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Keeping up a family tradition - Jessica Edgar on her American Express-inspired helmet design
It’s not hard to spot an Edgar out on track with their distinctive bright colour scheme, but Jessica Edgar is putting her own twist on the family’s trend.
Talking us through her updated design that made its debut midway through the 2024 campaign, the American Express driver explains the childhood origins behind it and why she loves coordinating with her liveries each year.
“This year’s helmet is my basic design in the American Express colours of dark blue, light blue and white. The original design came from my cousin Jonny (Edgar) when he was four years old and he was drawing. Then it went to a proper designer and they changed it up a bit and Jonny, my dad, my uncle, my little brother and I all have the same helmet design.
“In karting, we were always with a team called Fusion and their colours were orange and blue, so that was why the helmet’s original colours were orange and blue. To start with, when I was five, I got the same design but in pink and purple, so I had the exact same helmet as Jonny but in different colours.
“This bit on the side is meant to be a J, it’s not a Z (laughs), that’s probably my favourite part. The top used to look like the wings on the front on my other helmet, but with the American Express logo it’s moved to the top.
“Last year, my helmet was good for the car that I had and it fitted in quite well with the yellow. Then this year, the orange helmet looked a bit funny with a blue car, so it’s cool to have an American Express helmet to match the AMEX car. I would always choose the helmet to match the car.
“I like my design as it is. It’s an Arai helmet and Stefan Di Resta designs all of our helmets and each helmet he does, he tweaks a little bit. So, there’s something slightly different in each one and he always makes a really good job of them.
“I think the helmet is something very personal to you. Every driver’s helmet is different and that’s the only personal thing to a driver really. Everything else is team kit or sponsors, so it’s nice that the helmet is special to each driver.”