382 replies to this topic

[TennisUK]

Based on Eddie Cheever's lid:


I like Davidson's design, it's much better than the overly intricate mess most drivers have these days, it's getting as bad as moto gp...

my favourite helmet design:

Piquet senior

[potmotr]

Jean Alesi's was a thing of beauty, and was itself taken from the Elio de Angelis design.

Patrese's is lovely as well.

Both are very simples.

[RustyRuss]

I think Fred's new lid will be mostly Red he's a team player like that....

[Villes Gilleneuve]

rant

Why can't the drivers stick to one design that differentiates them from others?
Nowadays almost all the helmets look pretty much the same despite changing the design almost every year. A bunch of colours and stripes with barely any charachteristics (exept Hamiltons).
Damons helmet was the coolest around.

/rant

Drivers used to use very simple graphics and colors to distinguish themselves -these became iconic. They never changed. Now its all like a bad issue of "Heavy Metal", with stupid nicknames in diamonds.

[Jackmancer]

I don't like the new fashion/style/usage of the moder drivers that changing every year the color and the livery of the helmets...
They aren't moto drivers...
I regret the old helmets..like hunt,laffitte,senna,mansell,de angelis,cheever,patrese,alboreto,depailler...always the same trough the years

Yeh, a helmet should represent the identity of a driver. And please, keep it simple!

Personally I think Kagayama has one of the coolest helmet designs, pretty simple, kept it for a very long time, quite ironicly, he's a motor racer.

Personally I'd say, ditch the tribals tho they don't annoy me.

[Korben82]

Taking into account how in 2009 already, when watching the onboard you could think Alonso was driving for Ferrari (red helmet top, red gauntlets), I think his design will probably be similar to Michael's, with a little yellow stripe to form the Spanish flag in the back, and his two aces representing his two WDCs. Also, he'll keep the arrows on top of the helmet, he's had them since he was in karting.

[Jackmancer]

Taking into account how in 2009 already, when watching the onboard you could think Alonso was driving for Ferrari (red helmet top, red gauntlets), I think his design will probably be similar to Michael's, with a little yellow stripe to form the Spanish flag in the back, and his two aces representing his two WDCs. Also, he'll keep the arrows on top of the helmet, he's had them since he was in karting.

Alonso taking a Ferrari design is assumable, but a Schumacher design??

[ensign14]

Do you know why Irvine used that? Was he a fan of Ayrton?

It just sounds odd that Irvine would be a fan given than in his very first race he was a total dick to Senna, and both had a very famous entertaining argument afterwards.

Irvine didn't have a design at all till he got to F3000, so almost as an afterthought he had one painted up like Senna's, as it was distinctive, but with orange instead of yellow. Only the orange was very very pale. By the time he went to Japan the orange was a bit more orangey, the blue stripe had been changed to green, and the two angled distinctively. Giambattista Busi in F3k had a Senna-esque helmet, and I wonder if Enrico Bertaggia had the same inspiration.

[Seanspeed]

I just dont understand why helmet designs all have to have all kinds of stripes and designs and whatnot. Why not just a single flat/metallic color for the helmet? I've always thought simpler was more tasteful. I realize that sponsors probably have some say, which is annoying, but if you're in a team where you can get away with it, why not just go with an all-black design or something?

I really hate most helmet designs nowadays. There's been a few exceptions, of course. Heidfeld's recent lids have been pretty cool(both the green and the blue ones). Kimi's helmet at Ferrari was pretty tasteful. Alonso's helmet at Mclaren was cool. But for the most part, they're all crap.

[acelik]

I think alonso's 2006 design was the best

[pingu666]

I just dont understand why helmet designs all have to have all kinds of stripes and designs and whatnot. Why not just a single flat/metallic color for the helmet? I've always thought simpler was more tasteful. I realize that sponsors probably have some say, which is annoying, but if you're in a team where you can get away with it, why not just go with an all-black design or something?

I really hate most helmet designs nowadays. There's been a few exceptions, of course. Heidfeld's recent lids have been pretty cool(both the green and the blue ones). Kimi's helmet at Ferrari was pretty tasteful. Alonso's helmet at Mclaren was cool. But for the most part, they're all crap.

youll look like a amature, thats why. chrome finish looks cool, but seems unlucky. there could well be a big difference between how they look on tv, pictures, and in real life aswell

[ensign14]

Personally I think Kagayama has one of the coolest helmet designs, pretty simple, kept it for a very long time, quite ironicly, he's a motor racer.

