Prior to his first outing with Ferrari’s 2023 F1 car last Wednesday, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton unveiled his new helmet design for his inaugural season with the Scuderia. F1Technical’s chief journalist Balazs Szabo examines the progression of the helmets worn by the seven-time F1 champion.
Lewis Hamilton made his initial visit to Ferrari’s Italian base last Monday, where he interacted with engineers and personnel from the Scuderia’s F1 division. The Briton participated in a photo shoot on Tuesday before engaging in activities in the simulator.
Hamilton subsequently visited Ferrari’s test track at Fiorano on Wednesday. Although the weather was less than perfect, the seven-time F1 champion completed several installation laps and start practices before logging some mileage on slick tires, concluding the day with a total of 30 laps.
The victorious F1 racer, who has won 105 races, received support from his mother Carmen and his ex-coach Angela Cullen, while team principal Fred Vasseur and deputy boss Jerome d’Amborosio also observed.
Before taking the Ferrari SF-23 for its first spin, Lewis Hamilton unveiled his helmet for the occasion, showcasing his iconic yellow design.
While many think Hamilton chose the yellow design as a homage to his idol, three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna, the Brit has disclosed that he picked the livery for another reason.
“I received my first helmet at the age of eight.” It was named FM and it was crimson. Everyone else had awesome helmets, such as the Arai. “It felt as if one possessed stylish footwear.”
“My dad took a seat at the table with me and inquired about which colors I desired.” He selected the yellow because he felt anxious about spotting me coming in from the corner with 40 or 50 karts and wanted to identify me distinctly. Thus, he selected yellow, and I joined him with red, blue, and green.
Development of Hamilton’s helmet styles
Since that time, the yellow design has become an essential element of Hamilton’s identity in Formula One.
Nonetheless, he has experienced a diverse range of helmet designs since joining Formula One. Hamilton primarily utilized a yellow color scheme on his helmets while racing for McLaren from 2007 to 2012.
When he transitioned from the Woking-based team to Mercedes, a broad black strip was incorporated into the top of the helmet, while a blend of green, red, and blue surfaced on both sides.
The onset of the hybrid era in 2014 saw a notable transformation in Hamilton’s helmet design, as white began to overshadow yellow in prominence. Following these three years, the 105-time F1 race victor reverted to a predominantly yellow design for the 2017 F1 season, but the white color made a comeback in 2018 and 2019.
His color palette for the 2020 season was a total shift from the earlier design. The updated helmet was primarily white and purple and had six stars – one representing each of his F1 titles – along with his ‘Still I Rise’ motto positioned under an image of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue.
He brought this design into 2021, but the yellow color scheme reappeared in 2022, although it was more of a blend of yellow and purple instead of a full yellow design.
His brand-new helmet clearly departs from the design he wore in his last season with Mercedes in 2024, which featured yellow, purple, and black components. The eye-catching yellow helmet for the 2025 season aligns with the Ferrari emblem and enhances his red racing suit.
