2026 F1 reserve drivers: the hopefuls on standby for each GP team
A complete guide to every Formula 1 team’s reserve and third drivers ahead of the 2026 reset
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.
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Carlos Sainz blends classic Ferrari colours with a nod to Miami’s iconic neon signage in this design. Possibly our favourite so far!
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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.
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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
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