New helmet colours

[fjackdaw]

I don't normally like it when drivers change their helmet colours, but I've always found Robert and Heikki's designs rather bland. I think their new lids are pretty spectacular:

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13245749

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13245716

Anyone else got a drastically new design this year?

[SDHammer]

I'm not a fan of drivers changing their helmet designs every year.

If you see the side on view of Legoheads helmet from his twitter post you'll notice the guy who painted his helmet has spelt his name wrong. Doh.

Vettel's helmet now looks like a can of Red Bull with a ring pull on the top and the Nutritional info table on the side. I think Red Bull's PR department were trying to be original unfortunatley Max Papis beat them to it years ago when he drove a Miller sponsored Champ Car.

A few fans (especially some on Planet F1's forum) are complaining that Schumi hasn't changed his colours. As far as I'm concerned I'm glad he's kept the red (so far) it makes him really easy to distinguish from Mini-Keke.

[coops]

Anythings got to be better than that goddawful puddycat Eddie Irvine stuck on his lid when he joined Jaguar. Miaow!

[Phoenix]

Probably Kubica's new helmet is the only positive thing about his move to Renault, undoubtedly. His helmet always remembered me Van de Poele's helmet, by the way, which was also pretty nice.
Kovalainen helmet's, though, looks even worse with that green add-on. It just doesn't fit with a black and white design, it's too garish.

[DonTirri]

I also find the fact that drivers shuffle around their helmet designs from year to year extremely annoying. I loved how back in the day you could instantly recognize a driver from a design that he had carried for years (Senna, Prost, Piquet come to mind)

If I am not totally mistaken, the last driver to have gone through his entire F1 career without changing his helmet (outside the sponsor decals) design was Mika Häkkinen, seeing as even Couldhardt fell victim to the Red Bull franchising.

On top of making the guys look like corporate who*es, the helmet changes can create some godwaful looking helmets. (I'm looking at you Jenson with that HORRIBLE neon yellow helmet)

[Myrvold]

Pictures of Vettel's helmet



I think it's cool

[DemocalypseNow]

Too slow man. He's replaced it already.

[Myrvold]

Jeez, that one was worse!

[Phoenix]

I also find the fact that drivers shuffle around their helmet designs from year to year extremely annoying. I loved how back in the day you could instantly recognize a driver from a design that he had carried for years (Senna, Prost, Piquet come to mind)

If I am not totally mistaken, the last driver to have gone through his entire F1 career without changing his helmet (outside the sponsor decals) design was Mika Häkkinen, seeing as even Couldhardt fell victim to the Red Bull franchising.

On top of making the guys look like corporate who*es, the helmet changes can create some godwaful looking helmets. (I'm looking at you Jenson with that HORRIBLE neon yellow helmet)

Yeah. His original helmet design was jingoist, but very beatiful nonetheless. Not as bad as the Push the Button helmet, the yellow one, though.

Too slow man. He's replaced it already.

That looks much better. The first one was a corporate exaggeration, and not very beautiful.

[Frentzen127]

That looks much better. The first one was a corporate exaggeration, and not very beautiful.

This one is neither.

[WeirdKerr]

I hope Michael Schumacher changes his red helmet for his old 1990s design....

[fjackdaw]

Who was the first major driver to completely change their entire colour scheme? I'm thinking Eddie Irvine, swapping from his trademark orange/red and green to that horrible black leopard one. A few people tinkered with their basic design, but he's the first I can think of who completely ditched the colours for something new.

Also, I didn't like it when the Red Bull drivers started coming in with the same purple and silver Red Bull helmet. Christian Klein I think was the first.

[ADx_Wales]

Gerhard Berger 1986, from the black with the Austrian Flag, to the complete UCB livery, Blue, with Red, Green and Yellow


1985, 1987-97


1986 at Detroit.


Also, as a one-off in 1995, This "No More War" charity design.

[baddriving50]

I always wondered where Bridgestone got the idea to color the sidewalls of the tires from. Looks like this was it.

[Captain Hammer]

Anyone else got a drastically new design this year?

Timo Glock has one that's white, gold, red and black. It looks great.

[IdeFan]

I hope Vettel races the Red Bull can helmet, I think its genius!

As far as "first major driver" goes, Schumie changed from white to red for the 2000 season, which would be the same time as Eddie, but the driver is a little more major!

[thehemogoblin]

Anyone else got a drastically new design this year?

Timo Glock has one that's white, gold, red and black. It looks great.

Speaking of helmet designs, it looks like you're in for a change...

[Cynon]

I have an idea. Ban sponsors from appearing on the rear wing endplates and mandate that the only thing present on the rear wings is the number of the car, IRL style. Then on the graphics, put a note for what number the car is. Problem solved.

