Vergne using Jean Alesi tribute helmet in Monaco

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Jean-Eric Vergne is using Jean Alesi’s helmet design for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

The Toro Rosso driver’s helmet has been designed to match that of Alesi, who last raced in F1 in 2001.

Alesi is making his debut in the Indianapolis 500 this weekend. Vergne said: “I had thought it would be great to go and watch Jean race in Indy, but then came the news I was driving for Toro Rosso and of course that meant a clash with Monaco.

“But I was still determined to do something special to mark Jean’s Indy debut and so we came up with the idea, which is quite common here in Monaco in fact, of me using a special design in tribute to him. I think it looks great and I hope it brings us both good luck this weekend.”

The helmet includes the slogan “Forza Jean Indy 500 2012”.

Another driver using a former driver’s helmet design this weekend is Kimi Raikkonen, who has a design based on that of 1976 world champion James Hunt.

Fernando Alonso is also using a special helmet design this weekend.

Pictures: Jean-Eric Vergne’s Jean Alesi tribute helmet

2012 Monaco Grand Prix

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Images © Red Bull/Getty images

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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33 comments on “Vergne using Jean Alesi tribute helmet in Monaco”

  1. That’s beautiful. It’s a real shame that Jean has to use the slow Lotus engine, he can do nothing but run at the back.

    1. Yeah I expect he and de Silvestro with the other Lotus won’t last long in the race before they’re black-flagged for being too slow.

      1. Sadly I suspect this will be the case. In the race drivers cannot be consistently 105% slower than the fastest speeds & based off practice speeds both Lotus powered cars will fall outside that.

        A shame for Alesi as considering he has never been on an oval before, Had never sat in an Indycar before & was driving for a team that’s only existed about a week he was quickly upto speed & able to match & regularly go faster than the other Lotus of Simona De Silvestro.

  2. Keith,

    Any chance of getting similar shots of Raikkonen’s Hunt tribute? I love these guys paying homage to the older drivers.

    1. @sennaboy3 I should think so, obviously he barely ran in practice so it wasn’t seen much then!

    2. I’m expecting Bruno Senna with an Ayrton Senna helmet for the Brazilian round.

    3. Here you can find them all, including Grosjean’s.

    4. By the way, why is Kimi using Hunt’s helmet?

      1. @fixy It says in the article.

        1. @keithcollantine it says about Vergne, not Raikkonen.

          1. @fixy Because Kimi respects Hunt a lot. Hunt was his idol, kinda.

          2. @fixy Ah, sorry, misread your question!

  3. I wish these simple, yet beautiful designs would come back. Schumacher, Hill, Berger, Senna…………….. All simple yet iconic designs.

    The current generation of drivers constantly annoys with a huge cluster**** of colours and visual overload.

    *I’m looking at you Sebastian Vettel*
    But he’s not the only offender.

    1. agreed Sir.

    2. x3

      I think back then it was harder to have a (computer designed) layout, so they kept it fairly simple – simple and iconic.

    3. You whine too much. Just because something is older doesn’t mean it’s better looking. The BGP-001 is an example of something new, yet simple, that worked extremely well. This is equally as good.

      1. @pamphlet

        Wonder how you come with the assumption that he was “whining” about modern designs… He said the simple helmet designs are a lot better looking and much more “personal” than the current “frashy” designs some drivers wear.

        Exactly the same reason why the Brawn looked good. It had simple lines, simple design… nothing extravagant, yet classy.

      2. @pamphlet

        You must have fallen asleep at the computer and dreamed about something I didn’t actually write…

  4. SO beautiful!!!!

    Really… those simples designs were brilliant…. with all the flashy stuff they do now, this looks just right.

  5. Gorgeous.

  6. Great to see that great helmet back, but I think the reason is too little!

    1. @fixy – Not necessarily. According to the Toro Rosso twitter feed Alesi has known Vergne since he was little, so with the former making a return it’s only natural for the latter to honor that. And they’re both named Jean.

      1. @pamphlet: Not only that. Alesi was the captain of the French Federation project to raise young talents, while JEV was one of the prospects. Ever since then, they speak frequently with Alesi giving JEV guidance and they are on very friendly terms.

        1. I don’t doubt Vergne estimates Alesi a lot, but the occasion, a simple debut in another series, despite being a very famous event, isn’t so important, and Alesi has no chance to win.
          For example, it’d have been more obvious had Alesi won the Indy 500 before this helmet was used.
          But I don’t mean to sound moaning, I’m glad it’s back.

  7. Borat Sagdiyev
    24th May 2012, 15:21

    Jean Alesi helmet look exactly like Elio De Angelis’s.

    1. Alesi copied it in tribute to Elio.

    2. Yes, since it’s a tribute to Elio but it’s not exactly the same. Elio’s helmet was pure white with the black and red lines. Alesi added the blue circle on the top to symbolize the tricolour of France.

  8. That looks really good! Let’s hope it does bring them both some good fortune, Toro Rosso have been pretty quiet since Melbourne.

    1. What a stupid typo with a link to original Alesi helmet. Here it is:http://f-lap.net/_src/sc1222/alesi01.jpg

  9. when will i be able to buy this helmet?
    and where?
    what is the price?

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