Fan designs helmet for F1 star
Ian Ebbs’ custom helmet design will hit the world stage next month when it’s worn by Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Lawson has selected the winner of the Red Bull New Zealand helmet design contest, which celebrates Kiwi creativity and fan passion.
The competition received nearly 500 entries showcasing a wide range of styles and ideas from across Aotearoa.
The winning design will be transformed into a race helmet, which the winner will personally hand over to Lawson ahead of race day.
The nationwide competition invited New Zealanders to submit original designs, offering a rare chance to see their creativity come to life on the grid.
After hours of judging submissions, Lawson chose the winning design by Christchurch father-of-three Ian Ebbs. It stood out for its bold colours, playful details and strong sense of Kiwi identity.
“Massive thanks to everyone who sent in a design for this competition,” says Lawson. “I went through every single submission and was blown away with the amount of effort people put into this.
“There were so many awesome entries, but Ian’s stood out straight away. It’s bold, full of energy and colour, and encompasses so many things I love about coming home. I’m pumped to see it brought to life and more pumped to wear it on-track.”
Ebbs says his design was inspired by Lawson’s personal journey, as well as his own ideas, and input from his children.
“It reflects our landscape, golf, Kiwiana and Aotearoa itself to capture Liam’s pride and personality,” he explains.
“I looked back at Liam’s helmets to understand how he represents himself. At first, I thought of Lightning McQueen. But I ended up focusing on his new love for golf.
“I settled on pink, blue and white as the main colours since Liam often uses them on his helmets. I started picturing a kiwi bird in a pink backwards cap driving a golf cart.
“I wanted a fun, cartoon-like style that evolved into something more layered, with elements such as ferns, rolling hills, clouds, kiwi fruit and the shape of New Zealand.”
A lifelong F1 fan, Ebbs has passed his passion onto his family. As part of his prize, he will travel to Singapore with his son Michael to deliver the helmet to Lawson in person.
“This is incredibly exciting for our family,” enthuses Ebbs. “We’ve followed Liam for a long time. We never miss a qualifier or race and the idea that he’ll be wearing my design is just surreal. Getting to hand it to him ourselves is incredible.”
The custom helmet will be officially unveiled in the lead-up to the Singapore Grand Prix next month with the handover taking place ahead of race weekend.
