The Golden Helmet has always awarded the main names in Brazilian motorsport, and recalls this Thursday the election of the best of 2021, the year in which Helio Castroneves won the award for his performance in that IndyCar season, which had as its high point the victory in the Indianapolis 500, a race that will have its 107th edition on Sunday, with Castroneves on the grid for the 23rd time.
For four editions, the Golden Helmet has among the prizes the “Top Formula” category, which brings together drivers who compete in Formula 1, Indy and Formula E stages. That season, pilots such as Tony Kanaan, Lucas Di Grassi and Pietro Fittipaldi, in addition to Castroneves, who was doing the full IMSA season for Penske.
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In Indianapolis, it would be the veteran’s first time defending Meyer Shank, a strong team exactly in IMSA, but that had not yet shown good performances in Indy. And Castroneves shone in the first of six races he drove that year, winning a battle with Spaniard Álex Palou to triumph in Indianapolis for the fourth time in his career.
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Months later, the pilot would be awarded the Golden Helmet after being the most voted among the journalists selected by RACING, guaranteeing another trophy on his shelf. Since then, Castroneves has returned to IndyCar full-time, always defending the Meyer Shank, and will try this Sunday to isolate himself as the greatest winner in Indy 500 history.
It is worth remembering that Castroneves has the honor of being the only driver to win the Golden Helmet in the Formula Top category racing in IndyCar. This never happened again in other years. He and Tony Kanaan, who are contesting this Sunday’s race, are the Brazilians at IndyCar in 2023.
