Few venues on the Formula 1 calendar boast a culture quite as vibrant or colourful as Mexico City, so it’s little surprise to see that reflected in the helmet designs of many drivers this weekend.
Naturally, Mexico’s own Sergio Perez has a special design to commemorate his ninth home grand prix of his career. But several of his rivals are also getting into the spirit with unique and quirky designs.Here are the special helmet designs in the field for this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
As the only Mexican driver racing this weekend, Perez enjoys the support of the many thousands of locals who will be packing the stadium section and the entire circuit. The Red Bull driver arrived at the circuit for media day on Thursday in a luchador’s mask, a theme he’s carried over to his helmet for his home grand prix. Will it get him to his third home podium in his career?
Charles Leclerc’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Another driver who made a grand entrance to the paddock for this weekend, Leclerc arrived wearing a fetching mariachi suit with some intricate detailing. Leclerc has applied similar detail to his helmet this weekend, but kept his traditional red and white colours of the Monegasque flag.
Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Like his team mate, Sainz is also sporting a special design for this weekend’s race. He has embraced the Mexican aesthetic with a Dia de Muertos-themed skull on the crown on his helmet and a chilli pepper on the rear face.
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Fernando Alonso’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Another major milestone in the unparalleled career of Fernando Alonso: F1’s most experienced driver in history will participate in his 400th grand prix weekend in Mexico. Although he is not due to start his 400th grand prix until Qatar, he is still marking this remarkable achievement with a helmet design that features snapshots of all his most memorable moments in the sport.
Pierre Gasly’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Another driver inspired by the Dia de Muertos celebrations that always fall around the Mexican Grand Prix weekend at the end of October, Gasly is racing with this rather pretty white design for this weekend. Incorporating many delicate details that are clearly inspired by Mexican art and culture, the subtle teeth motif at the bottom gives it a fittingly spooky feel too.
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Franco Colapinto’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Franco Colapinto is the first Argentinian Formula 1 driver since 2001, but he is also the first Argentinian Williams driver since Carlos Reutemann in 1982.
Reutemann was the most experienced F1 driver Argentina ever had, with 146 grand prix starts between 1972 and 1982. Unable to match the great Juan Manuel Fangio in becoming a world champion, Reutemann did take 12 victories in his career – the final three of which for Williams.
Colapinto pays tribute to his late countryman this weekend, sporting the same colour scheme that Reutemann raced with in his heyday.
Zhou Guanyu’s Mexican Grand Prix helmet design
Zhou’s helmet design for this weekend is clearly inspired by the striking green, white and red colour scheme of the Mexican flag and the overall effect is rather attractive. Predominantly black, to fit his car’s livery, the winged motif on the side looks similar to something wrestling superstar Rey Mysterio might have on one of his signature masks.
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2024 Mexican Grand Prix
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Neil (@neilosjames)
26th October 2024, 15:26
The Alonso one might just be my favourite special helmet design of all time.
Not saying a lot because I generally dislike special helmets, but it’s still the only one I’ve ever seen that I’d buy a replica of and stick on a shelf in my house.
Jere (@jerejj)
26th October 2024, 16:15
I like all these special designs, with Alonso’s my outright favorite, although I particularly like the simplicity in Colapinto’s equivalent temporary design.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
27th October 2024, 1:55
I am clearly in the minority in not loving Alonso’s design, although the milestone is definitely worth commemorating in this way, and I can’t immediately think of anything better. But maybe that is the problem for me…. more functional than pretty.
Colapinto’s is my favourite but I admit I am biased toward older simpler designs.
The others are petty good though, except perhaps Gasly’s look like he left his plain white helmet in the kids art classroom.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
27th October 2024, 1:58
Actually I did have a thought re: Alonso’s helmet. I think it is the gold base that bothers me. Maybe it has a meaning that is lost on me, but otherwise perhaps the design/colour’s of his first or most memorable helmet could have replaced the gold…. or a chequered flag?
Ancient Today
27th October 2024, 5:13
Alonso’s special helmet is my favorite helmet of all time (GOAT!!!) 😌 It took my breath away instantly when I saw the first image, and still, after seeing it from every angle, in all kinds of light, it renders me speechless with awe and appreciation. It’s beauty and ageless hints of film, combining days gone by with today, keep me coming back to see more, and explore a life worth knowing.
A couple of the comments here inspired me to think about it more closely. The beauty of the golden sheen reminds me of sepia, yet appears ageless and timeless. And we know that the element of gold is “vanishingly rare” on Earth [Brian Cox], and is virtually indestructible. I feel so fortunate to live on earth at the same time as Fernando Alonso, that rarest of human beings, that human who has survived so much without allowing the world to destroy his soul, that man who inspires me with his many kindnesses, his forthright nature, his utter dedication to excellence, his perseverance and determination, hos work ethic, and his ability to think and act faster than light.
I’m forever grateful to Fernando Alonso. I’ll treasure these images of his helmet forever in my heart, as I do the man himself.