Sir Lewis Hamilton launches competition to design his F1 helmet
Young people aged 11-18 invited to take part
Sir Lewis Hamilton is known for expressing himself through bold fashion choices in the grands prix paddocks, and that ethos extends to his artistic F1 helmet designs. They have included a gold “lid” for the final race of 2018, a Niki Lauda tribute used at Monaco 2019, and a striking futuristic version with a light-up visor, unveiled at last year’s Japanese GP.
Now younger fans of the seven-times world champion are being invited to prove their own artistic flare with a competition to create a design for one of Hamilton’s 2024 F1 season helmets.
The opportunity is open to budding designers aged 11-18, with three categories split by age group: 11-13 years old; 14-16 years old; and 17-18 years old.
Entrants can download a helmet template from the competition web page, then upload the hand drawn (and scanned) or digitally-designed helmet, along with an explanation about the inspiration behind the artwork, before the competition closes on February 28.
The winning entries will be photographed with Hamilton at an F1 event in 2024, and their designers will receive a VIP tour of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team factory in Brackley, Northants.
“Throughout my racing career, I’ve worn many different helmet designs — some crafted by amazing artists, others which shared an important message,” said Hamilton.
“In a sport that is often dominated by numbers and data, my helmet gives me a way to express myself creatively, and I’m so excited to see how it can do the same for you.”
The F1 star, who recently made the shock announcement that he’ll be moving from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, sees the opportunity as a way to help build young people’s confidence and encourage them to “embrace mistakes”.
“If I could offer you one piece of advice as you begin your design journey, it would be to just believe in yourself,” he said.
“Keep pushing, even if you don’t get it right the first time, and embrace the possibility of mistakes. The most important thing is that you take the time to figure out your personal style and what you want to convey through your art.”
The helmet design competition was conceived by Mercedes F1 team’s principal partner Ineos Hygienics — a division of the Ineos chemicals company that was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide sanitising products for hospitals and homes — and is running in parallel to a life skills initiative for schools.
“Celebrating its first year, the Ineos Go Humans Academy initiative is now available in two per cent of UK schools nationally through a partnership with the 1851 Trust and is dedicated to building confidence in young people,” explained Rory Tait, Ineos Hygienics’ chief operating officer.
“We provide free-to-view video lessons with access to the world’s best athletes, experts and creatives. The programme features incredible role models teaching full-spectrum life skills — something missing from traditional education and essential to well-rounded mental and physical development.”
Speaking of the reasons behind the Hamilton helmet design competition, Tait added: “As Formula One continues to grow in popularity among younger audiences, we really wanted to provide the next generation of creatives a platform to showcase their self expression and design talent.
“This competition is a unique chance to give students a once-in-a-lifetime design brief. And who knows? We might just discover the next great Formula One designer.”
Helmet design submissions will be individually reviewed by staff at Ineos and members of the Mercedes F1 team before the final shortlist is judged by “an elite panel” including Tait, Ineos Go Humans ambassadors and Mercedes F1 design experts.
Although Sir Lewis himself isn’t a judge, he’ll be casting an eye over the entries before being photographed with the winners. He concluded: “I can’t wait to see all the designs you’ll create!”
Visit https://www.ineoshygienics.com/go-humans-academy/lewis-hamilton-competition to enter the competition.
Driving.co.uk, The Sunday Times and News UK are not associated with this competition in any way. See the Ineos website for T&Cs.
Related articles
- If you were interested in the competition to design Lewis Hamilton’s helmet, you might also like to check out the F1 star’s report that recommended 10 steps to improve diversity in motor sport
- Also check out our F1 2024 drivers, teams and cars guide
- And here’s the F1 season schedule, which will include race reports after each round
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