From Race Tracks to House Tracks: Why Aston Martin Partnered With Defected Records for an F1 and House Music Campaign
Aston Martin has partnered with British record label and house music specialist Defected Records, bringing together two global fan communities at a time when interest in both Formula 1 and house music continues to grow.
House music originated in Chicago in the early 1980s and has since become a mainstream genre, with its tracks regularly appearing on charts around the world. It already has a strong connection with Formula 1, frequently appearing in drivers’ social media posts—including those of Oscar Piastri.
Aston Martin and Defected bring F1 and house music together
The Aston Martin Formula 1 team has expanded that connection through its partnership with Defected Records, hosting a ‘Driven By Sound’ pop-up in central London for its I/AM members. While the collaboration may initially seem unexpected, the relationship between the two brands is rooted in their shared focus on culture, community and global reach.
“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 long been associated with Formula 1, from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ to the album created for F1 The Movie. With numerous musical genres available, Aston Martin says house music was a natural choice for the partnership.
“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.”
Inside Aston Martin’s Driven By Sound pop-up
The Soho pop-up gives Aston Martin I/AM members the opportunity to experience the team more closely. Activations include complimentary coffee alongside DJ sets from Sam Divine and RUZE, as well as a run club hosted on Sunday.
Visitors can also view Fernando Alonso’s race suit and helmet. A sound wall allows guests to hear a combination of team radio, the Honda power unit and radio communications from Aston Martin’s 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 relationship between house music and Formula 1 has also developed through collaborations with leading DJs on F1 Tracks, the official Formula 1 playlist. Major artists such as Diplo have performed at events including this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, further highlighting the crossover between motorsport and music.
That connection could even inspire more drivers to pursue DJing after retiring from Formula 1, following the example of Fernando Alonso’s compatriot Jaime Alguersuari, who now performs under the stage name Squire.
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