"Those are part of my heritage": When Lewis Hamilton revealed why he doesn't sign his helmets
In an interview in 2023, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton disclosed that he does not sign his helmets as he believed that they are like his jerseys. The British driver is arguably one of the most popular drivers on the F1 grid and has legions across the world who flock to see him race.
The LH Army, Hamilton's supporters, are some of the most passionate and dedicated fans in the sport as they cheer on their favorite driver every race weekend. Some of the lucky ones even get Hamilton's attention in the paddock in the form of pictures and autographs.
Speaking with GQ last year, Lewis Hamilton, while talking about some of the bizarre requests the fans had made over the years, revealed the reason behind him never giving out an autograph on a helmet.
"A lot of fans throw their babies to me. Hey, hold my baby! Now you’re stuck with this baby," Hamilton said. "I’ve signed someone’s forehead, cheek, I had a fan in Japan who brought me a pack of boxer shorts. The only thing I refuse to sign would be a helmet."
"I take a lot of pride in my helmets—that’s my jersey. I might have given two helmets away, to like my boss and a really dear friend who’s passed away now. Those are part of my heritage. One day I want to put them all in a museum with all my cars and stuff so people can see the journey from where I started," he added.
The 39-year-old has raced with some iconic helmet designs in his F1 career as he frequently collaborates with local artists. The Mercedes driver's 2023 Japanese GP helmet was one of the best-looking one-off helmets of the year, with the metallic gold color scheme and LED backlighting for the visor designed by local artist Hajime Sorayama.
When Lewis Hamilton responded to Lando Norris's humorous remark at his helmet
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton previously shut down McLaren driver Lando Norris's comments about his neon helmet. During the 2022 season, the young British driver jokingly claimed that Hamilton was paying tribute to him with the yellow helmet.
Lando Norris took to his Instagram Stories and said:
"Thanks for the helmet tribute to me @lewishamilton."
Replying to the story, the F1 legend wrote:
"Well, actually I was using yellow before you were born so in retrospect, yours is a tribute to me. Respect,"
Lewis Hamilton returned to his yellow and neon roots in 2022 after racing with an iconic purple helmet during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.