For as long as Formula One (F1) cars have been recognisable by colour, design has been at the heart of the sport and its cultural relevance. Take Ferrari, an iconic brand beyond its status as the most successful team in F1. Their trademark red no longer just represents the team but is now commonly thought of as a symbol of speed, luxury, and heritage — at this point it is considered part of the team’s DNA.
As the sport has flourished, design has become a tool for expression and fun, yes, but also for marketing. Nowadays, F1 is filled to the brim with advertisements on cars, race suits, and more often now the name of the team. However, amidst the overwhelming number of sponsors, helmet design has emerged as the leading medium for a driver’s own storytelling and personal expression.
Since the inaugural F1 season in 1950, drivers’ crash helmets have gone from simple colourways to elaborate designs, evolving with the designs and artistic innovations of the time. At the recent Las Vegas Grand Prix, championship leader Lando Norris wore a helmet designed by contemporary artist Werner Bronkhorst. The latter has risen to notoriety with his technique of spreading thick paint onto a canvas to create a dynamic, three-dimensional foundation for his miniature paintings of intricately detailed figures. In celebrating Norris’s 150th race in Vegas, the 24-year-old used this unique style to commemorate various episodes of the driver’s career.
A driver’s helmet has also become a means through which they can curate their own brand, employing recurring themes and designs which ultimately become an extension of their own image. F1 legend Ayrton Senna wore a predominantly green and yellow helmet, an ode to his native Brazil, and as his sporting legacy has been cemented, so has his iconic helmet design. As one of the few elements of the uniform without a standardised design, many drivers incorporate their own logos and artistic interests. They also tend to use their helmets to honour individuals, occasions, or race locations, such as Lewis Hamilton’s collaboration with Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama for the Suzuka GP — the illustrator was inspired by his work with chrome-plated robots, designing a one-off futuristic helmet with a light-up visor.
There have been limitations to the creative license in designing a crash helmet, though. Between 2015 and 2020 drivers were limited to only one change throughout the season, on the grounds that it would make them easier to identify. Since the ban was lifted, helmets have become somewhat of a carte blanche — with political statements, artist collaborations, and so much more, drivers have used helmet design for various reasons. Given a sport like Formula One is often rife with sponsorships and commercial incentives, specially designed crash helmets are a breath of fresh air and make art a crucial channel for individual expression within the sport.
Illustration by Erika Bunjevac for The Student