Six times F1 drivers have worn tribute helmets

With Valtteri Bottas having sported fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen’s helmet colours at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, we look back on five other occasions when F1 drivers have paid homage to heroes by way of a tribute lid...

Valtteri Bottas

The tribute… Valtteri Bottas repaid long-time manager Mika Hakkinen’s faith in him by unveiling a one-off tribute helmet for the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. “I'm very proud,” Bottas told the media. “Of course, I asked permission from Mika if I can use it and he said 'of course', and he was very, very proud as well.”

Jean-Eric Vergne

The tribute… In 2012, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne paid tribute to childhood hero Jean Alesi at the Monaco Grand Prix by wearing the Frenchman’s distinctive helmet design – which also featured a message of support for Alesi, who was racing in that year’s Indy 500.

Jean-Eric Vergne (again!)

The tribute… Clearly proud of his country’s racing heritage, a year on from the Alesi lid, Jean-Eric Vergne wore the colours of another famous French racer, Francois Cevert, at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton

The tribute… Lewis Hamilton showed off an Ayrton Senna-themed helmet to the press at the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, explaining that the three-time champion was "one of the most significant people in my life growing up". Hamilton repeated the tribute at the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Marcus Ericsson

The tribute… In honour of one of Formula 1’s most outlandish driving talents, Marcus Ericsson strapped on a special Ronnie Peterson helmet for the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. The lid featured Peterson’s distinctive Swedish colour scheme, with the dark blue topped off with a yellow lip on the visor.

Kimi Raikkonen

The tribute… Kimi Raikkonen paid his respects to F1 wildman James Hunt at the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix, when he was driving for Lotus, proudly sporting Hunt’s minimalist design on the streets of the Principality. Raikkonen has also been known to enter snowm

And not quite a tribute but…

There was no homage being paid by David Coulthard to Michael Schumacher when the then-McLaren driver donned Schuey’s helmet for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix. Coulthard had been forced to ditch his trusty Saltire-liveried lid after he had trouble with it misting up in the pre-race warm-up.

A last-minute appeal to Schumacher – who shared the same helmet supplier – resulted in the German very sportingly lending Coulthard his spare helmet for the race. It turned out to be lucky for DC – he was one of only three drivers to finish that year’s race, ending up in second place behind surprise victor Olivier Panis.

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