Last weekend Italian Grand Prix marked Monza‘s centenary, and Pirelli150th anniversary, making the race a very special occasion. Max Verstappen crossed the finish line to claim his eleventh win of the season and would receive a special trophy to celebrate the anniversaries of the legendary circuit and exclusive tire supplier FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Marco Tronchetti ProveraPirelli CEO, described the event as one “Festival of Italian automotive technology and know-how” :
“We are proud to play a prominent role in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Monza and the 150th anniversary of Pirelli in this celebration of Italian automotive technology and know-how at our home Grand Prix.” said the Italian.
“Not only do we produce state-of-the-art motorsport tires for almost 250 championships worldwide, but we also promote culture and support the arts in particular through Pirelli HangarBicocca, so Pirelli wanted to mark the occasion with a unique trophy that has a direct link to the highlight of global motorsport.
“Thank you Patrick Tuttofuoco and Pirelli HangarBicocca for making this possible through an iconic work of art that perfectly blends past and present.”
According to Pirelli, the trophy for the top three finishers and the winning constructor was called “Eon”, based on the longest measurable unit of time. ‘which borders on infinity’.
The trophy was created by the Milanese artist, Patrick Tuttofuocowho chose the subject to represent a ‘infinite loop, reminiscent of the cyclical nature of time‘. The Pirelli Hangarbicocca, a contemporary art museum, is also responsible for the creation of the trophy. The museum is owned and supported by Pirelli, according to the tire maker, which is located next to its Milan headquarters.
Pirelli has released a video on its YouTube channel outlining the process behind the making of the trophy. According to Tuttofuoco, the trophy’s body emanated from a shape dubbed a “Moebius strip” — a long, rectangular strip connected end-to-end to form a loop with a one hundred and eighty degree twist at the end of the loop . This shape was created digitally via 3D design software and constructed with high precision tooling.
The Italian Grand Prix trophy showcases this shape beautifully with its red and blue gradient finish. Tuttofuoco explained that the acrylic design makes the trophy semi-transparent, which allows light to pass through and not be absorbed. The 48-year-old also explained that this design “chromatically tells the distribution of energy and heat.”
