F1: Unique Japanese GP trophy lights up when kissed

The top of the trophy to resemble the air intake of an F1 car, while the body is inspired by the race car's curvaceous shape.

The 2023 Japanese Formula1 Grand Prix concluded last week, which saw Red Bull driver Max Verstappen take the win with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completing the podium positions.

Verstappen stood on the top step of the podium and received a unique "Kiss-Friendly" trophy, designed by Pininfarina in collaboration with the Grand Prix's title sponsor, Lenovo. Race winners across multiple sporting events traditionally kiss their trophies on the podium, but never has there been a trophy actively telling them to do so.

Pininfarina, known for creating some of the most beautiful cars in the world, designed the top of the trophy to resemble the air intake of an F1 car, while the body is inspired by the race car's curvaceous shape.

However, the most unique aspect of the trophy is the lighting on the body. The trophy comes with small translucent Lenovo logos that guide the winning driver to an area in the middle labelled "kiss me". Once the driver kisses the marked area, the whole trophy lights up in the colours of his home country, in this case, the Netherlands.

Philip Marchington, Executive Creative Director of Corporate Marketing at Lenovo, stated, "As a leading technology company, we challenged ourselves to find a way to embed smarter technology into trophies in a way that’s never been done before to elevate the podium experience."

Source: Road&Track