New helmet design for Indy 500 champ and former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson pays tribute to his native Sweden

• Former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson is the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion. 
• His new helmet for the 2023 IndyCar season honors that feat and his native Sweden.
• Ericsson spoke about all the details before the race in Long Beach. 

With sponsors often controlling how cars look in motorsports, the helmet is often the one way for a driver to express themselves, and reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Marcus Ericsson is using his to get in touch with his roots. 

Before the Grand Prix of Long Beach, one of IndyCar's biggest races outside of Indianapolis, Ericsson spoke to NBC Sports about all the details that went into designing his 2023 helmet.

The first thing Ericsson noted was that this year's helmet is based, in large part, on the retro design that he wore during the 2022 Indianapolis 500. Considering he won the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," that seems like a good place to start.

Here is the Indy 500 helmet.

Here is the new helmet for the 2023 season with Ericsson's No. 8 on the side.

Ericsson, who spent five years racing in Formula One, is in his fifth season of IndyCar and fourth with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Sweden's flag inspires the helmet's blue-and-yellow color scheme.

He noted that the yellow stripe across the bottom of the helmet is a tribute to former Swedish F1 driver Ronnie Peterson.

"This stripe that goes around the helmet, it reminds me of Ronnie Peterson, a Swedish Formula One driver who was a big inspiration to me," Ericsson said. 

Here is a look at one of Peterson's helmets during his F1 career.

On the top of Ericsson's helmet, there are three crowns, the national symbol of Sweden.

In addition to honoring Sweden, Ericsson also has "Indy 500" printed on the back of the helmet, a reminder of his massive win at the Brickyard in 2022.

The new helmet is off to a good start. Ericsson won the season's first race in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is on top of the drivers' standings after three races.