F1 Drivers Helmets
Discussion
StevieBee said:
Those of a certain vintage might remember a game show called You Bet where contestants claimed to be able to do something within a certain time and the audience would bet against the chances of success - spin 50 plates in a minute, hold the same note for 30 seconds and the like.
I sent in an application based upon my ability to identify the name of any F1 driver from 1970 to the present day (which would have been mid 80s I guess) from nothing other than the design of their helmet. (Never heard back from ITV).
I wouldn't even get close today.
I sent in an application based upon my ability to identify the name of any F1 driver from 1970 to the present day (which would have been mid 80s I guess) from nothing other than the design of their helmet. (Never heard back from ITV).
I wouldn't even get close today.
- FEVER application was more successful! What a great guy.
supertouring said:
Helmet designs used to be simpler because I think the painting techniques and material available were limited. Hence very simple bold designs that most drivers stuck with.
Now, the design options are endless so many go for overly intricate designs, which look great up close but very disappointing from a distance.
Also note that there is a massive market for replica and 1/2 scale helmets, so I think at some level they are feeding that.
Drivers used to design and sometimes paint them themselves. I read an article recently where Jacques Villenueve spoke about designing his own with crayons and even turned down a drive at one point because the sponsor wanted him to change his helmet. Now, the design options are endless so many go for overly intricate designs, which look great up close but very disappointing from a distance.
Also note that there is a massive market for replica and 1/2 scale helmets, so I think at some level they are feeding that.
And I read an article where someone like Tarquini spoke about painting the helmet himself.
These days they hire a professional designer and painter. But I agree with Jacques, you should design your own - I designed my own for karting and I love that it's a bit unusual and not aesthetically perfect - I wouldn't swap it for one of the generic designer designs that so many people have, no way.
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Clear identification of the driver and proud to be wearing the number 1.
But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Erm....But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Hate to dispel another myth that the haters like to use as a brush to tar Hamilton with but he's one of the very few who don't really do this very much.
Hamilton most often starts the new season with a new design and sticks with it, especially since his Mercedes move (in his McLaren days he stuck/was told to stick pretty rigidly to his Senna-esque design).
Last season for instance, he started with the white and purple helmet at testing which changed very subtly for the first race in Australia (the top panel went from purple to white). However, this wasn't used as the race didn't go ahead due to covid.
The team then re-branded in the lockdown to their black scheme so his helmet followed suit, a simple case of changing the white of the helmet to black.
After a few races, some silver pin striping was added to highlight the purple/black contrast and that remained until the last race where the pin striping changed to gold.
So basically one helmet design used at every race with two very subtle changes. This year's is practically the same except it's in matte finish with a lighter purple.
Lando Norris on the other hand!
He even stated in his '21 crash hemet reveal video that it got a bit silly last year with constantly changing designs.
Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 13th May 07:15
I'm not a fan of psychedelic helmets as I think they become pretty meaningless. Older generation drivers knew that a specific helmet design became part of their "brand recognition" and helped their overall image.
The idea of having a specific helmet only really became important in the late 1950s/early 1960s and I think it was early TV coverage that made it worthwhile. At that time, TV was virtually all black and white and various ideas were tried to distinguish cars, drivers and teams on a B&W TV set -
Helmets -
In 1965/66 they even went to the trouble of placing the drivers' names in large rectangular panels.
Most of these car ID measures were dropped when cars started carrying sponsored liveries.
The idea of having a specific helmet only really became important in the late 1950s/early 1960s and I think it was early TV coverage that made it worthwhile. At that time, TV was virtually all black and white and various ideas were tried to distinguish cars, drivers and teams on a B&W TV set -
Helmets -
In 1965/66 they even went to the trouble of placing the drivers' names in large rectangular panels.
Most of these car ID measures were dropped when cars started carrying sponsored liveries.
LordGrover said:
Knick-knack central!
HA! In my defence (and there really is no defence to a grown man buying toy F1 helmets) they're banished to a cupboard all boxed up until I build the new guest toilet which I'm building a false wall/display cabinet for all "man s
te" to go in.The tat in the background is all hers!
Things that need to stop.
The airbrushed shapes with the little flicks on the corners, like Hamilton's, Ocon's and Raikkonen's.
The Red Bull associated drivers having massive Red Bull or Alpha Tauri logo on their helmets. Gasly and Tsunoda are especially similar having orange helmets with blue and white AT logos on the sides.
The airbrushed shapes with the little flicks on the corners, like Hamilton's, Ocon's and Raikkonen's.
The Red Bull associated drivers having massive Red Bull or Alpha Tauri logo on their helmets. Gasly and Tsunoda are especially similar having orange helmets with blue and white AT logos on the sides.
oyster said:
95 fiesta si said:
motco said:
It's increasingly difficult to even see the numbers on the cars!
Yea it is and that’s where the distinctive helmet designs helped you figure out who’s driving
Old Ferrari's when one car had the yellow squares on the front and rear wings
LaurasOtherHalf said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Clear identification of the driver and proud to be wearing the number 1.
But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Erm....But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Hate to dispel another myth that the haters like to use as a brush to tar Hamilton with but he's one of the very few who don't really do this very much.
