Charles Leclerc clinched the United States Grand Prix 2024 with Ferrari finishing a historic 1-2 in the Austin Circuit of Americas but the Star driver didn't lift the prestigious Pirelli’s Heroo trophy. The fans were in constant doubt that despite winning the US GP what was the reason for this move? Sports Tak will clear the air regarding this.
Why did Charles Leclerc fail to lift the Trophy?
A copyright infringement issue prevented Charles Leclerc from lifting Pirelli’s Heroo trophy design after his victory at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
Pirelli had unveiled its Heroo trophy design the previous Monday, meant to be raised by the top three finishers at the Circuit of the Americas following Sunday’s race. Designed by Italian artist Matteo Macchiavelli, the trophy featured a humanoid figure standing on a miniature Pirelli tire. It was described as “an interpretation of the connection between the racing car and its tyres, while also being an artwork that links beauty and elegance with the excitement, sense of speed and quality of the materials that go into a Formula 1 car.”
Pirelli provided a detailed description of the trophy, noting that “the ones for the Grand Prix winning driver and team representative stand out with the helmet painted in golden yellow, sprinkled in gold dust, while silver and titanium are the colours and finish chosen for the second and third placed drivers respectively.”
However, after Leclerc's win, the Heroo trophy was absent, and he was instead awarded a more traditional trophy.
Copyright infringement
According to Autosport, Pirelli received a notice on Saturday about a potential similarity between its Heroo trophy and another product. To avoid any complications, the Italian tire manufacturer decided to withdraw the trophy from the podium ceremony. Pirelli had also planned to release a limited-edition run of the Heroo trophy, but it remains uncertain whether that will proceed under the current circumstances. Additionally, the press release about the Heroo trophy has been removed from Pirelli’s website.
In place of the Heroo trophy, podium finishers Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen received Pirelli wind tunnel tires, which featured a U.S. flag and their finishing positions engraved on the wheel nuts. For fans of traditional Grand Prix trophies, this turn of events was seen as a positive, given that the Heroo design bore a resemblance to one of Disney’s most famous characters—likely contributing to the copyright concerns in the first place.
