'Lightning' to strike on F1 podium at Imola

Formula 1 will celebrate Italian art this weekend with its trophies that will be handed to the top three in Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.

Depicting a lightning bolt, the trophies are the result of a collaboration between the Pirelli HangarBicocca, a contemporary art museum, with Italian artist Alice Ronchi.

As title sponsor, Pirelli is able to choose the trophies given to the podium trio, and has turned to the HangarBicocca, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the production and promotion of contemporary art.

Ronchi, who made the trophies from aluminium that were then mirror-polished, claims to have been inspired by the beauty of a 1950s racing car and the Imola landscape, while also focusing on a number of Formula 1's prevalent themes.

"I saw the lightning bolt as a symbol of power, speed, tension, and force," said Milan-based Ronchi.

"And this goes right back to the principal icons that inspired this work: Zeus, the gods, and ancient Greece. Hopefully, this trophy delivers a new narrative aspect.

"Through an interpretation of aspects that sum up the driving forces behind every grand prix, as well as the use of the lightning bolt and the reference to the myth of Zeus, I wanted to convey a story told in the most expressive way possible."

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