Facts Only wrote:I don't see why everyone is raging against the new rule, I think its a good step. Its not going to turn F1 around but its good simple move that will make the drivers more identifiable and more relatable, especially to young (child) fans and that's where you need to get the new fans.
These days the only part of the driver you can see when driving is there helmet (not like that!) so if you cant differentiate their helmet it might as well be anyone in there.
"When I were a wee lad" me and my friends knew how to draw all the drivers helmets and used to spend boring school days drawing what our racing drivers helmet was going to be like. It was something we could identify with and emulate, we used to crudely try to paint our bicycle and motorbike helmets with out designs or with our favourite drivers design (mine was a terrible wonky version of Martin Brundles). I've just ordered a new race helmet and I did my best to match the helmet I bought to what I imagined as a kid that I'd be racing with when I was older.
The only driver helmet I can even picture in my head now is Jensons bright pink tribute to his dad, that's particularly great as its something personal that I think most young racing fans can identify with (looking up to their dads). Before that the only other helmet in recent times I can remember is Michael Schumachers "Red Baron" get up, striking and good humoured.
A good helmet design combined with a retained career number will help kids identify the drivers and give them something to draw/copy. All we need now are some big bold colour schemes for the cars that stick in people minds.
Of course, under the new rules that never would have happened, as it changed mid season, which is what's pretty stupid about this rule.
Fair enough, stop the random change every race Vettel did, but a driver wanting to pay tribute to someone should be allowed. Hell even the country variation some of them did, like Hamilton and Ricciardo in the US, helps reach out to local fan bases etc which can only be good for the sport.