The false ceiling: why F1’s 2026 rules are hiding its best drivers
The 2026 regulations have not just changed how Formula 1 cars are driven, they have changed what it is possible to see
Alex Albon/Twitter
The 2023 Miami Grand Prix is here, which means three things: lots of celebrities, a fake marina and new custom helmet designs.
Last year we saw a wide variety of special edition headwear, including Lando Norris‘s basketball helmet, Pierre Gasly‘s sunset lid and Daniel Ricciardo‘s hippie-styled design.
See the best of the 2023 designs below and check back to see more as they are revealed ahead of the weekend.
F1’s reigning world champion was the first to break cover on a new crash helmet design, keeping to his regular design with a splash of Miami thrown in.
Swapping the familair white and gold for a turquoise and magenta colour scheme gives a nod to Miami’s Ocean Drive aesthetic and means the Dutchman will be easy to spot among the front runners.
Similar clean design, new colors, new details 🎨😉
Really like how the helmet turned out, can’t wait to race with this one at the Miami GP 🌴
For the mini helmets 👉 https://t.co/jyGT7Fahzi pic.twitter.com/mNQaFc1pVC
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 2, 2023
Alex Albon will take ‘driving’ to a whole new level in Miami, sporting a helmet design based on a golf ball – which was released with an equally interesting video.
Here you goo🎥⛳ https://t.co/ivJMeTE9Pk pic.twitter.com/lakTxhbiAJ
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) May 3, 2023
Another solid attempt from Esteban Ocon here to capture Miami’s classic colour palette, topped with silhouettes of the American flag and beachside palm trees.
tropic like it’s hot 😎🌴 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/5GYBhU2O61
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 3, 2023
Lando Norris returns to Miami with another iconic lid design. Trading basketball for beachball, Norris’ latest helmet completes a line of beach themed merch his team have launched for the weekend.
The Brit crashed out of last year’s event after colliding with Pierre Gasly, so hopefully this year’s design brings him a little more luck!
Ball is life 🏖️ pic.twitter.com/mxJWb0fL1J
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) May 4, 2023
Logan Sargeant will race on home soil for the first time in F1 this weekend, with a helmet design similar to Ocon and Verstappen – complete with the iconic red, white and blue stripes of course!
F1 drivers have a history of making big statements at their home race debut, and Sargeant could be next.
This one’s for the 305 🌴 pic.twitter.com/GggB1ntTxi
— Logan Sargeant (@LoganSargeant) May 4, 2023
No more purple and blue – Nico Hülkenberg has kept it simple with his one-off helmet design, with a picture of some palm trees and a big ‘Hulk’ logo on top. With a shirt to match, it’s clear that Hülkenberg is ready to go racing in Miami!
When in Miami, add a few 🌴🌴#HaasF1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/VNNpyBwydd
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 4, 2023
Charles Leclerc has given his Miami helmet design a little Monégasque flavour – with his palm leaf-covered lid adorned in the red and white of the Ferrari man’s hometown.
View this post on Instagram
Carlos Sainz blends classic Ferrari colours with a nod to Miami’s iconic neon signage in this design. Possibly our favourite so far!
View this post on Instagram
Pierre Gasly pays homage to the Miami Dolphins with this design but unfortunately won’t have a pink car to match this weekend – Alpine sticking to its classic blue livery.
View this post on Instagram
Another solid attempt here from Yuki Tsunoda – a classically white AlphaTauri helmet with a Miami themed twist.
Loving my Miami colours for this weekend! pic.twitter.com/asae9sM9uE
— 角田裕毅/Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda07) May 4, 2023
The 2026 regulations have not just changed how Formula 1 cars are driven, they have changed what it is possible to see
McLaren has quietly acquired a significant part of the human architecture behind Red Bull’s F1 dynasty
For a decade, Lambiase was the fixed point around which Verstappen’s career at Red Bull turned. Now the race engineer is leaving
We reveal why F1’s 2026 rules have penalised Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc — and how the Ferrari driver has found a new advantage. Plus: a crunch meeting on the new regulations, and the best team boss in Formula 1 history
Everything you need to know about today’s regulation summit, and why it is unlikely to change as much as some hope
In 1987 and 1988, F1 ran two engine formulas side by side as a managed exit from the turbo era, and the lesson it offers the present day is not the one the critics might hope for
Charles Leclerc has mastered F1’s new regulations by rooting out the best deployment tricks, while Max Verstappen has been stripped of his advantage, writes Mark Hughes
Exceptional on four wheels as well as two, in his bravery, his selflessness, and his love of a good party. The only ordinary thing about Mike Hailwood was his tragic end, writes Matt Bishop
As Max Verstappen threatens to walk away from the sport, he would not be the first champion to leave before his time was up
There is a word for what happens when platforms stop serving the people who made them great. Should Formula 1 learn it?
Motor Sport F1 Show with Mark Hughes
Leading the world championship aged 19, Kimi Antonelli has proved he has the pace to win the title — and this could be his best shot. Plus: how GPs could be shortened over safety fears, and why Max Verstappen is serious in threatening to quit
He’s only 19, but Kimi Antonelli has shown F1 championship-winning pace and may never get a better title shot. The ingredients are there for another historic battle between one experienced team-mate and a thrusting newcomer, says Mark Hughes