94 replies to this topic

[Myrvold]

I like Vettel's this year as well. Were it not for the sodding sponsor logos it'd be fabulously simple, yet striking:

Whatever that logo on the left-side is. It looks like a Tilke-track!
 

I really liked Franck Montagny's helmet!

[Sin]

that's Sebs sign the logo his own icon

[RealRacing]

Now for some uncool ones:

 

[RealRacing]

[johnzaxxon]

It was modelled on Eddie Cheever's design:

Eddie Cheever:

The design never changed throughout my career. Once, when driving for BMW's F2 team, I was asked to change my helmet design. I said I couldn't. They said I had no choice. I said no and walked out of the office.

 

That was it, I thought. I'd just ruined my first decent job because of the helmet design. They called me back and said I didn't have to change it. I'll never forget those words. "If it's that important to you, keep your helmet."

You can read the rest of the (rather moving) story of Eddie's design here: http://a.espncdn.com...eever/0904.html

 

This design (with its clever use of negative space to form the star shape) is a good example of thinking first and painting later - the exact opposite of how most helmet paint schemes are created nowadays

 

A more modern rendition:

[RealRacing]

Ugliness

Edited by RealRacing, 17 March 2015 - 03:19.

[JacnGille]

Gilles V

[K20a]

[Sin]

Also this one 

 

 

by Jorge Lorenzo, painted by a mentally disabled girl. 

 

This is what made me fan of him taking her to the podium.  

[LH08WDC]

 

Always loved Alonso's original McLaren helmet. Just looked classy to me.

[toniovodka]

i always liked alex wurz, very diferent to the others, and i liked more when i found out he himself paint his helmets

[SKL]

Always loved the simplicity of Seppi Siffert's as in my avatar...  and the rowing club "oars" of Graham and Damon.  Loved the fact Damon used the same design as his father.

[pacwest]

I'm not sure what you guys are on about. This:

 

 

This:

 

 

and this:

 

Edited by pacwest, 17 March 2015 - 07:14.

[Jackmancer]

 

Ignazio Giunti's Aztec eagle inspired helmet 

[totgate]

Vettels current helmet is a masterpiece. Very simple, stylish and immediately recognizable.... 

[Rob]

Vettels current helmet is a masterpiece. Very simple, stylish and immediately recognizable.... 

 

It's a copy of an old pre-F1 Schumi design, isn't it?

[Starchild]

i really love Jolyon Palmer's helmet, just brilliant

[saudoso]

BTW, I guess must here must know this guy:

[noikeee]

 

Always loved Alonso's original McLaren helmet. Just looked classy to me.

 

Yes that one was great. Loosely reminds me of my favourite helmet, Gerhard Berger's:

 

 

I don't know what it is about this one that appeals to me so much, I guess it's just because it's such a loud, aggressive combo of colours, very simple therefore very recognisable and very 80s.

 

And it was only like 20 years later that I realized it was all about the flag of Austria rotated to 90º. 

[slideways]

It's a copy of an old pre-F1 Schumi design, isn't it?

Tribute would be a better description I think. Super classy timing IMO.   

I have to stop making posts like this or I might mistake myself for a fan.

 

[jcbc3]

When I was karting in the old days (early eighties), we had inter-national meetings. There you had to wear a helmet of a certain design. Danish helmets were supposed to be all white with two thin red stripes from back to front. I have a suspicion that Schumis helmet is just such a national one. And obviously Vettels is not a mandated but along the same lines of having soccerkit reflecting your nationality.

[Peat]

[plumtree]

I think thats a big reason why current helmets dont look great by comparison. Youve got to imagine it without those logos becuase thats not the drivers choice, just the way it is nowdays.
Having said that, the modern flicks, swooshes and fiddly crap is just awful.
 
This one of Kobayashi's always annoyed me.
http://www.f1fanatic...lmet-2014-2.jpg
Because it could have been the best ive seen in 15 years if he didnt have all the grey crap covering the flower (ironically, a lotus isnt it?)
Black, with a little grey and that absolutely unique flower that relates to his background ....

Most likely it's cherry blossoms (sakura), also found on Japanese Grand Prix trophies.


 

It's a copy of an old pre-F1 Schumi design, isn't it?

Tribute would be a better description I think. Super classy timing IMO.   

