Official drivers helmet design awards

[RJL25]

im putting my nomination in for Jarno Trulli's chrome dome with red splashes which he has used ever since joining toyota. Close runner up is micheal schumacheres final red helmet without the german flag on it. Not because i have anything against the german flag, its just it looked alot cleaner without it

whats everyone elses fravorite helmet design?

[pino]

Nice one, I too vote for Jarno :D

[millencolin]

wheres a place where you can look at all the helmets... i know webber's aint gonna win... ergh!!

[RJL25]

wheres a place where you can look at all the helmets... i know webber's aint gonna win... ergh!!

yeah webbo needs a change up! maybe the fact that redbull likes really big red bull logos on their driver's helmets will force him to make a change!

[ShiftingGears]

Close runner up is micheal schumacheres final red helmet without the german flag on it.


You mean Niki Lauda's helmet :D



I think Kubica and Raikkonen have the best helmets.

[Ranger]

I would have said Raikkonen's if he hadn't changed his 2006 helmet, but now that he has changed it, I'm not so sure I have an award to give.

There are several that "aren't bad" but no one takes the cake for me.

[ioan]

You mean Niki Lauda's helmet :D



Lauda is not german.

[agwiii]

im putting my nomination in for Jarno Trulli's chrome dome with red splashes which he has used ever since joining toyota. Close runner up is micheal schumacheres final red helmet without the german flag on it. Not because i have anything against the german flag, its just it looked alot cleaner without it

whats everyone elses fravorite helmet design?

I like the chrome, too. Reminds me of the old Battlestar Galactica.

[tinchote]

Helmets nowadays have a too complicated paint scheme. Years ago it was reasonably easy to distinguish drivers by their helmets, while these days it's almost impossible, at least for me :mark:

[waitey]

i dont think its hard to destinguish helmets at all. Look at most teams and their helmets.

Ferrari, just look for the yellow on massa's helmet, more red and black on kimi's.
McLaren, just look for lewis yellow and alonso's new black and white and redish helmet.
Renault, just look for heikki's predominantly purple/blue/red/grey colour compared with the yellow and green stripes of fisichella.
Honda, again just look for buttons big JB english style on the side, compared with barrichello's mostly white helmet.
Toyota, easiest on the grid, ralf yellow trulli silver.
the list goes on, bmw heidfeld blue and yellow, kubica the bright red.
Red Bull just look for the green on webber and the scottish flag on coulthard.

I dont honestly think it is that hard. And this is whilst being at melbourne with cars passing at 300km/h. I find it rather easy.

[RJL25]

cant say i've ever had a problem spotting different drivers using their helmets either. I find it rather easy, if your a regular viewer you get to know them pretty quickly

[Mifune]

i really like buttons interim helmet right now, and i quite liked his world cup special one, both were better than his regular helmet

[RJL25]

what interim helmet? at the last test i thought he had his normal helmet design on... any pics of the helmet your referring to?

[ShiftingGears]

Lauda is not german.

I know that. But Schumachers helmet colour, along with the presense of Marlboro logos, made it practically identical to Laudas helmet.

[Mifune]

what interim helmet? at the last test i thought he had his normal helmet design on... any pics of the helmet your referring to?

Its the ITV F1 page, they use photos licensed from Sutton, its the same outline as his regular helmet but its set in black and white with a kind of subtle carbon fiber effect (possibly not an effect? i dont know how these helmets are constructed), to match the Hondas test colours, combined with the car livery its a very pleasing design.
I don’t know about the process or etiquette for posting pictures or links here, so google ITV-F1 if you don’t use that site already

[wmcot]

im putting my nomination in for Jarno Trulli's chrome dome with red splashes which he has used ever since joining toyota.

Wow, could you imagine Jarno's helmet in a McLaren???

[LeonBrooke]

Wow, could you imagine Jarno's helmet in a McLaren???

Blinding :D

[RJL25]

webber is now running around in an all white helmet, which hopefully means he is working on an updated design to replace his boring old blue, red and yellow helmet!

[Ranger]

webber is now running around in an all white helmet, which hopefully means he is working on an updated design to replace his boring old blue, red and yellow helmet!


Heh... I think it would be on a way to incorporate the Red Bull logo, sadly. :p :

[Erki]

I'd like to see a plain white helmet around. Or just with very little stuff on it. It would be kinda cool, minimalistic.

[Simmi]

Anyone know of a site that has drivers new helmets against white backgrounds? Or just some decent pictures of the new ones including 3rd drivers. The ITV one was the only decent site I could find but it isnt quite updated enough.

[Norwegian Blue]

sutton images is your best bet.

[Simmi]

sutton images is your best bet.

Much appreciated just what I wanted thank you!

[Georgeboi999]

Montoya one in 2003

[Schnell]

When AD wasn't driving on test days he timed the other cars for the team on the pit wall, because others in the team couldn't recognise the helmets either, especially when new test drivers were circulating.

As an ex designer myself who did helmets for a while, I think the current air-brush painters have gone to far, they've let technique overtake simple graphic design, defeating the object of the excercise. The purpose of which is instant recognition. eg. in the 60's & 70's & 80's helmet designs were basic and really easy to spot whom was who. The Hills Rowing Oars, Innnes Ireland chequer band, Surtees white with blue stripes, Regga's Swiss flag, Sennas Brazil stripes, Cheevers Arizona Flag, Hunt's surname bold, JODY's etc. Button's 'JB' works, but most are an entangled self endulgent air-brush artists Jackson Pollack abstract mess, that only work close up on the work-bench, not speeding past the grandstand at 180mph! And don't get me started on the demise of F1 race car numbers!

[RJL25]

When AD wasn't driving on test days he timed the other cars for the team on the pit wall, because others in the team couldn't recognise the helmets either, especially when new test drivers were circulating.

As an ex designer myself who did helmets for a while, I think the current air-brush painters have gone to far, they've let technique overtake simple graphic design, defeating the object of the excercise. The purpose of which is instant recognition. eg. in the 60's & 70's & 80's helmet designs were basic and really easy to spot whom was who. The Hills Rowing Oars, Innnes Ireland chequer band, Surtees white with blue stripes, Regga's Swiss flag, Sennas Brazil stripes, Cheevers Arizona Flag, Hunt's surname bold, JODY's etc. Button's 'JB' works, but most are an entangled self endulgent air-brush artists Jackson Pollack abstract mess, that only work close up on the work-bench, not speeding past the grandstand at 180mph! And don't get me started on the demise of F1 race car numbers!


although i agree about the demise of car numbers, i dont agree with helmets. You get the general idea of who is who reasonably easily by the colours on their helmets, after watching for a while it isn't too hard to work out. And i like the sometimes complex designs, its artistry and self expression and as any good artist will tell you how can you say that something isn't right when its an expression of ones self?

[Bagwan]

There are times to be practical in design , and others when one can afford total expression .
I am a designer of things as diverse as jewellery and furniture . Jewellery must be wearable first , and a chair must be sit-able . Both are essentially pointless if they are impractical .

Certainly , a helmet must protect the head first , and are regulated to do so , but identification is also an important element in the design .
Those distinctive designs of which our man Schnell mentioned , gave the driver more connection to the race fan .
Mind you , you could see more of that helmet in the good ol' days .
Today , the part most important for recognition is the very top , which needs only to be different from team-mates in the same car .

There is room for an abstract Jackson Pollack mess on the grid , but only one , as it would need to be distinctly different to all the others .

[DazzlaF1]

I've always loved Nigel Mansell's design, a true classic

But on todays grid, i'd go for Button's