10 of Max Verstappen’s best helmet designs a decade on from his first win

On this day a decade ago, Max Verstappen made his Red Bull Grand Prix debut in Spain – wasting no time at all writing himself into Formula 1 folklore. The 18-year-old stormed to his maiden victory, announcing himself on the global stage as he became the youngest ever Grand Prix winner in F1 history.

In the 10 years since then Verstappen has become an all-time great of the sport, winning four World Championships, taking 71 Grand Prix wins, and 127 podiums – that is some record for the Dutchman.

To celebrate, we’re looking back at some of Verstappen’s best helmets during his illustrious F1 career – fortunately, there are plenty to choose from. From striking home race helmets to stunning special World Championship designs, here are 10 of our favourites...

Miami 2026

Starting off with his most recent lid, Verstappen’s Miami 2026 helmet was certainly a love letter to the 305. The piece was inspired by the Floridian sunsets with bold purples and pinks offset with palm trees – an apt tribute to a race that he has enjoyed over the years, with victories in 2022 and 2023.

The weekend didn’t go exactly to plan for Verstappen – with a fifth-place finish both in the Sprint and Grand Prix – but the helmet was certainly a highlight of the weekend.

Japan 2025

With the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix marking Honda’s final home race as Red Bull’s power unit partner – Verstappen marked the occasion with an eye-catching white and red lid. The design matched the team’s special livery based on the Japanese flag featuring cherry blossom graphics across the rear.

It was a lovely tribute, not only to Japanese culture, but also to the Honda heritage that powered him to his four world titles. To top it all off, he claimed victory in Suzuka – the perfect send-off for the perfect partnership.

Austria, Belgium and Netherlands 2025

Verstappen’s neon ‘Orange Lion’ design, bursting from its dark base, was worn across three races he can consider to be home – Red Bull’s home in Austria, Verstappen’s birthplace in Belgium, and the country he represents in the Netherlands. As always, the Orange Army were out in force to get a glimpse of the eye-catching design.

His results were certainly a mixed bag, but after a DNF in Austria, he claimed a Sprint win and P4 in Belgium, before a runner-up finish at Zandvoort sent the Dutch crowd home happy.

World Championship 2024

Some gifts are hard to top – and this might be one of them! Red Bull presented Verstappen with a special championship helmet after his P5 finish in Las Vegas secured his fourth world title. With a stunning white marbled design, the helmet shimmered with gold detailing – not to forget the addition of a fourth star to the rear to mark each of his Championships.

With that fourth title, Verstappen drew level with two of the sport’s icons in Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost – and he wore the helmet like a crown for the final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to close out another historic season for the Dutchman.

Spain, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy 2024

Verstappen dedicated this helmet to his legendary Orange Army fanbase, wearing it across five races during the European leg of the season where their support is at its loudest – Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. No prizes for guessing the colour scheme on this one!

The standout detail was the incorporation of the fans themselves into the design – a lovely touch for one of the most dedicated fan bases in the sport. A win in Spain and second in Zandvoort were the standout moments in this helmet, with deafening noise following him every lap regardless of position.

World Championship 2023

Before the four-star crown came its equally as dazzling predecessor. Verstappen was gifted this stunning black and gold helmet from his Red Bull team after securing his third successive world title after the Qatar Sprint.

The Dutchman deserved a helmet as grand and detailed as this one after his record-breaking 2023 – Red Bull and Verstappen were unstoppable, taking 19 wins and 21 podiums in 22 races.

Netherlands 2021

Verstappen was a huge factor behind F1 returning to Zandvoort on the Dutch coast – the country could not get enough of its new motorsport icon. Racing returned to the region for the first time since 1985, so it was only right that the home hero made an impression with a special lid.

The flag of the Netherlands was spotlit throughout the design, with the top featuring the traditional lion over the Dutch red, white and blue. Some painted details elevated the helmet, while Verstappen made sure to deliver in front of an electric crowd, taking a dominant win.

Austria 2019

Austria has always been a highlight on the calendar for Verstappen, with the Orange Army travelling well to Red Bull’s home race in the Styrian hills – so why not mark it with another one-off helmet?

The bright yellow really stood out against the dark colours of the Red Bull car, while the mirrored visor and red, black, and white accents made the design as eye-catching as ever. A memorable lid deserves a memorable race, and 2019 was certainly that, as a bold late race-winning overtake on Charles Leclerc sent the Dutch fans into rapture.

2018 Season

The lion made its debut on Verstappen’s helmet in 2017, and by the following season, the youngster had an incredibly clean red, black, and yellow design that matched perfectly with the Red Bull race suit and livery.

Although it was another season behind Mercedes and Ferrari, Verstappen was starting to take a leadership role in the team, beginning a streak of finishing ahead of his team mate in the standings every season since.

Spain 2016

Verstappen had a huge opportunity to make an impression when he got a mid-season promotion from Toro Rosso a decade ago – and boy did he take it. The famous crash between the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the start opened the door for the 18-year-old, and a combination of excellent strategy and driving well beyond his years gave Verstappen a memorable maiden victory on his debut for the team.

This helmet will always be a special one for the Dutchman, and despite being one of his earliest, we can still see the trademark ‘V’ shapes and wings all over the lid. The design is bold, bright, and now, forever remembered as the starting point of an iconic era.