Inspired by racing cars, landscapes & Zeus: Pirelli’s F1 trophies for Imola

Pirelli, as title sponsor of this weekend’s F1 event in Imola – the Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna – is supplying the race trophies. The tyre maker turned to Alice Ronchi to supply the creativity, selecting the artist for this project thanks to her collaboration with Pirelli HangarBicocca, the non-profit foundation dedicated to the production and promotion of contemporary art established within a converted warehouse in Milan in 2004.

The title sponsor at every race is able to choose the trophies given to the drivers on the podium, and Pirelli – a company “always proud to highlight its origins” – has decided to celebrate Italian art. The trophies depict a lightning bolt and are made from aluminium that has been mirror-polished. The creative process included digital modelling of the eventual form, 3D 1:1 printing and wax casting in a foundry.

According to the artist herself, the trophy was inspired by the beauty of a 1950s racing car and the landscape of Imola. The artist chose to focus on history as well as what she identified as the prevalent theme of Formula 1: power. “I saw the lightning bolt as a symbol of power, speed, tension, and force,” explains Ronchi. “And this goes right back to the principal icons that inspired this work: Zeus, the gods, and ancient Greece.

“Hopefully, this trophy delivers a new narrative aspect. Through an interpretation of aspects that sum up the driving forces behind every grand prix, as well as the use of the lightning bolt and the reference to the myth of Zeus, I wanted to convey a story told in the most expressive way possible.”

Pirelli selected Alice Ronchi to supply the creativity on the back of her collaboration with Pirelli HangarBicocca (Photo: Stephen Goodchild/Tyrepress.com)