A notable figure was absent from the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix podium this weekend — and it wasn’t Max Verstappen.
Pirelli Motorsport’s podium trophy for the U.S. GP, which takes place at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, was not presented to the drivers during the podium ceremony on Sunday.
The original trophy, named Heroo, looked like the love child of Mickey Mouse, Daft Punk and a Lego minifigure. All three podium trophies were pulled last minute over copyright concerns because of their resemblance to figurines made by the brand Bearbrick.
Instead, race winner Charles Leclerc was given a silver trophy with red, white and blue details to represent the United States while second- and third-place finishers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen were given miniature tires.
Since the race, Pirelli seems to have deleted most of its promotional content of the trophy from its website and social media, but it’s still up on McLaren reserve driver Pato O’Ward’s Instagram.
Many F1 trophies use either a cup or circuit-based design. Of the two, I personally prefer the track-shaped trophies because they’re more interesting to look at.
The trophies that Leclerc, Sainz and Verstappen received are boring. Even the original trophy neglected any of the iconic cowboy motifs that Texas is known for. Therefore, I’m placing the U.S. GP trophy at the bottom of all international F1 trophies.
This year, the Canadian GP was the first F1 race to award a trophy designed using AI. The trophy is a sleek, wave-like shape, but nothing about the design really stands out to me.
The Belgian GP trophy is also very simple. It is made of ridged gold metal and features a green band that says Rolex, the race sponsor.
The Spanish trophy appears to be black carbon fiber with silver hardware. While the carbon fiber is a nice nod to the cars, the overall design is somewhat basic, so it goes just above the Belgian GP in my ranking.
This year’s Japanese GP trophy is a tall, white-gold-colored trophy with floral engravings on the top. Compared to last year’s kiss-activated interactive trophy, I think this new design a step backwards in terms of uniqueness and creativity.
The Miami trophy has been made by Tiffany & Co. since 2022, and the design has remained relatively unchanged since. The trophy is sterling silver and features four spires at the top of the trophy to represent Hard Rock Stadium’s roof as well as a hand-engraved palm tree. I would have loved to see Tiffany add more elements to the top, such as another metal or a small crystal car.
The Singapore trophy resembles a bird and features rings at its base to represent the number of Singapore GPs that have taken place –– 15 so far. While I like what the rings represent, the bird design has gotten lost over the years, and the trophy blends in with the many other metal trophies.
In terms of track-replica trophies, I think that the Austrian GP trophy is the most boring — a simple wood cutout of the track on a gold base.
The Saudi Arabian trophy is an exception to my circuit-over-cup preference because of its complexity of the design. The silver trophy features intricate rose gold metalwork that represents the cultural and architectural history of Saudi Arabia.
The Azerbaijan GP trophy’s unique design is meant to represent a flame, which ties into Azerbaijan’s identity as the “Land of Fire.”
Another modern-looking trophy is the Italian GP sculpture, titled “VROOOM” and designed by Andrea Sala. Sala researched the Pirelli archives and spoke with people in Pirelli’s research and development department to inform his design.
Sculptor and former F1 mechanic Alastair Gibson created the unique British trophy, which uses car parts to imitate a flower bouquet. I appreciate all the thought Gibson put into creating it — from appearance to durability.
The Monaco GP is one of the most iconic races on the calendar, and the trophy remains mostly unchanged each year: a simple outline of the track, featuring a small Monaco flag. What really makes the trophy stand out is the luxurious Louis Vuitton case it comes in.
The Bahrain GP trophy is a traditional cup-shaped trophy made of sterling silver and 24-carat gold plating. I love the subtle details of the Persian gulf in the base and lid as well as the hints of red and white that represent the Bahrain flag.
Yes, the trophy for the Emilia-Romagna GP, also known as the Imola GP, is an outline of the track — but it has depth to it that other track-based trophies lack. I love the heart and list of its previous winners featured on the back of the trophy.
This season, the Chinese GP introduced a new trophy, which features interactive lights and references to both Chinese and F1 cultural history. It’s fun that the trophy is wearable and not just metal and black like most trophies.
I love the Australian trophy because of the heritage that inspired the disc shape. The trophy is based on the steering wheel of Sir Jack Brabham’s 1959 F1 car, and is even more special now that F1 cars have technologically advanced rectangular steering wheels.
The Dutch GP trophy was created by Studio Piet Boon in collaboration with artists Robbie Williams and Marcel van Luit as well as Dutch pottery factory Royal Delft. The trophies are beautiful yet also carry a homemade feel through the text bubbles.
My favorite trophy so far this season is the Hungarian trophy, which is made of porcelain and features a Far Eastern motif known as the “Imperial Peony.” Although metal is tried and true for F1, I’d love to see more elegant trophies made by local artisans in the future.
In what is more an art piece than a trophy, Hungary’s trophy is my winner.
Final trophy ranking
- Hungarian Grand Prix
- Dutch Grand Prix
- Australian Grand Prix
- Chinese Grand Prix
- Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
- Bahrain Grand Prix
- Monaco Grand Prix
- British Grand Prix
- Italian Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- Austrian Grand Prix
- Singapore Grand Prix
- Miami Grand Prix
- Japanese Grand Prix
- Spanish Grand Prix
- Belgian Grand Prix
- Canadian Grand Prix
- United States Grand Prix
