F1 Driver Nico Rosberg Forced to Change 'Illegal' World Cup Helmet that Breached Fifa Rules

Formula One driver Nico Rosberg has been forced to redesign a special helmet he had made paying tribute to Germany's World Cup win as it infringes Fifa's copyright rules.

The Mercedes driver had the helmet made as a nod to his compatriots' success in Brazil and was planning to wear it at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.

But Fifa has since intervened and declared the design illegal on the grounds that the image of the trophy would breach its "intellectual property" rights.

The driver has since acknowledged the implications and altered the design, Tweeting an image of the new image:

In a statement Fifa said it was "obliged to take action against any unauthorised reproduction of its intellectual property in a commercial context.

"We cannot allow a commercially branded helmet to feature the trophy as this would jeopardise the rights of our commercial affiliates.

"We appreciate Nico Rosberg's desire to congratulate the German team and have therefore been in discussions with the Rosberg team to attempt to find a solution, whereby he is still able to show his support for Germany without using Fifa intellectual property in a commercial context."

Fifa had been criticised for its strict sponsorship rules at the tournament. Reports from Brazil said fans were told to remove labelling on water bottles that did not carry the logo of a Coca Cola subsidary.

Diego Maradona even claimed Lionel Messi's Golden Ball was only awarded to him as part of a marketing gimmick.

Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina sparked wild celebrations across the country, with an estimated half a million fans pouring into Berlin's Brandenburg Gate to welcome the victorious side home.