Lando Norris continues to offer a fresh breath of air into Formula 1 with the British driver running a funky all-Italian Pizza Bell Helmet design for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Norris has taken full advantage of a relaxation in the rules concerning the number of helmet design changes a driver can make in a year, already rolling out a fan-made crayon paint scheme at his home race in Silverstone.
The design is split with a half-and-half topping with Margherita one side and Pepperoni the other, while the British flag and Flemish Lion emblem divide the two delicacies.
The Flemish Lion did feature on a special design Norris brought to the last race at Spa-Francorchamps but he opted to revert to his usual design after learning the lion insignia had been adopted by a far-right political party in Belgium.
Norris has become synonymous in the paddock and among F1 fans for his humorous antics and jaunty ways of adding some off-track fun to the sport.
The McLaren driver finished 8th and 3rd in the opening two practice sessions last night which was headed by a dominant Mercedes outfit. It was a standout day for the Woking team as both Norris and teammate Carlos Sainz exceeded expectations to be the quickest Renault-powered cars on a weekend the team thought would see them struggle
Norris sits sixth in the current standings and is tied for points with Ferrari’s Charles and is only three points away from Red Bull’s Alex Albon in what has been a strong sophomore season for the 20-year-old.
Other drivers sporting special Italian designs is George Russell, who has accommodated images of both Monza and Mugello circuits, and Antonio Giovinazzi who paid tribute to his home country with an azzurro (Sky Blue) colour scheme.