Pirelli unveils ‘Fragile’ 3D printed trophies ahead of Monza 2026
As official title sponsor, Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli is gearing up for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The historic track, just north of Milan, will be hosting the 77th edition of the race this weekend, and as always there is lots of excitement surrounding the event. While much of this anticipation is about who will clinch victory (will it be favorite Lando Norris for McLaren? Or will Hamilton, Russell, or another driver steal the race?), some of it is related to the prize.
Commissioned by Pirelli, the official trophies of Monza 2026 are totally unique. Not only are they 3D printed, they are also designed to look unsteady, like a precarious stack of cups and bowls that looks ready to topple over. Dubbed “FRAGILE”, the tongue-in-cheek design was created by vedovamazzei, an Italian artist duo comprising Stella Scala and Simeone Crispino.
The pair, who have been working together since 1991, use a variety of media in their art and are known for their incorporation of the surreal and the ironic. This remains true in the 3D printed F1 trophy, which instead of being a “cup” in the traditional trophy sense, presents a stack of household cups and bowls. As vedovamazzei explained: “The idea for the trophy stems from the ancient tradition of passing a celebratory cup from hand to hand. It served as a large drinking vessel, creating a sense of shared celebration and festivity.
“We wanted the trophy to be the symbol of a victory that an individual holds in their hands, yet it reflects the spirit of a community. In the case of Formula 1, this community includes the team, the fans, and the entire world revolving around the drivers. The composition also evokes an everyday dimension with its repeated gestures, suggesting a victory earned lap after lap that never corresponds to an eternal, unchanging status. It is unstable, short-lived, and must be reclaimed. In fact, it is fragile.”
In creating the trophies, the artists began with paper sketches and progressed to making a 3D model of the concept. From there, the trophies were 3D printed from nylon powder and then painted, galvanized, and polished. The result is a series of awards (printed in various sizes) that have a shining metallic finish. These impressive pieces will be awarded to the three podium finishers after the big race this Sunday.
The 3D printed trophies are part of a recent tradition in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. For the past six races, Pirelli has been commissioning local artists to design unique trophies for the event in collaboration with the Pirelli HangarBicocca Museum of Contemporary Art. Last year, the “Chimera” trophy, was designed by artist Nico Vascellari and was inspired by the fastest animals in the air (peregrine falcon), water (the sailfish), and on land (the cheetah). These trophies, while not directly 3D printed, also relied on the technology to create resin models for lost cast waxing.
The Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2026 also featured one-of-a-kind trophies by historic Dutch ceramicist Royal Delft who enlisted the help of local designers Anouk Wipprecht and Don Diablo. Wipprecht designed the winner and constructor’s trophies, using an electroluminescent material to create a light effect. While it has not been stated whether these trophies were 3D printed, Wipprecht has worked extensively with the technology over the years for various wearables.
