Nike has canceled its collaboration with Max Verstappen for an Air Jordan clothing line due to suspicion of plagiarism

In Formula 1 , drivers are involved in much larger stakes than just competitions on the track. Indeed, some also engage in commercial battles, such as that of the textile industry .

Max Verstappen had planned to launch his own clothing line, but he ran into Nike , a company that prevented his line from being created due to possible trademark infringement. The name chosen for Verstappen's line, " Max 1 ", conflicts with a legendary Nike saga. This commercial rivalry between Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso therefore goes beyond simple sporting competition.

According to Nike, the name 'Max 1' is too similar to 'Air Max'

Max Verstappen had considered launching his own line of clothing, as many renowned Formula 1 drivers have done recently. However, he faced opposition from Nike. The American company noticed that the name " Max 1 " had a similarity with its famous line of shoes " Air Max ".

Nike therefore filed a complaint with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property to temporarily prevent Verstappen's project. Further, Nike argues that this similarity in names could be misleading to consumers, who may mistakenly think there is a connection between the two brands.

According to the complaint filed by the American multinational, the brands in question, namely Nike and Max, have visual and phonetic similarities, and are partially identical and similar in terms of products. Therefore, the target audience might think that the defendant mark is in fact a sub-mark of the opponent, Nike.

In the world of Formula 1, it is increasingly common for the most successful drivers to launch their own clothing line. This is the case of Fernando Alonso who created ' Kimoa ' for several years, although he is now only a minority shareholder. As for Lewis Hamilton , he is passionate about fashion and markets his creations under the " +44 " brand, thus referring to his racing number.

We will now see if Verstappen continues his efforts to have his own clothing brand, if he abandons the idea of ​​"Max 1", or if he chooses another name. However, a legal battle with Nike would not be the best decision to make, especially during a Formula 1 season where he is aiming for a third world championship.

For now, Verstappen cannot be considered the next " Air Jordan ", at least not with Nike.