
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto by Rupert Tapper for ic! berlin.
There are plenty of things engineered to survive 300 km/h on a racetrack, though eyewear does not traditionally sit at the top of that checklist. ic! berlin seems fairly confident about its chances. The Berlin eyewear label has launched its first campaign with the Audi Revolut F1® Team, starring Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto in customised frames from its new Racing Edition. The timing marks another step in a partnership that puts ic! berlin’s engineering-led approach alongside Audi’s newest racing project.
The partnership between the two brands was announced in February, making ic! berlin the Audi Revolut F1® Team’s first official eyewear partner. Since 1996, ic! berlin has built its name around cold-rolled stainless steel, ultra-lightweight frames and its patented screwless hinge, with every pair designed and quality-controlled by hand in Berlin. Audi, meanwhile, is in its debut season as a full works team, having taken over the Sauber operation for 2026 and developed its own power unit.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto by Rupert Tapper for ic! berlin.
The accompanying imagery captures the physical sensation of trackside acceleration through a creative, artistic lens. Shot by photographer Rupert Tapper with visual direction from multidisciplinary artist Leif Podhajsky, the pictures employ intentional motion blur and kinetic movement to make velocity appear visible – and kind of aesthetically delicious. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto frame the campaign under the phrase ‘From 0.5 mm to 300 km/h’, connecting the fraction-of-a-millimetre manufacturing tolerances of handmade spectacles directly to the aerodynamic forces experienced inside a carbon-fibre cockpit.
The Racing Edition keeps the racing references extremely measured. ‘Ryan’, one of two existing ic! berlin designs revisited for the capsule, arrives in pearl with dark grey polarised lenses and red temple tips. ‘Gabriel’ takes a Sky Grey acetate front and matching red TPE tips, with its original acetate temples replaced by pearl metal versions that give the frame a more technical finish.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto by Rupert Tapper for ic! berlin.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto by Rupert Tapper for ic! berlin.
The packaging expands on this collector-minded approach, arriving with five different track-mapped red case sleeves that reference historic circuits in Monza, Austin, Singapore and Las Vegas, alongside a fifth general variant built to function as a miniature paddock souvenir.
A pair of sunglasses will not make anyone faster around Monza, obviously, but with just enough red to suggest trouble, they may at least make the walk to the paddock look the part.
Discover the new Racing Edition here.
photography. courtesy of Rupert Tapper for ic! berlin
words. Gennaro Costanzo






































































































































































































































































































