New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): As the 2025 Formula 1 season draws closer, four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has revealed a striking new helmet design that takes inspiration from his earliest days in racing. The Red Bull star has chosen to go "back to the roots" with a look that closely mirrors the iconic helmet of his father, former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen while incorporating subtle personal touches that make it uniquely his own.

Verstappen’s new helmet is a simplified, stripped-down version of his previous designs, a significant shift from the intricate patterns and bright colour schemes he has sported in recent years. The idea behind the redesign, he explained, was to pay homage to the helmet he wore during his karting days, which was itself modelled after the one his father used throughout his F1 career.

Jos Verstappen, a Dutch racing driver who competed in Formula 1 between 1994 and 2003, raced for teams like Benetton, Simtek, Arrows, and Minardi. Though his time in F1 yielded just two podium finishes, he was widely respected for his aggressive driving style and played a crucial role in developing his son's racing career from an early age.

Now, with Max having carved his own name into the sport’s history books, the helmet serves as a powerful reminder of where it all began.

“This is how I started racing when I was four years old,” Verstappen said. “It’s basically my dad’s design, and definitely something that I’m very proud of. When I started racing, my dad’s design was something very important to me. That was the helmet I really liked, which I was very proud to wear.”

While the helmet retains the simplicity of his father’s original design, Verstappen has incorporated a few modern touches, including his signature lion emblem on the top. The lion, a recurring motif in his helmets, symbolises both his Dutch heritage and his fierce racing mentality. “I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible, which I enjoy, with of course the lion on the top,” he explained. “Little details have changed, but in general, it’s back to the roots. It’s definitely, let’s say, our family’s design. I’m very happy with it.”

The move to a cleaner and more traditional look could also be seen as a statement of confidence as Verstappen heads into his latest title defense.

With 40 pole positions, 63 race wins, and 112 podiums to his name, he has already established himself as one of the greatest drivers of his generation.