Mercedes have never been afraid of joking around with Lewis Hamilton, something which was evident last week through a comical Twitter/X post.
The seven-time World Champion was seen wearing an outfit inspired by Mario Bros. character Toad at the recent Japanese Grand Prix, which caught a lot of attention.
Mercedes saw this as too good an opportunity to miss, resulting in the team’s designers getting creative.
The Silver Arrows posted onto Twitter/X a special Toad-inspired helmet design, to which they captioned the drawings with: “Go on Lewis, don’t be shy.”
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The design would actually look incredible on an F1 helmet and would go down very well with fans if it were to be used in Suzuka next season or perhaps even this weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix.
However, if the past is anything to go by, Hamilton will likely express his support for the LGBTQ+ community at the Losail International Circuit.
At the inaugural Qatar GP in 2021, Hamilton wore a helmet inspired by the LGBTQ+ community, to raise awareness for the fact that in the Middle East same-sex relationships are still more often than not illegal.
He wouldn’t necessarily need to wear a special helmet this weekend to raise awareness, given that is standard helmet for 2023 features streaks of the LGBTQ+ flag.
Hamilton will very much be hoping for a repeat of the 2021 Qatar GP this weekend, as he claimed pole position and the race win two years ago.
A victory this weekend certainly isn’t expected, as Red Bull and McLaren are both expected to be strong.
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Mercedes’ initial target at this weekend’s night race will be to finish ahead of the Ferraris, given that the two teams are competing for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Silver Arrows do currently hold a 20-point advantage over the Maranello-based team, although their lead over the Italians has reduced considerably over recent races.
Ferrari do appear to potentially have the better performing package ahead of the final six rounds of the season, meaning Mercedes will need to find some additional pace to fend off the famous side.