A wedding ring inspired by the design of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix trophy has brought together a Spanish groom and a Saudi bride in matrimony. The Spanish national, Calderon Mari - who converted to Islam and changed his name to Abdulrahman - presented the custom-made ring to his Saudi wife, Lamia Al-Husail, as a symbol of their shared love for motorsports and their unique journey.
The couple spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat during their visit to the Formula 1 paddock area in Jeddah. "We met, by the grace of Allah, through Formula 1. Our professional paths crossed during the Kingdom’s early years of hosting the championship and throughout several races in recent seasons," said Abdulrahman.
He explained that he works as a mechanical engineer for a Formula 1 team, while Lamia is an architect who was involved from the very beginning in constructing the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
When they decided to get married, Abdulrahman knew he didn’t want to offer a conventional wedding ring. Instead, he wanted a ring that represented both their shared passion for motorsports and the unique story that brought them together.
While visiting the Red Bull Racing headquarters in the UK - by coincidence - he found himself in a room displaying the team's trophies. One in particular caught his eye: The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix trophy won by Max Verstappen in 2023. The intricate beauty of the trophy’s design inspired him.
Abdulrahman already had a vision for the ring: he and his bride wanted it to incorporate materials like carbon fiber, gold, and silver. He took a video of the trophy and shared it with Lamia, explaining his dream of turning its design into their wedding ring.
To his surprise, Lamia responded with exciting news - she personally knew the trophy’s designer. "I know the artist behind this piece," she told him. That designer was none other than Richard Fox.
Lamia contacted Fox, who met Abdulrahman in the UK and listened to their story from the beginning - the story of how they met, how motorsport brought them together, and how they wanted their ring to symbolize that very connection.
After several months of design sketches, materials discussions, and collaborative ideas, the couple and Fox finally arrived at the perfect design: Lamia’s ring features a sapphire, Abdulrahman’s favorite stone, while his ring is adorned with a ruby, her favorite.
Lamia shared her side of the story, saying: “I was working on the circuit as an architect, passionate about cars, and I always made it a point to showcase our culture and historical heritage to the Formula 1 community through the renowned Saudi hospitality.”
She noted that Abdulrahman, even before converting to Islam, had shown a deep interest in Islamic culture and architecture. During his time in Saudi Arabia, he was struck by the architectural similarities between traditional houses in Jeddah’s historic district and Andalusian design.
“He saw something of Andalusia in Jeddah’s old homes, in their mashrabiyas and warm spirit, despite the difference in language,” Lamia said. With her background in architecture, she helped him appreciate the details of Islamic design and its aesthetic depth.
Lamia also described her own experience visiting Spain, her husband’s homeland: “I felt at home, among my own people - only the language was different.”
As for the man behind the ring’s inspiration, renowned British designer Richard Fox revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat the philosophy behind his trophy designs. Fox has been crafting the Formula 1 World Championship trophies for nearly four decades and has designed all Saudi Arabian Grand Prix trophies since the inaugural race in 2021.
Fox explained that his designs aim to reflect Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural identity. The top of the Saudi Grand Prix trophy features a pink-gold palm tree, symbolizing the Kingdom. Below it are six columns plated inside and out, representing a dialogue between the past and the future, and vice versa.
The upper section of the trophy features design elements inspired by traditional Jeddah mashrabiyas. The trophy’s silhouette draws from a mosque in Riyadh designed by the late Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, while its base includes a silver dome engraved with the golden palm-and-crossed-swords emblem of Saudi Arabia.
Around the dome are intricate traditional patterns from various regions of the Kingdom, modeled after the royal carpet. The base of the trophy represents the championship platform, and the trophy itself stands nearly three-quarters of a meter tall.
Through a blend of heritage, symbolism, and personal meaning, the ring designed for Abdulrahman and Lamia stands as a testament to how love, motorsport, and culture can intertwine in the most unexpected ways, ultimately forming a bond that transcends borders.
