Speeding Herend porcelain

Today, HEREND has become the world’s leading luxury porcelain manufactory. When hearing Herend’s name, everyone in the world thinks of the perfect quality luxury porcelain, which is part of Hungary’s national image. Herend Porcelain Manufactory has been the official prize supplier of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix for decades. The F1 drivers coming to and winning the race in Hungary hope and expect the victory and constructor’s trophies to be Herend porcelain.

F1 driver Lando Norris and his management asked Herend Porcelain Manufactory 8 months ago to design Lando Norris’ racing helmet, which he wants to wear in the 2024 Hungarian F1 race as a sign of respect for the values ​​carried by Herend porcelain.

The inquiry shows and acknowledges the leading role of the Herend porcelain brand in the world.

Herend Porcelain Manufactory immediately responded yes to the request, and after several months of design work and numerous consultations between Herend and the management of Lando Norris, the Herend pattern and design was created that was finally placed on Lando Norris’ helmet.

The newborn Herend design weaves like tendrils through the entire surface of the helmet. Of the more than 800 different colours of Herend, the choice fell on the turquoise-blue colour, and thinking in this colour scheme, Herend managed to design a truly unique, Hungarian décor, with inimitable Herend porcelain aesthetics and pleasant harmony.

The basis of the pattern was inspired by the “Hungarian motifs” (“Motifs Hongrois”) décor with the elements of Transylvanian embroideries of the 15th - 17th centuries. The convoluted pattern, featuring stylized tulips, carnations, and pomegranates, was created at the end of the 19th century for the millennium of the Hungarian conquest. When decorating the shell of the helmet, this pattern was supplemented with elements of another well-known Herend décor, the stylized bird, butterfly and bee motifs of the “Jardin Zoologique A Bleu” (Blue flora and fauna).

According to the request of Lando Norris, referring to the driver, a hand-painted golden LN logo was placed in the same position on both sides of the helmet, interwoven with the tendril-like Herend pattern. The decoration was made with water-based acrylic paint, one of the difficulties of which was that the motifs could not be drawn with a pen, so these patterns had to be made with a needle-point brush. The final appearance of the racing helmet was achieved after several months of work.

The rank and value of the racing helmet is increased by the fact that this Herend helmet may not be sold commercially. The Herend racing helmet will be auctioned for a charity after the Hungarian race, with the common agreement of Herend Porcelain Manufactory and Lando Norris.

Before the Hungarian F1 race, for the official press presentation of the Herend racing helmet, Lando Norris visited the Herend Porcelain Manufactory on July 17, 2024 to familiarize himself with the company known worldwide for the production of handcrafted porcelain, and to learn about the process of porcelain making and the value-creating work, as a result of which HEREND is today a well-known and recognized luxury brand in about 60 countries around the world.