F1 and The WAG

Empowering and Aspirational or Epitome of the Male Gaze?

As an avid F1 follower and social media secretary for the St. Andrews Motorsport Society, I’ve noticed a phenomenon taking over the world of F1: WAGs. The term WAGs refers explicitly to ‘Wives and Girlfriends’ of the players of a particular sport: In the case of F1, one wife and 19 girlfriends. Although this may give the air of a man in your local pub mansplaining the sport to you, allow me to lay out the basics of Formula 1 so our less motorsport-obsessed audience can understand the arena (or racetrack) we are working in here. 

F1 BACKGROUND

Formula 1 was officially founded as a sport in 1950, making it the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Europe. The grid, which refers to every driver that currently races as well as the starting lineup for any given race weekend, consists of 20 drivers, all male (that’s a different can of worms for another time). Every several years, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body of the sport) implements a different “formula” or set of regulations for the F1 teams. With the given “formula,” teams aim to innovate to the maximum within the regulations to build the fastest car. 

WAGs have always been part of the sport, with drivers gaining a cult-like following in which their dangerous passion for speed breeds both heroes and villains. These women, regardless of your involvement in motorsport, are famous not only for their sweeping influence and fashion sense but also for their cultural importance as partners of F1 drivers.

CURRENT F1 WAGS

First, let’s discuss the WAG who has arguably become the face of this modern renaissance of motorsport WAG culture: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend, Alexandra Saint-Mleux. Charles Leclerc has long been a golden boy of the sport —from his universally agreed-upon good looks to his long tenure at one of the most historic teams in Ferrari, his commercial and cultural appeal is easy to understand. Only naturally, then, is their interest in whoever he might be dating. After a split from ex Charlotte Sine, which was marked by a lot of drama due to their 3-year-long relationship and her being his mother’s neighbor in Monaco, Leclerc was spotted with Saint Mleux, also a Monaco resident. After their spotting in March of 2023, Mleux and Lecerc’s relationship was confirmed that May. At first, Saint Mleux was a very private figure, with her personal Instagram kept private and only her art account available to the public. This only recently changed, and it’s been a public account for over a year now. Arguably, this initial privacy approach generated more buzz around Saint Mleux. Her TikTok is a fan favorite, and has also been public since the rumors of their relationship began. She holds a degree in art studies from the École du Louver, a university in Paris, and her clear talent for aesthetics and art is evident in her cultural influence. She has since leaned into the lifestyle of a public figure, marked by a campaign with Rhode Beauty. Not only are her outfits seemingly always perfectly curated, but the photos she shares of her daily life are even more so, a little art gallery on her own Instagram. 

Another notable mention who was a public figure long before her relationship became public is Lily Muni He. She is a professional golfer who first discovered her boyfriend Alex Albon in a way that is very typical of any baby F1 fan- the Netflix show Drive to Survive. Albon and He’s relationship blossomed from there. Fans love her dedication to her career, and their silly relationship is a highlight on TikTok from both accounts. The two seemingly trade WAG duties, with Albon, a driver for Williams, supporting her at golf matches on his weekends off and vice versa. The two are undeniable staples of the sport and a fan-favorite couple.

Margardia Corceiro is no stranger to high-profile public relationships, most famously paired with Joao Felix, a footballer for Chelsea. Transitioning to the F1 WAG space has not always been smooth sailing for Margarida, or Magui as she is more commonly known. Rumors of her and current world championship contender Lando Norris have persisted since 2023, as the pair seemingly shared an on-again-off-again relationship until recently. Rumors died down when Norris publicly stated he was single in 2024; however, confusion ensued when a TV graphic labeled her as “Lando Norris’s partner” before the relationship had been confirmed. Fans scrambled, wondering if it was a TV error, while others scoffed at the feature and at the mention of her, claiming it distracted from the racing. However, it became apparent to everyone that this relationship was official in all but a statement from the couple as Magui appeared at the Hungarian Grand Prix wearing a McLaren hoodie and sharing a kiss with the race winner, Lando.

WAGs and the misogynistic implications

While most of the controversy surrounding Magui —and, by extension, other WAGs —has long been chalked up to fans’ parasocial behavior, I would posit that this backlash is more culturally indicative than one might think. Screen time for WAGs has long been contested, particularly among male fans, as detractors of these women’s presence in the sport have existed as long as they have been part of the sport. Although some valid criticism is hidden amongst online tabloid rage, such as the media objectifying these women and thus reinforcing the gender stereotypes already present in F1, other, less rational arguments take digs at these women for seemingly no reason. Saint Mleux, for example, although regarded as one of the most popular and beloved WAGs, was long the subject of relentless rumors that she split Leclerc from his ex in a power play to kick-start her own career. Such accusations come from both male and female “fans,” but it is important to highlight the common denominator of all these rumors, misogyny. These rumors, which initially swirled around Saint Mleux and Leclerc’s relationship, notably remove Charles from any blame for a messy relationship transition, pinning it all on Saint Mleux in the overused stereotype of a scheming woman. Recently, her transition to public life has garnered more hate from F1 fans, with many accusing her of mooching off Leclerc’s own hard-won career. This misogynistic accusation is incredibly unfounded; she is simply doing what any intelligent businesswoman would, building her own brand within an increasingly lucrative industry that she just happened to land within. 

Lily Muni He, fan favorite as she is, is also not immune to misogynistic backlash from fans. She was forced to apologize in 2023 after a photo of her wearing a McLaren jacket surfaced, and her boyfriend, Albon, commented, “Orange doesn’t suit you,” even though his team colors are blue. She commented back in the playful manner their relationship is known for, “I’ve been dressing for revenge,” an obvious joke. Fans did not take it that way, coming after the golfer for what was perceived as an attack not only on Albon but also as a confirmation of what fans had apparently suspected all along: that she was there to social climb. Despite how mundane the concept of an Instagram post is, the whole situation reeks of misogyny. Fans are forcing a successful woman to justify her banter with her own boyfriend through a perceived sense of responsibility towards these drivers. 

Perhaps the biggest hate campaign, however, has long followed Magui Corceiro. Chatter surrounding potential cheating due to the close timeline of her relationship with Felix to that of Norris, as well as mostly fabricated drama surrounding her and Lando’s ex Luisinha have been used to paint her as a cheater, disingenuous and power hungry. All of this backlash, combined with fans taking issue with her being featured on F1 broadcasts, complaining that they should be showing something relevant to the sport, has caused a massive hate train that follows Magui on all of her accounts. This again reinforces the misogyny that seems to be intertwined with this new wave of WAGs, as the fans criticized Magui instead of the company responsible for broadcasting. 

Whether it is jealousy, parasociality or internalized misogyny that causes these rumors to occur, one thing is for sure. The WAG is here to stay, providing both style and lifestyle inspiration to legions of female fans who struggle to find representation for themselves in a male dominated sport. Whether they find this representation in the WAGs behind the scenes or with women involved in the technical side of F1 such as the first female race engineer Laura Mueller, women in Formula 1 are not only here to stay, they have been here the whole time.

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