As a super big F1 fan myself, I know how hard it is to get affordable merchandise. Going onto the Mercedes merch website and seeing the prices is a collective fan experience, and it’s not fun. But there are actually a lot of more affordable options when it comes to F1 merch and gifts that, most times, are better than official F1 merch.
Read on to see the top 10 gifts for F1 lovers:
1. Car Keychain
Keychains are a great stocking gift. Something small and cute yet sentimental. If your friend is an F1 fan, you should get an F1 car keychain. It’s a small, silver-plated F1 car that you can attach to different things, such as your keys or even your bag. As an F1 fan myself, I love having small things that show I’m a fan, especially when it’s noticeable to others around me.
2. F1 Hat
It’s a known fact that official F1 merchandise can be incredibly pricy, especially when it comes to clothing. But, lucky for you, during the holidays and at the end of the F1 season, you can find some great discounts and deals. But even with the discounts and deals, the clothing can still be very expensive. That’s why I think hats are the best option. You can find official team hats for as low as $22, which is an amazing steal, considering how expensive they usually are.
“I got my sister a Mercedes hat for $25 during the holidays. The drop in prices are great for getting gifts for sure,” University of Sussex first-year Lavinia Driver-Jones said.
Teams like Mercedes, McLaren and Williams usually have great holiday deals. When I’m watching a race, I always make sure to wear either my Mercedes or Ferrari hat. It’s one of my favorite ways to show support. The great thing about hats is that you can wear them every day, and they are pretty subtle, nothing over the top or flashy. The perfect item for an F1 fan.
3. F1 Banners
You’ve probably seen sports fans show support for their favorite teams or athletes by having flags/banners in their room representing the team. You’re in luck because you can find these for F1 teams as well. F1 banners are great, especially for dorm rooms for college. As someone who’s wanted to add more F1-themed décor to my room but didn’t know how banners are a great and simple way to do this.
4. F1 Trading Cards
As someone who used to collect Pokemon cards, I was super excited to learn that F1 has its own collectible cards. They are called Topps Turbo Attax F1 cards. With over 200 cards to collect and different limited edition decks from different races, there are lots of options when it comes to buying packs. You can buy the tin, which comes with 66 cards for just over $10, or maybe even a couple of limited edition decks. But beware, they can be quite addicting. After you get your first deck, you’ll want to keep buying more.
5. Mini Cars
Personally, I love F1 decor. Small F1-themed things to add to my room to show my interests. You can get miniature collectible model F1 cars from Target, Amazon or Walmart for different F1 teams. They’re great to collect, and if you have a friend who likes multiple drivers or teams, you can get them multiple miniature cars.
6. F1 Shirts
Amazon is great when it comes to F1 merch. They have such a wide variety of clothing options for every driver, too. You can find official team merch as well for much less. Especially if your friend is a fan of a more niche driver, Amazon will be your friend. You can also find some really cute shirts and hoodies that are more stylish and cheaper than the official merch.
7. Friendship Bracelet Kit
Friendship bracelets have become super trendy recently, and that includes the F1 space. Fans have started trading them at races and sporting their favorite drivers on their wrists. You could get your friend a bracelet-making kit so they could make F1-themed friendship bracelets for the races and to trade. You could also have matching ones as well.
8. F1 Posters
When it comes to F1 merch and decor, posters are essential. I have a bunch in my room, and I love looking at them when I wake up. They’re a great way to show your interest in F1 when someone comes over. Lucky for you, there are a lot of different places on Amazon to get them from. You can also find really creative posters that people have drawn themselves.
9. F1 Funko Pop
People might say you get to an age where collecting dolls is weird. But Funko Pops aren’t just dolls. They’re unique, cute collectibles that come in so many different genres. There’s pretty much a Funko Pop for everything: musicians, superheroes, TV show characters and athletes. Also, lucky for you, they also have racing drivers.
“I really want to get my friend the Max Verstappen Funko Pop. It’s affordable and also a cute room accessory,” University of Brighton third-year Jessie Romerlee said.
While they might seem pointless, they’re a great way to decorate your room. I have the Mercedes George Russell Funko Pop. It’s one of my favorite room accessories. If you already collect Funko Pops, you can just add it to the collection! You can put them on your desk, your dresser, a counter… basically everything.
10. F1 Mug
I don’t know about you, but I love mugs. They’re a great way to personalize something you use every day to drink tea or coffee. I love having cute mugs to start my day. I have a George Russell “It’s Race Week” mug that’s super funny and I love to use it the week of a race to get me excited in the mornings. But, if you or your friend want a more serious, aesthetic F1 mug, those exist as well and are great.
“For my birthday my friend got me a mug with my favorite F1 track on it. It’s a nice reminder of that track and my favorite race,” University of Brighton third-year student Clara Makarem said.
You can get an F1 mug from the official F1 store with your favorite driver. For example, Mercedes sells official Mercedes mugs as well as mugs with their driver’s names on them. These mugs are actually pretty affordable, considering they’re coming from the official store. But, as Clara said, you can also find some creative ones on Amazon that have certain track layouts on them. Those are also great because if you know your friend’s favorite track, it will make it a much more personal gift.
