The Chinese Grand Prix returns to the Formula 1 calendar this weekend after a hiatus of five years and making things special is the first-ever wearable trophy, which will be awarded to the winners in Shanghai. The first-of-its-kind wearable trophy has been designed and developed by Pininfarina USA and Lenovo, the title sponsor of the upcoming Chinese GP, and makes the idea of a keepsake more memorable.

The new wearable trophy for F1 has been modelled after a laurel wreath that athletes in the past. It pays homage to the F1 tradition of the 1980s and before. The trophy comes with a built-in sensor, which lights up the trophy in a pattern called “chase a loop" when the winning driver raises it over the head or wears it around the neck. The lighting pattern symbolises the speed of an F1 car on a racetrack, Pininfarina said.

Pininfarina has also incorporated several dragon elements into the trophy design since this year coincides with the ‘Year of the Dragon’ in China. The trophy gets the movement of a circular twist, while the lit mode called the “pulse" represents the breath of an awakening dragon.

This would be Lenovo’s second such innovation as far as F1 trophies are concerned. The tech giant developed a trophy last year, which would light up with the winner’s home country’s flag when kissed. The kiss-activated trophy was used in the 2023 US Grand Prix and would use the lip print of the driver to activate the lights.

Innovative trophies aren’t something we expected to see in F1. But the pinnacle of motorsport only begs for novelty in everything it does. That said, the question is which driver will be able to put the modern-day wreath around his neck. Our best guess is as good as yours.

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