the final design?

It’s euphoric. It’s so exciting, my adrenaline was buzzing when I saw “Makeup Your Destiny” on our amazing Hot Lips car for the very first time. I felt so honored to see the car in action and to be able to lend my support to these young drivers to fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams. I started my brand with the ambition of empowering women around the world to be their most confident and successful selves, and this partnership is the embodiment of that spirit. I loved seeing it race around Zandvoort this weekend.

Tell us more about the brand’s iconic mantra “Makeup Your Destiny”. What is behind its meaning and what inspired it?

My mantra “Makeup your destiny” is something I have always said. For me, it’s all about how the magic happens when my team and I come together, or when women come together everywhere. We can do anything and that’s why I always say we can make up our destiny. And the young F1 Academy drivers are doing just that. They are rockstars, truly. They have all worked so hard, putting in hours and hours of practice, sometimes in harsh conditions, the sun, the heat, the fumes, and it’s watching them drive at speed so fearlessly, relying on their confidence and their skills to carry them through it, and help them to do extraordinary things on the track that makes me so proud to be a woman. They’re chasing titles, chasing dreams, they’re overcoming odds by working together with their team, which is something I relate to.

This partnership connects two completely different worlds, motorsport and beauty. How do you believe it will open the world of motorsport to a new global communnity of beauty fans?

I have loved seeing the positive reactions, comments and likes regarding our partnership, and our beauty community have been embracing all things F1 Academy. It's worked both ways, as the moto fans have been embracing Charlotte Tilbury, seeing our support for the drivers at every race. Whether it’s in the paddock to give them performance driven products like my Magic Water Cream to hydrate, my Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer to help protect from the sun, my Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray to keep your makeup in place, or my Magic Hydrator Mist, which is a pollution defence and instant refresh, or just to give them tutorials on how to do their own makeup. I want to make it easy for them to choose and easy to use, so that they can unlock the magic of confidence and bring their dreams to life.

What is your view on the evolution of women in motorsport, and why do you think it is so important to see this evolution?

We have all grown up with that image of the man on the Formula 1 podium shaking the magnum of champagne and the droning vroom of the cars circling the laps, the tension building, creating that excitement and the drama. It's such an exhilarating sport, but women have been largely left behind. 

Susie Wolff and the F1 Academy are changing this for the future of women in motorsport. It means so much to me that I can champion F1 Academy and help open this thrilling sport to a new generation of drivers. I am so happy to be a part of the change. If there’s a door that’s shut to us as women, I always say it’s our duty to open it!

What can you share with us about the brand’s upcoming plans and partnerships? Are you also already thinking of extending the partnership with F1 Academy?

We are loving our partnership with F1 Academy and there is so much more to do. Through this sponsorship, I can be part of the crucial network that’s needed to help these women continue their journey in racing. And through my brand I really hope I can reach a whole new audience and inspire the next generation of girls to continue breaking the status quo and see that they can also achieve their dreams. We’re focused on supporting all the upcoming races for this season. Regarding what’s next, watch this space is all I can say for now.