- Lewis Hamilton is third in the drivers’ championship after a mixed season
- The Briton finished third in Singapore for his fifth podium finish of the 2023 season
- Hamilton now has a funky new helmet design for the Japanese Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton will wear a funky new helmet for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka this weekend.
It has been a mixed season for Hamilton, with the Briton – who signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes last month – taking five podium finishes, meaning he has risen to third in the drivers’ standings.
However, Hamilton and his team are far behind the pace of the dominant Red Bull, who manage to win the constructors’ championship in Japan despite six races remaining this season.
The Japanese race weekend started with practice on Friday and Hamilton has a new look for the action.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that the Brit was wearing a custom helmet design, which clearly resembled the helmets worn by former dance duo Daft Punk.
Lewis Hamilton will wear a funky new helmet for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka
Hamilton has his own fashion brand and the custom design even has a light-up visor
The music icons split in 2021, but they were known for adopting robot personas for public appearances, wearing helmets, outfits and gloves to disguise their identities.
Hamilton – who is known for his fashion and has his own brand PLUS 44 – shared photos of his new design on Instagram on Friday and revealed he had collaborated with famed Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama.
He wrote on social media: ‘BORDERED. Worked on this helmet with @hajimesorayamaofficial and so proud of how it came to life!!
‘I have been a fan of him and his work for a long time and since the beginning of launching @plus44world, working with him has been a personal goal of mine. I can’t wait for you all to see him on the track.”
Sorayama also shared a post from the couple, saying, “@LewisHamilton. You will win Suzuka.”
The most unique feature of the design is the fluorescent strip in the center of the visor, which allows the helmet to be illuminated.
Hamilton revealed that he had collaborated with famed Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama
The unique helmet has been compared to former dance duo Daft Punk (pictured in 2006)
However, Hamilton had a difficult start in Suzuka and finished 16th and 14th during practice on Friday.
A week after his impressive podium finish in Singapore, Hamilton complained about the lack of balance of his Mercedes car and cut a dejected figure in the paddock in the aftermath.
“To be honest, it was a really bad day,” he said. “A real battle out there.
‘(We were) far away, two seconds off in the first session and over a second off in the second. We are in the process of trying to restore the balance of the car.”