An array of new helmet designs have appeared at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
Almost half the drivers are wearing different designs to their usual at the Circuit of the Americas.
Here is a detailed look at the one-off helmet designs some drivers have opted for.
Charles Leclerc’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Charles Leclerc is wearing a green helmet inspired by an American Football field, with ‘touchdown at Austin’ written across the top. It is to mark this weekend’s race being in the USA.
It’s also Leclerc’s 100th grand prix as a Ferrari driver. But the pole-winner admitted he “forgot this was my 100th GP weekend with Ferrari, so this special helmet design doesn’t make sense.”
“But it’s beautiful,” he added. “Look at that green.”
Carlos Sainz Jnr’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Leclerc’s team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr is showcasing the colours of the American flag. Wearing a helmet coated in red, white and blue adorned with stars, the Ferrari driver will be hoping it brings him more luck than the most recent Qatar Grand Prix as a fuel leak prevented him from starting.
Pierre Gasly’s United States Grand Prix helmet
This season marks 50 years since the death of Francois Cevert. The former Tyrrell driver died in a high-speed crash at Watkins Glen in the 1973 United States Grand Prix, which was the site of his only Formula 1 race win two years prior.
Gasly will be wearing a helmet design that is almost identical to the one that his fellow Frenchman wore in F1. He is not the first F1 driver to have done so, as Jean-Eric Vergne wore a Cevert-inspired helmet at the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver presented his lid to Cevert’s former team mate Jackie Stewart, who called time on his career one race early in the wake of the fatal crash 50 years ago:
Lando Norris’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Lando Norris is celebrating his 100th race in Formula 1 this weekend and unlike Charles Leclerc, he has not overlooked the anniversary.
The McLaren driver, who has competed all of his races in papaya, is wearing a one-off helmet to mark the anniversary which has been styled as if it he’s added a sticker to it for every race.
Zhou Guanyu’s United States Grand Prix helmet
The Lone Star State is famous for its history with cowboys and that is something Zhou Guanyu is deciding to celebrate in the same way Lance Stroll did last year, wearing a helmet that features the colours of a leather cowboy hat.
Kevin Magnussen’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Route 66 is a famous landmark in America. Starting in California, it is a road that goes through northern Texas before ending in Illinois. Kevin Magnussen, who drives for American team Haas, is wearing a Route 66 themed helmet at Circuit of The Americas.
Nico Hulkenberg’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Both Haas drivers will be wearing one-off helmets this weekend to mark their team’s home race. Nico Hulkenberg has opted for an approach more similar to Sainz, but will wear a bolder version of the American flag.
Still using a base of red, white and blue, Hulkenberg’s helmet also features many stars and ‘Hulk’, as well as his car number ’27’, written across in bold, silver text.
Daniel Ricciardo’s United States Grand Prix helmet
Daniel Ricciardo has returned from his absence due to injury and has a special helmet paying tribute to the local college football team, the Texas Longhorns college football team, who play in orange. The back of Ricciardo’s helmet feature his familiar honey badger in a full Longhorns strip.
“They’re having a great season as well, five-one at the moment,” said Ricciardo. “Let’s keep it going and I’ll do my best to represent on track.”
2023 United States Grand Prix
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- Singapore and Austin retirements cost me top 10 championship place – Ocon
- United States Grand Prix result unchanged as FIA rejects Haas’ call for review
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- Mercedes’ Brazilian GP set-up was “conservative” after US GP disqualification
Jere (@jerejj)
21st October 2023, 19:34
Good designs, no clear-cut favorite for me between Leclerc’s, Norris’, Gasly’s, & Zhou’s designs.
RandomMallard
21st October 2023, 19:40
Gasly’s Cevert tribute is very poignant imo. 50 years (and 2 weeks) since his death, and also at a race in the USA is very fitting.
Asd
21st October 2023, 20:22
All just corny US culture references. Quite a pathetic display of cheap adoration.
If they were at least tributes to legendary American drivers like Rick Mears, Al Unser or Dale Ernhardt, it would be respectable.
Asd
21st October 2023, 20:24
Gasly’s tribute to Francois Cevert is obviously the only one I like.
NS76
22nd October 2023, 22:21
100% agree. Danny Sullivan used this helmet for the Miller Patrick AR Racing team in the Indycar of the early 90s. I was expecting something like this. But…
PeterG
21st October 2023, 21:16
And I’m sure that Croft is having a meltdown.
It always used to confuse me when he would go on he’s big rants about Vettel changing his helmet design most races and how that made identifying him harder considering that Webber always kept his the same and it was bright yellow.
If you couldn’t tell which Red Bull was which when one driver always had a bright yellow helmet then your clearly a rubbish commentator!
But then we know that Croft isn’t very good as even when helmet design changes were banned he still constantly mis-identified drivers and cars.
Simon
22nd October 2023, 0:29
Given Sky’s links with FOM, Croft now probably thinks ever-changing helmet designs are the best thing since sliced bread
The only good one here is Gasly’s tribute to Francois Cevert
DaveW (@dmw)
21st October 2023, 21:41
Leclerc’s is hideous.
Pike
22nd October 2023, 18:09
I think they are all ok. Zhou’s is a bit odd. It is not well executed. I think the comments are a little harsh though. RWB cools is not putting a lot of effort I would say that, but Route 66 is creative enough.