Ayrton Senna: a legend forever. This upcoming Wednesday marks thirty years since the Brazilian passed away due to a severe crash at the Imola circuit. Today, we delve into the story behind his iconic helmet.
Who doesn’t recognize it? The egg-yolk yellow with green and dark blue stripes: Ayrton Senna’s helmet. Under the visor, in small letters, it read: painted by SID – Brasil. Sid was Sid Mosca, the man who designed Senna’s helmet. The bright yellow stood out, not only in the mirrors of rivals but also among the audience. Senna was always and everywhere recognizable, and the combination of the yellow helmet in the black-gold Lotus and later the red-white McLaren became iconic.
The Symbol of National Pride
That Senna carried the colors of the Brazilian flag stirred national pride. During the time he rose from a Formula 1 debutant in 1984 to world champion four years later, his homeland underwent a metamorphosis. After a military dictatorship that held Brazil in an iron grip for years, it got a democratically elected president in 1985: Tancredo Neves. When he suffered a stroke just days before he was to take office, from which he would later die, it was a massive blow to Brazil. Senna’s helmet and his habit of carrying the Brazilian flag during victory laps slowly restored confidence among his compatriots.
Speed and Dynamics
Sid Mosca was born in 1937 and began his career as a car painter. In addition, he raced with a Volkswagen Beetle in a class that is considered a precursor to the current Brazilian stock car championship. Mosca stood out more for his beautifully dark blue and white painted car than for his driving skills. A competitor asked if he could paint his helmet as beautifully. “My grandfather hesitated for a moment, but accepted the assignment,” says granddaughter Stella, who now runs the painting business with her father Alan Mosca. “From that moment on, the requests started pouring in.” It was 1973 and Sid Special Paint was born.
Ingo Hoffmann, a multiple champion in Brazilian stock cars, is one of the first serious customers. Through Hoffmann, who raced for the Copersucar team of the Fittipaldi brothers in 1976 and ’77, Mosca ended up in Formula 1. The Fittipaldi’s were also impressed by his talent. Therefore, he was allowed to design the helmet of Emerson Fittipaldi, the first Brazilian Formula 1 world champion. The second, Nelson Piquet, followed quickly.
Under Mosca’s hands, Fittipaldi’s helmet evolved from a simple red-black design to one that increasingly radiated speed and dynamics. For Piquet, he designed a helmet inspired by a tennis ball, as Piquet was not only good at driving, but also at tennis. Neither of them did anything with the colors of the Brazilian flag. The first to ask for this was Senna.
Terribly Proud
From the first day of Sid Special Paint, Alan has served as his father’s right-hand man. He still remembers the day when young kart racer Ayrton Senna came knocking. “When I was young, I used to go to Interlagos with my grandfather. Motorsport has always been important in our family. I already knew Ayrton; I was only a few years older than him. In 1980, he asked my father to design a helmet. He wanted to stand out in the World Karting Championship and wanted his helmet to represent Brazil. My father created a design with a green, blue, and yellow stripe on a white helmet. I still think it’s very beautiful, but Senna didn’t find it striking enough.”
The second design is the helmet we all know today. “My father made it yellow, as it looks youthful. Ayrton was still young, and the helmet stood out because simply no one else was driving with such a striking design. The two horizontal stripes exude speed, they have something aerodynamic. This design was perfect for Ayrton, who liked it so much that he decided to keep it forever. My father understood Ayrton.”
Mosca passed away in 2011. Alan knows that it meant a lot to his father to design the helmet of the greatest Brazilian driver. “Through the helmets of Fittipaldi and Piquet, my father was already a kind of celebrity in motorsport, especially in Brazil, but Senna’s helmet made him even more famous. Thanks to Ayrton, Mosca’s work became world-famous. He didn’t shout it from the rooftops, but he was terribly proud of it. And we are terribly proud of him and Ayrton. We miss them both.”
Famous Clients
Of course, Sid Special Paint has had many more famous clients after Senna. Men like Mika Häkkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa, and Giancarlo Fisichella rely on the craftsmanship of father and son Mosca, who is now assisted by his daughter Stella. Family members of old clients also find Sid Special Paint, as the helmets of Christian and Pietro Fittipaldi, Nelsinho Piquet, and Bruno Senna also come from there.
In the paint shop, it is noticeable that most paint cans still contain the color yellow. No wonder: a large part of the work is making replicas of Senna’s helmet. There is still a lot of demand for them, and they are sold by the Instituto Ayrton Senna for charity.
In the showroom, there are not only dozens of helmets from all the greats that the Moscas can count among their clients. There is also a Red Bull from 2008, which was exhibited at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos last year. Next to it is a Jordan from 1994, which belongs to Barrichello. “Rubens wanted it to be here,” says Alan. “We think it’s beautiful. The colors are very nice, and in our profession, we naturally look at that.”
A Look at the Art of Helmet Design
Next to the Jordan, there’s a car that has nothing to do with Brazil. It’s the Lola with which Arie Luyendijk won the Indy 500. “I find it very beautiful,” says Alan. “In red, white, and blue, it’s striking, yet simple. That’s what we’re missing these days with the drivers’ helmets. There are many more painters than before, and all these people have their own style. Today’s helmets are often busy, with many lines, color gradients, and shapes. Due to this overload, it’s increasingly difficult to recognize a design at a glance. When I look at my father’s style, I still find it stands out. His helmets are simple, almost minimalist. His work is instantly recognizable, each helmet is like a signature from Sid.”
When asked which helmet from his father’s oeuvre he finds the most beautiful, Alan has to think for a long time. “I think Piquet’s helmet is his best work. The shape of the tennis ball and the way the droplet is woven into it, which radiates both speed and style: that makes it a very intelligent design. Ayrton’s helmet is simpler in design, but it’s the most precious helmet my father has made. When I now stick the sticker with ‘Painted by SID – Brasil’ on such a beautiful yellow helmet, it still means a lot to me. My name is not important; that helmet belongs to my father and Ayrton. That’s enough for me.”
