F1 News: The Drivers Unveil New Helmet Designs For Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, and Zhou Guanyu have unveiled their Japanese Grand Prix helmets.
The Japanese Grand Prix weekend has got underway with the first two practice sessions having now come to a close, which were the first opportunities for the fans to see the new helmet designs in action on track.
Here is a round-up of the special helmet designs for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Listen To The Latest Driven Mad Podcast Episode
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen shared his Japanese Grand Prix helmet design to social media, writing:
"Special place, special memories, special helmet."
The Dutch driver explains in the video that the Japanese GP holds a special place in his heart after he took part in his first free practice session there back in the day as well as claiming his second championship title there in 2022.
The helmet is a stripped back version of his usual design with a red and white theme to represent the Japanese fla
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton unveiled his new helmet design on social media, showcasing a chrome finish with a distinctive LED strip across the visor.
Collaborating with Team Lab, the design has been enthusiastically received by fans. Captioning additional photos as "Man vs. Machine", the helmet also features a central stripe adorned with the Mercedes logo.
Mercedes Press Image
Esteban Ocon
Going off a similar theme to Verstappen, Esteban Ocon has also unveiled a red and white themed helmet with a red circle on the top to represent the Japanese flag. The French driver has also opted to his 'Suzuka' scribbled down the side along with the outline of the track layout in a graffiti-like manner.
Fernando Alonso
The newly unveiled helmet design from Fernando Alonso features a white base with red and black motifs from the Japanese flag, a Samurai warrior image mirroring Alonso's tattoo, and Japan's landmarks graphics.
This aesthetic choice is in line with Alonso's tradition of wearing helmets themed to the host country. The helmet is a creation of MDM Designs, designers for notable racers like George Russell and Sergio Perez.
Fernando Alonso Press Image
Zhou Guanyu
Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu is the final driver to bring a specially designed helmet to the Japanese Grand Prix. The striking helmet has been designed alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara and features a fully blue design. Posting the helmet to social media, Guanyu wrote:
"A pleasure to have Hiroshi Fujiwara on board for designing this insane Art Piece"