Event
Science into art - the woman who designed Fernando Alonso’s helmet for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
by Samarth Kanal
6min read
A design that seamlessly fuses art, science, technology, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together - Sara Turkestani combined her inspirations to create a special helmet motif for two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Career, Motor, Future, Innovation
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The helmet design was sported by the veteran Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team driver throughout the race weekend at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18-20, 2025, after Aramco held a Kingdom-wide competition to design Alonso’s helmet.
The challenge was part of a number of events leading up to the race which aimed to excite and inspire motorsport fans across Saudi and beyond.
The challenge was part of a number of events leading up to the race which aimed to excite and inspire motorsport fans across Saudi and beyond.
Turkestani’s design was unveiled at an employee event hosted by Aramco at its headquarters as part of a range of celebrations around the Kingdom’s fifth-ever grand prix.
The winner tells Raceteq that she heard about the helmet design competition on Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team’s Instagram page and began penning a design.
Sara Turkestani with her winning helmet design at the Aramco employee event at Ithra, Saudi Arabia, before the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
“I was inspired by the nature of Saudi Arabia,” she says. “The deserts of Saudi Arabia are part of its history and culture, and as you can see that motif spans Fernando’s helmet.
“The desert also expresses endurance - a characteristic of people who live here and one quality held by every F1 driver on the grid. This was the basis of my design.
“The helmet design also includes a small palm tree with two swords - two icons that also reflect Saudi Arabia’s national identity.”
Turkestani studies physics and says that Formula 1 is her passion.
“The first time I saw a Formula 1 race, I was in love with it. I love what the drivers do and it’s amazing to see them push themselves every weekend.”
Alonso normally runs a blue-and-yellow helmet reminiscent of the colours of his home region of Asturias in Spain - something that Turkestani alluded to in her design.
Fernando Alonso entering his Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team AMR25 during the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, sporting his one-off helmet design
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“I wanted to add something more personal to the helmet so I chose to add red and yellow lines to symbolise Fernando Alonso’s national identity, and then I combined the colours of the desert with Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team’s racing green identity - with neon yellow accents added to give it a sense of modernity.”
It was a design that Alonso complimented as he attended the Aramco employee event at its headquarters before the grand prix.
He said: “It’s always special to race in Saudi Arabia, particularly because it’s the home of Aramco. It was difficult to pick my favourite helmet design, but the dunes and colours of the winning design reminded me of the incredible landscapes I saw when I raced in the Dakar Rally.
The front of Sara Turkestani’s winning 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix helmet design
“Aramco’s Generation 3 initiative is all about inspiring the next generation, so it feels meaningful to wear a helmet designed by a young artist from the Kingdom. I’m excited to showcase the designer’s creativity on track this weekend.”
Turkestani concurs: “I asked him [Alonso] about the helmet design and he said he loved the combination of colours and the desert - because it reminded him about his Dakar Rally debut here in Saudi Arabia in 2020.”
As part of her prize, Turkestani was also given a tour of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team garage at Jeddah Corniche Circuit during the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Sara Turkestani toured the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team pit garage with Fernando Alonso for a closer look at the inner workings of the F1 team
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“It was a day I’ll never forget,” she says. “It was absolutely amazing to meet the engineers and get so close to the car. Those photos I took of the car, with Fernando, and the memories of seeing the inner workings of this team are unerasable.”
There’s one person that Turkestani stops to credit as she reflects on this unforgettable weekend with Aston Martin and Aramco.
That person? “My mum: it’s all thanks to her," says Turkestani. "She encouraged me to enter this competition, and she is the one who actually taught me how to draw. I grew up watching her drawing all the time."
Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team held more celebrations to mark its return to the Kingdom, including a number of events with driver ambassador Jessica Hawkins, who became the first woman to drive an F1 ground-effect car in 2024 thanks to Aramco and the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team.
Hawkins took the AMR23 F1 car across Saudi Arabia to locations including Ithra, Aramco’s cultural home in Dhahran, as well as a newly unveiled Aramco premium retail station, before finishing with laps at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Aston Martin Aramco | All Roads Lead to Jeddah race
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“Being behind the wheel of an F1 car is always incredible, so to make history with Aramco ahead of their home race for a second time felt special,” said Hawkins.
“Inspiring the next generation into careers in motorsport is at the forefront of what I do with the team, and I’m proud to support Aramco in continuing this mission as part of its Generation 3 initiative.”
Aramco’s Generation 3 partnership continues to grow and make waves in F1, motorsport and beyond by inspiring the next generation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) leaders.
Rania Biltagi, Aramco global head of sponsorships, said: “Taking our partnership on an iconic journey across the Kingdom reflects a shared ambition to help inspire the next generation across Saudi Arabia and around the world.
“By fuelling them with inspiration and skills in STEM, we hope to inspire the next female driver and the future engineers who will shape tomorrow’s great achievements.”