Personally I'd say, ditch the tribals tho they don't annoy me.

Agree on both. Then again, blue with two white stripes are my college colours...

[Slartibartfast]

rant

Why can't the drivers stick to one design that differentiates them from others?
Nowadays almost all the helmets look pretty much the same despite changing the design almost every year. A bunch of colours and stripes with barely any charachteristics (exept Hamiltons).
Damons helmet was the coolest around.

/rant

I believe Damon's helmet was based on his father's, which was in turn based on the colours of the London Rowing Club. Apparently the vertical white stripes represented oars. Presumably the dark blue background represented water.

Many years ago, I could recognise the drivers almost instantly from their helmets. Not anymore. I can't even see the car number anymore.

[bonneville]

Some people don't mind lending their helmet to others.

Here is Coulthard who finished second in Monaco 1996 using Schumacher's helmet. The only ever race Schumacher's helmet was seen on a mercedes powered formula one.

[Hacklerf]

That was cool when DC borrowed Schumi's helmet,

Im 100% sure Alonso will be wearing a predominately red helmet next year

[NineOneSeven]

No, that's evidence, not proof.

This is proof:





So, it wasn't even close.

I am sure Alonso showed many more pictures in the article of his karting helmet. Anyway its upto him to claim his own heritage, we don't need to argue the toss to discredit him.


I am very much supporting Vettel reclaiming his original Helmet design it looks cool.

[Rob]

And agreed on Ferrari butchering helmets, I think the last one they didn't ruin was probably Irvine's.

They had a fair go at it though. The lovely bright orange was reduced to a more redish orange. There are some testing pics of him in the '95 Ferrari with his bright orange helmet. I thought it looked fantastic, but evidently Ferrari didn't.

[Seanspeed]

youll look like a amature, thats why.

As long as you can drive quickly enough, I dont see how a helmet design is going to make anyone look like an amateur.

[Buckethead]

potmotr, you should change topics name. This is about all helmet not just Fred's

[V8 Fireworks]

Vettel's design?

Isn't his lid a red bull can design but tweaked a little?


Some of the helmets do tend to blend together a bit and look a bit the same (Hekki? Kimi? Alonso's McLaren lid? Kubica?)


Fisico has kept the design but changed the colours which is a nice compromise I think, corporate colours + driver's design

Edited by V8 Fireworks, 10 December 2009 - 11:18.

[taran]

Does Ferrari really have an exclusive contract with Schuberth?

I always assumed the choice of a helmet was a private decision for a driver and the relationship between helmet supplier and driver very much a personal and close relationship.

A driver has to be comfortable with his helmet and have faith in it. In fact, I have never heard of any team dictating helmets to their driver, not even McLaren under Dennis. And Dennis was totally anal about EVERYTHING!

Did Kimi change brands when joining Ferrari? If Massa did, I'd understand since Schumacher used them and Massa would have done anything to emulate/please Schumacher.

[FlatOverCrest]

I wonder if any driver has the balls to have a 'Purple' Helmet....



Wha...???

....stop laughing.....

[Conny_Mary]

I think alonso's 2006 design was the best

Same opinion.
Red and yellow,I think,like this year.

[potmotr]

Does Ferrari really have an exclusive contract with Schuberth?

I always assumed the choice of a helmet was a private decision for a driver and the relationship between helmet supplier and driver very much a personal and close relationship.

Someone posted a while ago that Ferrrari designs its car around the Schuberth aerodynamic shape.

Not sure how accurate that post was though.

I do remember in 2007 Mark Webber moved to Red Bull.

He'd worn Schuberth during 2006 at Williams.

But the Red Bull team made him change to Arai because wearing that brand made Webber's head a crucial few millimetres lower in the cockpit, providing more air to the airbox.

In the case of guys like Massa and Alonso I doubt the issue would be that crucial because they're both quite little.

[potmotr]

I wonder if any driver has the balls to have a 'Purple' Helmet....



Wha...???

....stop laughing.....

Katherine Legge wears a mix of pink and purple.

And doesn't she have the cutest eyes!

[potmotr]

potmotr, you should change topics name. This is about all helmet not just Fred's

I don't have the ability to make changes to a thread title once I've created it sadly!

[Owen]

I think Fred's new lid will be mostly Red he's a team player like that....

