Alonso honours late mentor Adrián Campos with tribute helmet at Monza

Fernando Alonso will carry a personal tribute onto the Monza circuit this weekend, wearing a helmet honouring Adrián Campos — his late mentor and first manager — at the Italian Grand Prix from 4–6 September.

Aston Martin unveiled the design on social media, revealing a striking departure from Alonso’s signature blue and yellow livery. The new lid draws on the red and yellow of the Spanish flag and is directly inspired by the helmet Campos wore during his own racing career. Campos’s family will be present at Monza to share the moment.

“A nod to where it all began,” Aston Martin wrote in the announcement. “Adrián was the first to spot Fernando’s talent, becoming his first manager and helping guide him into the world of Formula racing. Now, his iconic helmet returns to the track at Monza, with his family there to share the moment.”

Campos raced in Formula 1 for Minardi between 1987 and 1988 before transitioning into team management and driver development. He played a pivotal role in steering Alonso from karts into single-seater racing and remained his first dedicated manager. Campos passed away in 2021.

The tribute comes at a difficult point in Alonso’s season. The two-time world champion sits 19th in the drivers’ standings with just three points, having salvaged two of those at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Team-mate Lance Stroll is 21st with no points, and Aston Martin occupies tenth place in the constructors’ standings — ahead only of the newly formed Cadillac team.

The Silverstone-based outfit has endured a troubled 2026 campaign, grappling with significant problems affecting both its car and power unit. A B-spec car was introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix, followed by power unit upgrades at Zandvoort, and the team is hoping those changes begin to bear fruit on the high-speed Monza layout.