Hamilton's Monaco helmet: a Bratz doll, Lewis and 'Churchill'

(Image credit: Lewis Hamilton Twitter)

published 23 May 2013

LEWIS HAMILTON will sport a garish new helmet design at the Monaco Grand Prix which features a cartoon of himself, his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and current constant companion, Roscoe the bulldog. The former world champion unveiled his latest lid ahead of this week's race. Like all Hamilton's helmets it is mainly yellow, but on the back is a graffiti style picture of the driver, sporting a pair of aviator shades, driving a car with Scherzinger and Roscoe in the back. While Scherzinger looks a lot like a Bratz doll and Roscoe resembles the dog from the Churchill Insurance adverts, the Mirror notes that Hamilton looks rather glum in the cartoon. "[The] helmet reflects his current mood," says the paper. It shows Hamilton "with not the faintest shadow of a smile for the race that usually makes his heart sing". His lack of enthusiasm for the most glamorous race in the F1 calendar, which takes place on Sunday, may be down to his performance in his last outing for new team Mercedes. Hamilton started on the front row of the grid at Barcelona two weeks ago but ended up being lapped and finished out of the points in 12 place, behind both the cars of his old team, McLaren. However, most observers believe Hamilton has a better chance, but not a great one, at Monaco. "Mercedes have taken the last three poles and there are many predicting they will have a fourth here and go on to win the race, given the difficulties with overtaking on the tight streets," says The Guardian. "Hamilton's best chance of that happening is if there is a one-stop strategy, but given the problems Mercedes have had with their tyres, that is unlikely." Even if Hamilton fails again at Monaco, at least Roscoe will be there to console him. The Sun reports that the bulldog has been given a special pass allowing him into the F1 paddock, even though animals are technically banned.