Italian Road Racer Dons Mexican Art on His Head for Protection
The beloved Italian road racer, Valentino Rossi, received a mega-cool helmet from the esteemed Aldo Drudi, his helmet designer just in time for this winter’s MotoGP testing, set to start privately with Yamaha at Sepang, Malaysia in November 27 and 28. More than just a safety feature, helmets to Drudi are blank canvases for creative and artistic expression which can be seen in his latest design.
During a recent holiday in Mexico, the Doctor was inspired by a Mexican beautiful form of art called ‘Huichol’, whose people live in the states of Jalisco, Durango, Zacatecas, and Nayarit. The design is defined by the unity of colours and symbols that dates back to centuries. Huichol patterns are usually carved or beaded and have religious and cultural significance to its people. Even the colors used are identified with particular gods and meanings.
What The Doctor resonated with was the symbols, some of which he felt were identical to his - the sun, moon, and turtle. In line with the winter motif were the snowflakes that could also be found in between rainbow-colored spirals.
The beaded pattern used in Huichol art was noticeably apparent in the new design of the AGV Pista GP R helmet. Davide Degli Innocenti of Drudi Performance recreated the beaded pattern individually with a brush.
It will be made available in AGV stores as a limited edition model for motorcycle enthusiasts, especially Rossi’s cult following.
As we wait for the limited edition model of the winter test helmet design to be made available, let us see how much of a lucky charm it is for the multiple MotoGP World Champion.
Images: AGV website