Doha, Qatar: Years of Culture has selected Qatari artist Hissa Al-Khuzaei to design Pierre Gasly’s helmet for the 2026 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix. Gasly, a driver for the BWT Alpine F1 Team, will wear the helmet at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez during the race weekend of October 30 to November 1, as part of the Qatar, Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture. The finished design will be revealed ahead of the race.
Al-Khuzaei’s concept begins with a loop, drawing inspiration from the flowing forms of racing circuits. She explained that she arrived at this form because it suggests movement, rhythm and connection. In developing it, she looked to the flowing skirts of traditional Mexican dance, the curves of Qatar’s desert dunes, and the angular forms found in Qatari Al Sadu weaving and Mexican textiles.
Hissa Al-Khuzaei said, “I was inspired by traditional Mexican dance, especially the way the colorful skirts flow and create different shapes as the dancers move. I am connecting this movement with the flowing forms of Qatar’s desert dunes, bringing both influences together through painted strokes that wrap around the helmet.”
Based in Doha, Al-Khuzaei works across art, interior design, photography and research. Her practice explores nature, identity, belonging and the connections people form with places. Her work has been exhibited in Qatar, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and the United States. In 2025, she completed an artist residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program in New York through Qatar Museums.
