Driver Helmets 2015

[Aesto]

The helmet change ban would make sense if FOM had a consistent marketing strategy for turning each F1 driver into their own 'brand' which is closely associated with the helmet they are wearing, but since they really don't, this does seem kind of pointless. I'm guessing that someone somewhere hired a marketing expert to come up with some ideas to promote F1 more effectively among casual viewers; 'greater ''recognizability'' of drivers' made the list, and they decided to tick it off quickly with this rule change.

[Thunder]

Well i guess they had to come up with some decision from their Meeting yesterday in Geneva. And since every single important decision was delayed or canceled this is the big Story that came out of it..... sad but true.

[Jonnycraig]

"That Vettel guy...keeps changing his damn helmet so much i had to stop watching F1"

Said no one ever.

Ironically he'd already said he was sticking with the White Germany flag helmet permanently.

[Writinglife]

Ridiculous idea.. Apparently "The move is designed to ensure fans, both in the grandstands at the circuits and watching at home on television, can clearly identify who is driving which car." according to the BBC Site.

Why not actually make the teams display the numbers so that they can be read from a distance? It's easier to say "Oh that's 44, it's Lewis" rather than "Has he got a yellow helmet or a black one"

Crazy idea. As much as Vettel took it to extremes, it's his money to do with what he likes. If he wants a different helmet each race, that's fine. Or why not have the FIA etc be more flexible with liveries. Allow them to place the number writ large upon the sidepods for example.

[Sevach]

Shame, i appreciated the one offs.

Yes Vettel exaggerates (it does produce some cool stuff from time to time), that doesn't mean you have to screw it for everybody...

Seriously F1 is like a 80's action star wondering why he doesn't draw crowds anymore...

The only positive, this joke:
"perhaps the drivers could be given a set number of tokens for in-season helmet development."

[hpras]

Everyone should show up in Australia looking like The Stig.

[scuderiafan]

So when's the cutoff date? Is it after the race in Australia? Is it after the test in Jerez?

[SectorOne]

So when's the cutoff date? Is it after the race in Australia? Is it after the test in Jerez?

It´s a homologation.

Verstappen and Sainz will get 8 tokens each to use during the season while the rest of the drivers found a loophole where they could introduce their updated livery whenever they feel it´s ready.
Alonso and Ricciardo is complaining about their helmets missing about 50 stickers but is hopeful he will catch up to Rosberg and Hamilton who are assumed to have the best and most stickers of all.

[bhall II]

With its latest abdication of common sense in the form of this new "helmet livery homologation," I think it's now safe to make the blanket assumption that F1 doesn't have the foggiest clue about how to run the sport effectively.

Helmet changes should not only be allowed but encouraged. Why? Because every time a driver dons a new helmet, various media outlets around the world invariably publish dozens of photos of it, and the sponsors represented in the design get that much more (free) exposure, which both increases the value of the sponsorship and encourages new sponsors to join.

That fans (read: potential customers) tend to pay close attention to the drivers' helmets is the reason why teams put logos on them in the first place. This is not rocket surgery.

And don't forget: the chief reason why teams are required to run two different tire compounds during a race is to highlight the brand of the tires in the absence of a tire war. Such is the marketing power of heightened awareness, and these people should know better.

For a sport whose participants constantly bitch about costs, it's absolute lunacy to restrict the ways in which teams can potentially bring in more money.







/rant

[WaikeCU]

What if for example a Red Bull academy driver has already planned to use different helmet liveries throughout the season? What if the designers are all working on them? Do they have to throw it all in the bin? Reducing costs my *ss. Drivers have already paid those designers to work on the helmets and now it's cancelled.

[SunsAnvil]

Valentino Rossi will be very happy that he never switched to F1. What a stupid ruling!

[ScottB]

I kind of get wanting them to stick to a base design, but it's a shame to not allow them the one off charity or commemoration efforts; for example the Germans celebrating their World Cup win, or Jenson honouring his Dad.

It's further reducing the chances of the drivers getting to express a bit of who they are, at a time when we need more of that, not less. It also shows how powerless the FIA have become if this the only rule they can pass at a time when the sport is in need of strong leadership.

[Tim.Wright]

If ever there was a case study of an organisation with its priorities all mixed up...

[Just_a_fan]

If they want the drivers to be recognisable in their cars then put their numbers where they can be seen. Side pod or rear wing endplates. Easy.

[void]

But fixed number aren't for easy identify drivers? Helmets liveries was a show apart, the teams are getting a too "old" values. This way they will kill F-1 soon we can imagine.

How about to bring drivers close to public, to say some truths about the car, the tires, not being that political correct robots. Bring more exciting tracks, not that boring ones. Allow new ideas, freedom of development, LM is looking awesome because we have a championship with different aproaches. How about to give an amount of fuel and powertrain manufactures brings his best? If this don't change F-1 soon will be history.