Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant on his race helmet during the opening day of Formula One’s preseason.
Ricciardo stood on the grid for a promotional F1 video in the morning with a plain purple lid, but had additions made in the hours between then and his first laps in the Renault after lunch.
The purple lid had “Mamba Mentality” written on the top in yellow, with a snake drawn on the front. It also carries “KB 24” and “KB 8” on either side of the visor in yellow, mixing with the purple to make the colors of Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA legend Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. Bryant was 41.
Ricciardo lives in L.A. and has previously attended NBA matches in the city. The Australian driver — a self-confessed fan of all things U.S. — said his reason for moving to L.A. in 2018 was that the city resonated with him.
His all-purple lid is a temporary one for testing. Ricciardo is expected to unveil a new design ahead of his home race, the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 15.