McLaren's Lando Norris was forced to lay aside a special helmet livery that paid tribute to his Belgian heritage as the motif was deemed potentially offensive.
Norris, whose mother Cisca is Belgian, had whipped up for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa a design that featured a picture of his Belgian grand parents, but also a motif that showcased a rampant lion, or the official symbol of the Flemish community.
However, the emblem is also a political symbol used by a nationalist movement in Flanders. The representation coupled with the fact that the Belgian Grand Prix takes place in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of southern Belgium, was viewed as ill-inspired although Norris insisted he had no idea about the negative or offensive connotation.
"I wanted a helmet design this weekend to pay tribute to my Belgian roots and my family, in particular my grandparents whose picture I put on the back," said the McLaren driver.
"I wasn’t aware of the connotations around the use of this particular motif when I designed the helmet but as soon as I was, it was clear that it was inappropriate to continue using it.”
"The helmet was never intended to be a political statement, for me personally it was simply a cool design that paid tribute to part of my heritage," he added.
"However, I never want to cause division or offence and I understand that using the helmet would have offended many people in Belgium. With that in mind, I’ve decided to go back to my standard helmet."
As a reminder, Norris isn't the only driver on the grid who is half-Belgian, with Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll both enjoying a Belgian heritage thanks to their mother.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Today, we at F1i.com raise a celebratory glass to our esteemed founder, Bertrand Gachot, who…
McLaren roared back to the pinnacle of Formula 1 in 2024, clinching their first Constructors'…
Liam Lawson has revealed that he became the target of online abuse by fans of…
As Carlos Sainz prepares for a new chapter in his Formula 1 career with Williams,…
Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…
When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…