What if Formula 1 cars had keys? Stephen Goldasz takes a look at some of the possibilities dreamt up by CarKeys.co.uk!
When a Formula 1 driver goes racing, they will take several items with them to their car, including a helmet and water bottle. But one thing they never carry on them is a car key.
Formula 1 is famous for being one of the most technologically advanced motorsports in the world. The cars are so incredibly complex nowadays, that they can’t simply be started cold with the turn of a key.
But what if it was possible for current Formula 1 cars to use a car key to start them up? Since each driver has their own personal design for their racing helmet, perhaps the same would be applied to each driver’s starter key. Inspired by these thoughts, we’ve dreamt up some custom car key designs which some of the current F1 drivers could use for their race cars.
Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari
The four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel drives for Ferrari nowadays, so his F1 car key could be shaped similar to the key that comes with recent Ferrari road cars, including the 458 and F12 Berlinetta.
In similar fashion to Vettel’s current race helmet, his F1 car key could also proudly sport his national colours and the number 5, which he personally chose to race with.
Perhaps the way the blade of the key sticks out could be interpreted as a reference to Vettel’s famous (or should that be infamous?) ‘finger’ celebration. You be the judge!
Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
The Mercedes AMG driver and reigning F1 champion Lewis Hamilton is clearly fond of bling, as evidenced by his diamond earrings and flashy (and ludicrously expensive) car collection.
It seems fitting then that Hamilton’s F1 car key would be similarly flamboyant, with touches of gold and embedded diamonds. The panic button included is a standard feature on the keys of Mercedes’ road cars and is used to set off the alarm. On an F1 car, such a button could prove handy for Hamilton should any technical faults suddenly occur or if Nico Rosberg attempts to overtake him.
Jenson Button – McLaren
The F1 car key used by McLaren’s Jenson Button would likely have a minimalist but undoubtedly premium design, fitting in nicely with the design used for McLaren’s road car keys.
The Papa Smurf logo seen lower down on this key design is a reference to Jenson’s late father, John Button, who was a popular figure in the F1 paddock and nicknamed “Papa Smurf” by his son.
Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull
Red Bull Racing has been responsible for some of F1’s flashiest and funniest car liveries and helmet designs in the past. So for the team’s current driver Daniel Ricciardo, his F1 car key would likely be finished in the distinctive blue, yellow and red colours which the Red Bull team race in.
Ricciardo’s car key design also includes a wide cartoon grin lower down, a reference to Daniel’s smiley demeanour. Daniel himself has previously acknowledged his large, toothy grin, particularly during the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During this race, the Australian wore a unique race helmet sporting a cartoon version of his face complete with massive grinning teeth.
Pastor Maldonado – Lotus
Okay, so neither Pastor Maldonado nor Lotus are actually competing in Formula 1, but we couldn’t resist exploring a car key design for the infamously crash-prone racer.
If Maldonado did have a car key for his last F1 race car, a Lotus, we imagine it would lack in decoration and instead be covered in a metal protective case, to protect it from the next inevitable bump. Even with that precaution included, the blade of the key would probably somehow end up slightly bent out of shape.