I have to stop making posts like this or I might mistake myself for a fan.
 
img=http://ms-fans.com/w...03/schu-vet.jpg

It's said to be a pure coincidence. Both Vettel himself and his designer said they didn't know about it at all. In fact it wasn't even Schumi's but for German go-karting national team helmet.
 

When I was karting in the old days (early eighties), we had inter-national meetings. There you had to wear a helmet of a certain design. Danish helmets were supposed to be all white with two thin red stripes from back to front. I have a suspicion that Schumis helmet is just such a national one. And obviously Vettels is not a mandated but along the same lines of having soccerkit reflecting your nationality.

Exactly! 

Edited by plumtree, 17 March 2015 - 10:50.

[lustigson]

[slideways]

It's said to be a pure coincidence. Both Vettel himself and his designer said they didn't know about it at all. In fact it wasn't even Schumi's but for German go-karting national team helmet.

 

Interesting... thanks for taking the time to post the links. Still, I'd like to think that MS might get a smile out of seeing him in the red car with the German stripe like that. 

[DampMongoose]

[Elba]

The twin window helmets always struck me as something special/cool

John Watson Monza 1979

[sesku]

 

He maybe one of the worst driver F1 ever had but his helmet was pretty decent.

[thuGG]

[thiscocks]

It was modelled on Eddie Cheever's design:

 

Much better than Davidsons (that 80s version atleast).

[kamikaze1]

It being Paddy's Day and all    Eddie Irvine's ....

 

When Schumacher joined Ferrari... he wanted to use a red helmet and for Irv to change his design.  Irvine wouldn't cede to this request.  Which meant, Schumi had to wait until Rubens until he got his wish.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

And IMO... he also holds the record for the most ugliest helmet.... the Jaguar one. 

 

 

Edited by kamikaze1, 17 March 2015 - 15:37.

[CSquared]

A few of my all-time faves: Prost, Cevert, Vergne's Cevert tribute, and Vettel's current one.

[Ducks]

 

 

Looked awesome with the car too.

[Eff One 2002]

I like any helmet design that is simple and stands out as being synonymous with that driver. I always liked JV's design for that reason. See avatar. Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost's lids were also personal favourites of mine.

[Collombin]

Senna's looked great in a Lotus 97T or 98T (stunning cars too of course), but when the Camel sponsorship deal came along there was just too much yellow everywhere.

[Jackman]

i really love Jolyon Palmer's helmet, just brilliant

 

That is one of the better modern helmets, and you need to see it up close to see how the blue part is actually opalescent, so it changes colour between blue, purple and even red depending on the light. So simple, so cool.

[BillyWhizz]

i always liked alex wurz, very diferent to the others, and i liked more when i found out he himself paint his helmets

 

Wow! He did? That's cool alright.

[Tarvoke]

[ensign14]

Of those in F1 this year, Vettel's is the best, because it's simple and memorable.  Might work even better in silver.

 

But you've all missed the obvious one...

 

 

One other that is fairly obscure is Rupert Keegan's.  Striking design, might have done better with better colours.

 

 

Although to be fair with that sponsor I doubt people were clocking the helmet.  Well, not Keegan's, anyway.

 

One I'd like to get a pic of is David Terrien - his helmet design in F3000 was inspired by Piet Mondrian.

[johnzaxxon]

Senna's looked great in a Lotus 97T or 98T (stunning cars too of course), but when the Camel sponsorship deal came along there was just too much yellow everywhere.

Lots of yellow everywhere isn't necessarily a bad thing

[swintex]

i really love Jolyon Palmer's helmet, just brilliant

Which is really a bit of a riff on his old man's, particularly the earlier ones.

 

I'm not going to post a link to one particular image, you get a better idea looking at several in an image search tool of your choice.

 

EDITED: for spelling

Edited by swintex, 18 March 2015 - 05:57.

[Rasputin]

Sometimes I wonder what brand of smokes Jacky Ickx preferred himself, the basic and simplistic design was pretty cool anyway;?

 

 

 

 

[tifosiMac]

I know it is not F1 and is fairly plain, but I loved Joey's design and it is iconic in the road racing scene. I think a yellow crash helmet is always striking.

 

One of the very bravest, a true TT Legend RIP.

Edited by tifosiMac, 18 March 2015 - 09:56.

[DampMongoose]

[thiscocks]

Those scrape marks could be airbrushed on nowerdays