14 disgusting trophies for winning Formula 1. Which is the worst?
Dmitry Zakharchenko October 15, 2024, 20:15 Moscow time
The 2024 United States Grand Prix trophies surprised many, but the Grand Prix has rewarded worse things.
On the eve of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Pirelli company gave cups to the winners of the race and its design surprised many. And this despite the fact that the Formula 1 regulations have a rule requiring that the podium trophies be made in the form of a traditional cup, but this point has not bothered anyone for a long time. Therefore, we decided to remember 14 most unusual designs of Formula 1 trophies and invite you to choose the worst one. And yes, the Sonic Cup from the 1993 European Grand Prix is not in our selection, not only because it was an additional trophy and not the main one, but also because we found much worse options.
Rating: the most disgusting cups for victories in the Formula 1 Grand Prix
Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
United States Grand Prix 2024: Heroo
The cups for the United States Grand Prix, together with Pirelli, were created by contemporary Italian artist Matteo Machiavelli. According to his plan, the figure in a helmet with ears (what?!) symbolizes the connection between a racing car and tires, as well as the unsurpassed technology of Formula 1. True, for some reason the mug is confusingly reminiscent of the famous Be@rbrick toys, although it has nothing to do with them.
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
German Grand Prix 2018: signs only
At the 2018 German Grand Prix, the winners received something that looks like a sign. They were not cups, nor the outline of a track, nor even a sponsor’s logo, but simply the words “First Place”, “Second Place”, “Third Place” and “Builders”, placed on a pedestal.
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Austrian Grand Prix 2014: wood with metal
Unusual cups made of metal and wood were prepared for the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. The resulting object was probably not easy to make; It would probably look good as part of a museum exhibition, but on the Formula 1 Grand Prix podium it looked a bit strange.
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
French Grand Prix: Gorilla with tire
From 2018 to 2022, the French Grand Prix was held at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, and there, under the guise of cups, the winners received figurines of a gorilla, painted in the colors of the French flag, holding a tire. . above his head. The gorilla somewhat became the symbol of the race, but in 2022 the organizers opted for more traditional cups in the shape of… a bar. However, this still did not save the race.
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Belgian Grand Prix 2018: promotional statue
In 2018, the winners of the Belgian Grand Prix received cups in the shape of a statue of a walking man. And maybe it would even look good if you didn’t know that this person is the logo of the main sponsor of the race, which produces alcoholic beverages. It is not the healthiest symbol for one of the main stages of Formula 1.
Photo: Dom Romney/Getty Images
British Grand Prix 2014: Even Hamilton is unhappy
In 2014, Silverstone made cups with the logo of the race’s main sponsor, and even the Grand Prix winner criticized it. “When they gave me this plastic thing I thought it wasn’t even a glass. “It’s like a GP2 trophy, not a Formula 1 one,” Lewis Hamilton later admitted.
Photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images
Suzuka and Austin 2023: Kissing Cups
In 2023, Lenovo, together with Pininfarina, created kissing cups: after touching the winner’s lips, the trophy began to glow in different colors. As a result, the mug looked like some kind of strange wireless speaker. This trophy has been awarded twice: at the Japanese Grand Prix and at the 2023 United States Grand Prix.
Photo: Simon Bruty/Allsport
Sao Paulo and Barcelona in the 2001 season: golden helms
Sponsor Cups appeared in Formula 1 decades ago and are no longer uncommon. In 2001, at the behest of a tobacco company that supported the Brazilian and Spanish Grands Prix, winners received gold F1 car steering wheels with sponsor logos. It seems more like a toy for a child of very rich parents.
Photo: Ker Robertson/Getty Images
Spanish Grand Prix 2009: stick on a stand
In Barcelona in 2009 they prepared cups shaped like an arrow, complemented with a couple of decorative elements. It literally looked like a stick on a stand and the secret meaning of the trophy was unclear.
Photo: Andrew Hone/Getty Images
Hungarian Grand Prix 2011: six-legged dog
The winner and runner-up of the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix were not awarded cups, but rather statuettes of a six-legged dog breathing fire into its own tail. What does it have to do with Hungary? None – this is the logo of the Italian company Eni, which was the main sponsor of the race.
Photo: Pascal Rondeau/ALLSPOR
Bahrain Grand Prix 2004: Tower
The first Bahrain Grand Prix was held in 2004, and the organizers simply prepared trophies in the form of the Sakhir Tower, a tower located on the track. The tower is considered the track’s hallmark and one of its most recognizable objects, but in cup form it looks like a leaky bucket.
Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images
German Grand Prix 2010: sponsorship cup
In 2010, at the German Grand Prix, the winners received cups with the logo of the race’s main sponsor, Banco Santander. There is no author’s rethinking or any unusual new interpretation: just a logo on a stand.
Australian Grand Prix: beer can
The modern Australian Grand Prix Cup is a huge plate, but it fits perfectly into the history of the race in Melbourne. But in Adelaide, in the late 1980s, a different cup was awarded. From the outside it even looks good, if you don’t know what it symbolizes: a can of beer, a product of the main sponsor.
Photo: wikipedia.org
Brazilian Grand Prix 2008: Trident
The finale of the 2008 season was remembered mainly for the dramatic last lap, so the strange cup that Felipe Massa received for his efforts has faded a little from memory. And this was a kind of trident, which, apparently, symbolizes strength and determination…
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