Formula 1 Reveals Unusual Trophy Design for United States Grand Prix

Formula 1 has revealed its trophy for this weekend's United States Grand Prix, sporting an unusual design created by an Italian artist and Pirelli.

Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen crests the turn ten hill during practice for the Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Oct. 22, 2022. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Created by Pirelli, Formula 1's official tire supplier, in partnership with Italian artist and designer Matteo Macchiavelli, the trophies for this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas stand out as distinctively unconventional.

Pirelli has dedicated the 'Heroo' trophy to "the heroic nature of the driver's role" by having a figure on the trophy with its "arms raised in triumph." The trophies for the Grand Prix-winning driver and team representative are adorned with a striking golden-yellow helmet, dusted with gold for an added touch of elegance. Meanwhile, the second and third-place drivers will receive trophies featuring sleek silver and titanium finishes, reflecting their respective positions on the podium.

Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a replica of the trophy, as a limited number of Heroo replicas will be made available for sale during the race weekend. Pirelli also revealed in a report that, in addition to the unique trophies, a special Austin edition of the Podium Cap will be introduced.

A new trophy, a special edition podium cap and a partially resurfaced asphalt. The #USGP at @COTA is full of novelties. Discover them here: https://t.co/CF3KbAgLIn #F1 #Fit4F1 pic.twitter.com/ckNPUchIpw

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) October 14, 2024

To prepare for the race weekend, COTA made several changes to the circuit to overcome challenges that appeared in the past and for an enhanced racing experience. Last year, track limit violations had been a major challenge for teams to handle, leading to the resurfacing of the track and the installation of cameras to better monitor off-track excursions.

COTA's race promoter Bobby Epstein commented on the changes to Motorsport.com:

"There are some areas where it's hard because, if you run Moto GP and F1 on the same track, one wants gravel in an area where another one wouldn't.

"You can't have both, and you can't cut into the track and put in gravel, then flip it back and hope it stays watertight when you have clay underneath it. So there's some back and forth challenges to it."

Speaking about track resurfacing, Epstein explained:

"It was mainly to get rid of the bumps.

"Some of that track was 12 years old, so it was time. I know Max [Verstappen] gave it a pretty poor review last year. So I hope we hear something positive. I'm certain we're going to hear: 'This is like a totally new track. It's fantastic.'"

2024 Drivers' Championship: Current Standings

1. Max Verstappen - 331 points
2. Lando Norris - 279 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 245 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 237 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 190 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 174 points
7. George Russell - 155 points
8. Sergio Perez - 144 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 62 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 24 points
11. Lance Stroll - 24 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Alex Albon - 12 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 8 points
16. Oliver Bearman - 7 points
17. Kevin Magnussen - 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
19. Franco Colapinto - 4 points
20. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points