Hamilton most often starts the new season with a new design and sticks with it, especially since his Mercedes move (in his McLaren days he stuck/was told to stick pretty rigidly to his Senna-esque design).
Last season for instance, he started with the white and purple helmet at testing which changed very subtly for the first race in Australia (the top panel went from purple to white). However, this wasn't used as the race didn't go ahead due to covid.
The team then re-branded in the lockdown to their black scheme so his helmet followed suit, a simple case of changing the white of the helmet to black.
After a few races, some silver pin striping was added to highlight the purple/black contrast and that remained until the last race where the pin striping changed to gold.
So basically one helmet design used at every race with two very subtle changes. This year's is practically the same except it's in matte finish with a lighter purple.
Lando Norris on the other hand!
He even stated in his '21 crash hemet reveal video that it got a bit silly last year with constantly changing designs.
Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 13th May 07:15
Helmet designs are 100% about the driver but I would still love to see what was done in the past with drivers sticking to one design.
But that's just me.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Clear identification of the driver and proud to be wearing the number 1.
But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Erm....But I think Rossi and the number 46 show's what can be done with a number but I still prefer the old format.
I remember when the Ferrari's were 27 and 28 and that was cool.
Hate to dispel another myth that the haters like to use as a brush to tar Hamilton with but he's one of the very few who don't really do this very much.
Hamilton most often starts the new season with a new design and sticks with it, especially since his Mercedes move (in his McLaren days he stuck/was told to stick pretty rigidly to his Senna-esque design).
Last season for instance, he started with the white and purple helmet at testing which changed very subtly for the first race in Australia (the top panel went from purple to white). However, this wasn't used as the race didn't go ahead due to covid.
The team then re-branded in the lockdown to their black scheme so his helmet followed suit, a simple case of changing the white of the helmet to black.
After a few races, some silver pin striping was added to highlight the purple/black contrast and that remained until the last race where the pin striping changed to gold.
So basically one helmet design used at every race with two very subtle changes. This year's is practically the same except it's in matte finish with a lighter purple.
Lando Norris on the other hand!
He even stated in his '21 crash hemet reveal video that it got a bit silly last year with constantly changing designs.
Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 13th May 07:15
Nice collection BTW.
StevieBee said:
Those of a certain vintage might remember a game show called You Bet where contestants claimed to be able to do something within a certain time and the audience would bet against the chances of success - spin 50 plates in a minute, hold the same note for 30 seconds and the like.
I sent in an application based upon my ability to identify the name of any F1 driver from 1970 to the present day (which would have been mid 80s I guess) from nothing other than the design of their helmet. (Never heard back from ITV).
I wouldn't even get close today.
Henry Hope Frost (RIP) went on You Bet and named race winners / podium of any race from 1950 or something... he won if I remember... I sent in an application based upon my ability to identify the name of any F1 driver from 1970 to the present day (which would have been mid 80s I guess) from nothing other than the design of their helmet. (Never heard back from ITV).
I wouldn't even get close today.
edit - should've read the whole thread...
Edited by Lynchie999 on Thursday 13th May 11:43
ajprice said:
Mercedes 2010 with matching helmet and camera t bar colours
Thought that worked well. Think Michael had red gloves too at later races.ajprice said:
Things that need to stop.
The airbrushed shapes with the little flicks on the corners, like Hamilton's, Ocon's and Raikkonen's.
The Red Bull associated drivers having massive Red Bull or Alpha Tauri logo on their helmets. Gasly and Tsunoda are especially similar having orange helmets with blue and white AT logos on the sides.
Yes. Those little swooshes are just so pathetically generic, like they all use the same designer. 90% of karters use them too. Just don't understand it. Whatever happened to a simple unique design?The airbrushed shapes with the little flicks on the corners, like Hamilton's, Ocon's and Raikkonen's.
The Red Bull associated drivers having massive Red Bull or Alpha Tauri logo on their helmets. Gasly and Tsunoda are especially similar having orange helmets with blue and white AT logos on the sides.
Ardennes92 said:
A book was written last year, formula helmet 1969-1999, which covers drivers and helmet manufactures as well as artists of the time
I got this earlier in the year.
If you have the slightest interest in F1 helmets its an essential purchase. Interviews with Fairholme, Eyre and Sid plus conversations with the founder of GPA and the long term F1 representative of BELL mean that the writing is interesting as the photography and illustrations (which are very good.) The only criticism I would make is that it is very in-depth on the GPA company and skimps a bit on the Japanese firms but as it is a French book I guess that's no surprise. Its for sale only through this site. https://redrunner.fr/en/produit/formula-helmet/
Its not cheap but I can highly recommend it.
A long time ago I had a friend who did Champions Of Brands FF and he bought a GPA and it was an incredible piece of kit. So lightweight and fitted perfectly with its "horseshoe" mounting system. Much later I had another friend who did some racing and he had a Shoei Quattro which also a great helmet.
Not sure why I am so interested racing crash helmets but its just something that has always fascinated me, both the design of the actual lid or the paint scheme that's on it. I have my own Arai with my livery on it sitting next to me on the desk right now which was a (very expensive) present to myself a decade ago. Wouldn't be able to use it on any track now as it is way out of date but it makes me very happy just looking at it.
Here's some more shots from the book.
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