Driver Helmets 2015

[bdr529]

I'd prefer the drivers keeping with one design over their driving career, maybe changing a colour to suit a new team or sponsor, but still keeping with their original overall design. Freddie Spencer's helmets styles

That's not to say I didn't mind the one off's for a special race, or career milestone, or like Button going pink after his father passed, when the drivers do that, it's out of the norm and the special paint job really stands out.

There are ways around this problem. Colour shifting paint, different colour depending on the angle of veiw.
Glow in the dark paint for pinstriping it would look off white all the time until it got dark out, Night races.
Thermochromic paint it changes colour with the change in temperature the drivers helmet would look one colour out on the track and then another colour when out of the car. there's also
Paramagnetic paint changes colour with the help of an electrical current running though it. I don't know if it would work on a carbon fiber helmet ?
Note: I don't know how real or fake the Youtube video's are, there is a paint that can do this. It's just I'v never seen it on a car before
Anyways there are some ways to get around this crazy rule

[ESPImperium]

The helmet change thing is barbaric, a step in the right direction for easier driver recognition, but id have allowed tow 'promotional' or 'special' livery changes per year for each driver lid. Id also allow each driver to make another 2 changes to the crown area (The area above the halo) each year as well for special/promotional reasons.

Id much rather have had the cars run numbers of a certain size, with the 3 digit driver notification under it. Whilst I'm at it, bring back the bloody Red T cam for the Lead driver and the Yellow for the Alternative driver. Also mandate the front wing struts have their leading edge in red or yellow and rear wing carry the old Ferrari early to mid 90s style boxes in red or yellow as well.

Also, whilst I'm at it, reserve drivers take their number for the season as well, but team is only allowed a maximum of a single reserve per season. Mid season replacements can choose a number as well. Only Test Drivers and Development drivers shall use a number starting with X for test and Development, so Mercedes would have X1 & X21.

Theres plenty of scope for restriction and making driver more recognisable, but there should be lea-way in the system for promotional income streams for drivers and or teams. For one, i think the present 4 race driver per year is too restrictive, id make it 5 per year. But limit the teams to one test driver, one reserve and one development driver per season.

I think its time that the teams got the opportunity to have more drivers and more income, but the teams/drivers took new restrictions better. Id have loved a shark fin back on the cars as i think it made them look racier. The one that Mercedes tested in 2012 was the right size for me, maybe slightly larger.

[AnthonyG]

For god's sake, a driver uses the helmet design he wants, it's plain and simple. Why should anyone ever even have the idea cross their minds to prohibit what someone should be wearing...

[Vettel Maggot]

The funniest part is that they can't accept big numbers on the cars due to 'sponsorship issues and placement' yet most of the cars are blank from a lack of sponsors anyway..

[Morteza]

Hamilton is wearing a Bell helmet today

[gary123]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-XkSNqIUAA6npc.jpg:large

Hamilton is wearing a Bell helmet today

Looks like the 2014 design and not the 15 one with the stars and the Hamilton logo on the top.

[CevertF1]

I'm quite happy about this new rule. Swapping helmets all the time is annoying and imo a driver should stick by their helmet colours.

As far as great looking helmets go, no one can be as cool as Francois Cevert's imo. That helmet was really cool, like the guy himself

[Phil]

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"

Actually, no. Colour is by far the biggest differentiator when distinguishing between two drivers in identical cars. Bear in mind that F1 is most often watched in varying circumstances; Some are live at the track, but by far the biggest majority is watching it through TV broadcasts on varying screensizes and viewing distances in their livingroom. Sometimes, especially when the feed isn't zoomed in, but is rather following a battle between 2 or multiple cars, it can become quite difficult to differentiate two team-mates from each other. I've found in the past that for instance Webber and Vettel were rather difficult to differentiate, because both had a bluish coloured helmet. Differentiating Rosberg and Hamilton was also quite tricky in 2013 when both had a yellow helmet, even though the tone of yellow was quite different - but when viewed through a recorded feed on a television set, depending on the lighting at the track, distinguishing those two tone variations could be rather tricky. It has become a lot easier when Hamilton switched to his new white Helmet and Rosberg dark.

Having said that, I don't really see the helmet ban a necessity - as few drivers actively changed their helmet design multiple times through the season. On the other hand, I don't really mind either. I have no problem with the FIA mandating that drivers choose their given helmet design for the season and having to stick with that. It's not a big deal IMO.

[acosmichippo]

I'll be honest, I did enjoy seeing Vettel's different designs every race. Some of them were dumb, but most were very cool. The problem is it would get ridiculous if more than one driver adopted the practice. That possibility had to be nipped in the bud, in my opinion.

I do also enjoy special edition helmets for races like Monaco, Singapore, or drivers' personal events. Those are cool because they usually look mostly the same as the standard helmet, just jazzed up a bit. It would be nice if the rule would allow for this, but how could it? You can't say, for example, "helmets have to stay within 107% of the original design;" it's impossible to quantify in that way. So I do understand them taking the hard line with the rule and banning design changes altogether.

[erlik]

Maybe FIA can propose rule that each driver may chance helmet once per 50 points (or similar) won ... I am just joking

[SilverArrow10]

I too liked it when they did special edition helmets. Such as in the McLaren days when Hamilton's yellow turned white in Singapore or gold in Abu Dhabi while the whole design of the helmet didn't change, other examples include Alonso's points or win designs or Massa's last Ferrari helmet where they only did slight changes such as the base colour. I didn't like what Vettel did but to be honest you cant be a Red bull driver and have a unique design that will stand out with that massive logo on the side so why not.

[Magoo]

... It would be nice if the rule would allow for this, but how could it? You can't say, for example, "helmets have to stay within 107% of the original design;" it's impossible to quantify in that way..

Two tokens per 50% of the helmet.

[Morteza]

From Romain Grosjean's Instagram:

2015 helmet getting ready for the start of the season... What are your thoughts on it ? Beautiful isn't it...?

[Manoah2u]

Sorry, no, it looks like a bowling ball

[Shrieker]

Banning helmet changes. So, so retarded...