The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix has seen the arrival of a tribute to Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna in the form of a crystal replica helmet, covered with almost 50,000 Swarovski crystals.
Valued at £50,000 and created by British crystal artist Tracy Stokes, it appeared during the prestigious race weekend in Monte Carlo, where Senna celebrated a record six victories.
Ayrton Senna Swarovski replica helmet
The bedazzled helmet is an exact replica of the iconic design the three-time F1 champion wore during the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit, which is where he clinched his first drivers’ championship title.
The helmet is adorned with 49,104 Swarovski crystals, which are all set in place by hand. According to the official STOKESI website, the whole process took over 1,800 hours.
Senna’s former F1 rival turned friend, Alain Prost, was pictured with the helmet in the paddock.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix has continued the long-standing tradition of honouring Ayrton Senna. In previous years, McLaren has run special liveries as a tribute to the Brazilian racing legend. This year, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar has revealed a Senna-inspired helmet.
Speaking about the decision to wear the tribute helmet in Monte Carlo, Hadjar explained during the press conference on Thursday: “I made a helmet because I thought I could do it in Brazil – it makes sense – but I think to do it here makes maybe even more sense.
“Because there’s one king of Monte Carlo, and it’s Ayrton. As a kid, I watched a lot of clips on YouTube – watching him basically demolishing everyone around here. I thought: Well, if I’m going to be a racing driver in Formula 1 and I’m going to race here, I want to pay tribute to him.
“You can see on my helmet the statistics – his pole laps, how many times he won, which years. I think it was a good idea.”