Agreed. With that strange arrow thing on the top and the playing cards at the back. His overalls however will have a chip on the shoulder. Sorry couldn't resist.

[Tenmantaylor]

Suppose itll be good for Alonsos being at Ferrari because the team colour red makes up the majority of his nations flag. I can foresee a red helmet with a central horizontal yellow like the spanish flag working well.

[chdphd]

I am a fan of kubica's helmet design - he changes the colors for the odd race here or there but the primary design layout is the same.

My favorite was his helmet when he first started in F1 the white/red color scheme. I think it really sticks out - I really like Massa's and Rosbergs as well.

This one? I liked it too.

[Madera]

I like Davidson's design, it's much better than the overly intricate mess most drivers have these days, it's getting as bad as moto gp...

Like this?

Edited by Madera, 10 December 2009 - 15:17.

[Lazarus II]

It would be nice to see something different (although we know that it will be sold to the highest bidder and will include only minor personal touches. Every spot will be broken up into peices and every spot will have a price).

[ensign14]

I wonder if any driver has the balls to have a 'Purple' Helmet....



Wha...???

....stop laughing.....

Bob Evans.

[wati]

Little John had a cool one.

[potmotr]

Little John had a cool one.

It is a shame there aren't more Americans in F1, because American iconography, like the eagle, stars, stripes etc makes for beautiful helmet treatments.

[bonneville]

Keep it simple.

Here is an idea.

[Crazy Ninja]

I thought Ferrari had a sort of basic template for their drivers' helmets, then the driver could add his own personal touch to it?

[ensign14]

I am sure Alonso showed many more pictures in the article of his karting helmet. Anyway its upto him to claim his own heritage, we don't need to argue the toss to discredit him.

True enough, but if he can't even get a basic fact about his own career right, what other statements of his should we believe?

[potmotr]

I thought Ferrari had a sort of basic template for their drivers' helmets, then the driver could add his own personal touch to it?

Really? I don't think so aside from the obligation to wear the Schuberth brand.

Though many drivers have adapted their helmets to Ferrari style over the year.

Schumacher's moved to replace the white on his helmet with red after a while, then if moved away from his original design quite a lot, keeping only a few styling cues.

Raikkonen's design was already evolving at McLaren to remove blue and replace it with more black. He increased the use of red at Ferrari.

Fisichella made quite massive changes to his design at Ferrari, for the worse I reckon

Here, take a look at the changes to Ferrari drivers helmets...

Schumacher







Barrichello





Massa





Raikkonen

URL=http://img300.imageshack.us/i/xpb04g7vup0e4cwap01x474.jpg/][/URL]



Fisichella

[Crazy Ninja]

Ahh i know what im thinking of - they all have to use the Marlboro barcode dont they?

[potmotr]

Ahh i know what im thinking of - they all have to use the Marlboro barcode dont they?

Yeah, it is the sponsorship space for Philip Morris.

[Sausage]

Like this?

Aha, that's still the best of all

I agree that Hill's helmet was the bomb, it only looked slighty less good with the yellow though

[potmotr]

By the way, an in-depth historical thread on driver helmets takes place over in the Nostalgia Forum.

http://forums.autosp...w...ead&st=1320

[FlatOverCrest]

Holy Crap!!! Rubens is a Jedi?!?!?!



Must be using the force to see out of that visor!

[FlatOverCrest]

Daily Sport 'Newspaper' headline!!!!

"Saucy Racer Katherine Legge puts her Pink kitty on the Purple Helmet!!!!!!!!!!"





Mods..... you cant sensor that...it's just stating fact!

[highdownforce]

Ahh i know what im thinking of - they all have to use the Marlboro barcode dont they?

Yes they have. Just like McLaren drivers most use the Vodafone logo.

[slideways]

I like Marks:

[slideways]

I'm almost certain Fernando will go all red, maybe with a dash of yellow btw.

[potmotr]

I like Marks:

Webber tried this alternate design when he joined Red Bull in 2007.

He ditched it after testing thank goodness.

[potmotr]

Daily Sport 'Newspaper' headline!!!!

"Saucy Racer Katherine Legge puts her Pink kitty on the Purple Helmet!!!!!!!!!!"





Mods..... you cant sensor that...it's just stating fact!

Poor Katherine!

Franck Montagny also goes for a pink purple number.

Then he does own his own hair salon (true!).

[jk]

Marco Werner also uses a pink helmet.