You may have noticed during the Italian GP at Mugello, that Valentino Rossi was once again wearing a special AGV Pista GP R helmet for the event. Created by designer Aldo Drudi, this year’s Mugello’s helmet pays homage to Nicky Hayden and Francesco Totti.
To remember the American motorcycle racer, Rossi’s #46 morphs into the shape and colors of Hayden’s #69, complete with the star that precedes Hayden’s number.
The top of Rossi’s helmet also portrays a soccer pitch, where the nine-time world champion is wearing the blue jersey of the Italian national team, and saying “Mo’ je faccio er cucchiaio” which translates (with a Roman accent) to “I made it spoon” – the spoon referring to a type of penalty kick that sees the ball arching into the goal.
This scene too pays tribute to another athlete – Francesco Totti, who played his last match with the A.S. Roma team last week. On the back of the helmet are “Un capitano…C’è solo un capitano!”, which translates to: “One captain… There’s only one captain!”
This is another nod to Totti, as the chant is something his fans would yell to him while he was playing.
Finally, the soccer player depicting Rossi has a bandage, to acknowledge the MotoGP rider’s recent training accident, which nearly cost him his participation in his home round event.
Describing the collaboration, designer Aldo Drudi said the following: “we work as a team and I also consider Valentino to be a member of our team, as he listens to all our suggestions with curiosity, adding each idea into the design and ‘developing it.'”
“Here at AGV, we put all our passion into our work, and our task is to create a unique design that will provide a psychological boost, because the helmet is the face the driver wears during the weekend. And this is indeed an ancient ritual. Since ancient times, warriors have been painting their faces before they go into battle, to exorcise their fear and look more aggressive,” continued Drudi.
“In any situation where risk is involved, this is a must. With Valentino, we work on a different level, always creating something that is motivated by the strong emotions that engage him and fire his passion. Speculating on the detail, defining the key aspects with accuracy is always the name of the game because when you work with someone who has won nine world championships, the team also has to be worthy of nine championships!”
Source: AGV Helmet
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