Some might say you’ve really made it when you have a certain number of social media followers, or a large-digit number in your bank account, but I think the true measure of success is when skilled manicurists make complex nail art in your honor. By that standard, Formula 1 has hit the big time.
If you’re not familiar with nail art, it’s a step (or 20) above the classic manicure. Nail artists use specialized gels and polishes to create 3-D sculptural effects on the tips of their clients’ fingers. Nail art can be abstract, using magnetic polishes or chrome powders to make exciting patterns and textures, or it can be figurative, with designs based on themes like food, video games, fashion brands, or animals.
Or cars. I’ve seen plenty of car-themed nails before. Take a look around at any racetrack and you’ll see fans and engineers sporting checkered flags or the general paint schemes of their favorite teams, but when I saw Lisa Kim’s recent set of Formula 1 nails, I knew F1 fandom had reached a new level.
Kim was kind enough to send me some photos of her latest work and answer my questions about creating it. The Australian artist began doing manicure art during COVID and is now in her third year of designing and applying custom sets. She told me she’d never done a car-themed set before, but when a client came in with a request for F1 nails, she was delighted by the challenge.
“I wanted to incorporate as many car-racing elements into it as possible. I wanted to include as many teams onto the 10 fingers as I could and hand-sculpt as much as possible,” she says. “I wanted to make it a nail set you’ve never seen before. I sculpted with 3-D sculpting gel, using models of Ferrari F1 cars from 2010–2015 as inspiration. Then I added a racing flag, tires with the LV [Louis Vuitton] logo painted around them, as LV is the year’s main sponsor, as well as the racing helmets, spanners, and screwdrivers.”
All pretty detailed for someone who says she wasn’t even an F1 fan when the request came in. “I did have to Google a bit for research,” she admitted, but added that she’s a fan now. While this was Kim’s first F1 request, she says she tends to see more racing-themed nails when the F1 season starts, and she thinks it’s a trend that will stick around, especially as more women get into motorsports. For now, Kim says she really only gets racing nail requests from women, “although I do want more male clients!”
If you’re considering a custom set of your own, there is a cost. Kim says the pictured client’s nails took about 10 hours from start to finish, and with an hourly rate that’s the equivalent of U.S. $60 to $90 per hour depending on complexity, showcasing your team loyalty won’t come cheap. But when you’re reaching for the chips at the GP viewing party, everyone is going to know you’re a real fan.
Personally, I love seeing these inroads of motorsport fandom into fashion and crafting culture. Pair Kim’s nails with the crocheted Ferrari sweater recently covered by Road & Track, and you’ll be dressed to impress on the pit walk.
If you’re in Melbourne, Australia, get your own car set by Lisa K, or follow her on Instagram at @nailsbylisak.
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story “A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2.” In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story “In Washington, D.C.’s Secret Carpool Cabal, It’s a Daily Slug Fest” was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.