How Meeting Daniel Ricciardo Led to Our Newest Partnership
Updated: 12 minutes ago
Back in 2019, I was on our European supercar tour. We spent a week carving across Europe, through the Alps, into Italy, and finally down to Monaco for the Grand Prix.
If you have never done it, Monaco on race weekend is its own planet. We took it in from a yacht in the harbor, surrounded by the kind of energy you only find in motorsport. Racing is in the blood there. You can feel it the second you step off the dock.
Here is where it gets fun.
A Race Suit, a Yacht, and a Plan
To entertain our clients that weekend, I decided to go all in. We bought a full racing suit and a replica helmet and showed up dressed head to toe as Daniel Ricciardo.
The helmet came from a company called Art of Helmets. I did not know it at the time, but that one purchase would turn into something a lot bigger.
Then the Real Daniel Showed Up...
You cannot make this up. While I was walking around in full Ricciardo gear, we ran into the actual Daniel Ricciardo.
We got photos. We got a lot of laughs. Daniel got such a kick out of it that during the race weekend he posted one of the pictures of us on his own Instagram, out to his millions of followers. Me, dressed as him, standing right next to him. Hilarious this happened, and from there, it was history.
The Best Replica Helmets I Have Found
I have been a fan of their work ever since, and I do not say this lightly: these are the best replica helmets I have come across. They look incredible whether you set one on your desk, line a shelf with a few, or build a proper display case for them.
For any automotive enthusiast, this is close to the perfect gift. For the F1 fan who already has everything, it might be the only gift left to give.
Built by Hand, Down to the Grand Prix
What sets them apart is how they work. Every helmet is handmade, not stamped out on a factory line. Their whole approach is built around a culture of handcraft, and you can feel it the moment you hold one.
Each piece is a true full-scale 1:1, matched to the exact design a driver ran at a specific Grand Prix. The livery, the sponsor details, the finish. It is one weekend of racing history, captured in a helmet.
And it does not stop at helmets. They also build race suits, steering wheels, scale F1 cars, and display sculptures, so you can take it as far as you want. If you have something specific in mind, they even do fully custom designs, which means you can commission a piece that is entirely your own.
Where the Helmet Becomes the Art
Then there is the Montesano Art Collection, and this is the one I get most excited about.
These are not replicas at all. They are original works by artist Daniela Montesano, where the helmet becomes the canvas. Each one is a one-of-a-kind art piece, and it shows. The detail is gallery level, which is exactly why you will find these displayed as fine art in galleries across Europe.
Set one of these in a room and it does not read as memorabilia. It looks like a sculpture that happens to be a helmet.
I recently added two of them to my own collection.
The first is the Charles Leclerc 2024 Monaco helmet. Monaco is where my wife and I got engaged, and 2024 is the year Leclerc finally won his home race, an extreme feat in itself to break the "Monaco Curse". Two Monaco stories wrapped into one helmet. That one is never leaving my shelf!
The second is a Lando Norris piece from their art collection. I went to the first Las Vegas Grand Prix in person, so every time I look at it I am right back on the Strip under the lights! The art pieces hit different. They are hand-finished originals, striking enough that galleries across Europe display them as fine art.
More Than an Item on a Shelf
Here is the thing. There are plenty of helmets out there that look cool. These ones are more than that to me. Each one tells a story. Each one brings back a memory. Each one starts a conversation the moment someone notices it across the room. That is exactly why we wanted to bring this partnership to life. Two of mine are headed for the clubhouse, so you can see the quality up close the next time you stop in!
A Special Deal for Our Members
So we put something together just for Freedom Supercars members! You can use the promo code FREEDOM15 at artofhelmets.com for 15% off, whether you want a single helmet or a full lineup. Find the driver you grew up watching, the season you will never forget, or the race you will always remember. Then put it somewhere you will see it every day.
For those considering membership, there's never been a better time to join our dynamic and welcoming community. We invite you to become part of the Freedom Supercars family, where every day offers somethingnew and exciting. If you're a car enthusiast who loves the thrill of driving high-end cars, there's no better way to do it than with a supercar subscription. It's cost-effective, offers variety, no depreciation, and hassle-free ownership. Plus we have tons of events like this one, that bring our members together to form a tight community of like minded individuals.
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