Also, I loved the neon yellow and black helmet for Button. I reckon he ought to keep it.

[TeamTipper]

Kubica new helmet is awesome. I wish Button kept his glow in the dark helmet his old one is dull and boring. Schumachers red helmet has to go. Its just so odd being red and the car being the Silver Arrows.

[LionZoo]

If I am not totally mistaken, the last driver to have gone through his entire F1 career without changing his helmet (outside the sponsor decals) design was Mika Häkkinen, seeing as even Couldhardt fell victim to the Red Bull franchising.

Takuma Sato kept the same helmet design for his entire career. Though it was shorter than Hakkinen's, he definitely had enough time in F1 to change his helmet design. It looks like he's keeping the same one in Indycar too.

Actually I know he won't change it. On the Sato board someone asked if he could borrow Sato's design for his own helmet and the reply was that the design was personal to Taku and so the person in question was better off trying to find his own design.

[TeamTipper]

Taku wont change it. As Indycars are all Honda powered and Sato being a Hondas main driver he will keep the write red helmet as thats Hondas Colours

[LionZoo]

Sato's helmet isn't write red... (write red?)

[Phoenix]

I always wondered where Bridgestone got the idea to color the sidewalls of the tires from. Looks like this was it.

Benneton used Pirellis in 1986. Pretty hideous those colored tyres, by the way.

[ADx_Wales]

Actually, forget Berger's change, theres an earlier instigator...


Niki Lauda, after his switch from Ferrari, the white double-L logo on either side


On his return to F1, now RED double-Ls on a white helmet.

[WeirdKerr]

Gerhard Berger 1986, from the black with the Austrian Flag, to the complete UCB livery, Blue, with Red, Green and Yellow


1985, 1987-97


1986 at Detroit.


Also, as a one-off in 1995, This "No More War" charity design.

and in 96-97 he changed the flag a bit

[watka]

I have an idea. Ban sponsors from appearing on the rear wing endplates and mandate that the only thing present on the rear wings is the number of the car, IRL style. Then on the graphics, put a note for what number the car is. Problem solved.

Also, I loved the neon yellow and black helmet for Button. I reckon he ought to keep it.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one annoyed by the lack of numbers of the rear wing end plates, they were commonplace in the 90s and the best way to tell which driver you were looking at.

I don't mind drivers changing their helmets; Kubica's new one looks good. However, the amount that colours get changed these days just goes to show how indistinct the designs are. Off the top of my head, the only helmet designs that I can remember in full for the current grid are Schumacher, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Liuzzi, and Senna.

[fjackdaw]

I have an idea. Ban sponsors from appearing on the rear wing endplates and mandate that the only thing present on the rear wings is the number of the car, IRL style. Then on the graphics, put a note for what number the car is. Problem solved.

Also, I loved the neon yellow and black helmet for Button. I reckon he ought to keep it.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one annoyed by the lack of numbers of the rear wing end plates, they were commonplace in the 90s and the best way to tell which driver you were looking at.

I don't mind drivers changing their helmets; Kubica's new one looks good. However, the amount that colours get changed these days just goes to show how indistinct the designs are. Off the top of my head, the only helmet designs that I can remember in full for the current grid are Schumacher, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Liuzzi, and Senna.

Yes, a lot of them seem to be getting more and more indistinct and busy, more and more like motorbike helmets. There are a lot of drivers out there now (and recent ones) with any kind of bold motif - in particular Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Glock, Heidfeld, Kubica and McLaren-era Alonso have been a very vague collection of colours and lines.

My favourite new one of recent years was Anthony Davidson's design. A good, stout, interesting and distinctive one.

[Jordan]

I'm totally nuts or right in saying Jacques Villeneuve (to continue my streak of JV related posts today) never changed his helmet design, despite it being ass ugly, his entire career...in any form of racing, no?

[WeirdKerr]

I'm totally nuts or right in saying Jacques Villeneuve (to continue my streak of JV related posts today) never changed his helmet design, despite it being ass ugly, his entire career...in any form of racing, no?

i think the shades of the pink changed at one point and green bit has changed shape but im not sure

[Collieafc]

I have an idea. Ban sponsors from appearing on the rear wing endplates and mandate that the only thing present on the rear wings is the number of the car, IRL style. Then on the graphics, put a note for what number the car is. Problem solved.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one annoyed by the lack of numbers of the rear wing end plates, they were commonplace in the 90s and the best way to tell which driver you were looking at.

Same. Now, its just a case of cramming as many sponsor liveries on the car as you can.

[Phoenix]

I'm totally nuts or right in saying Jacques Villeneuve (to continue my streak of JV related posts today) never changed his helmet design, despite it being ass ugly, his entire career...in any form of racing, no?

i think the shades of the pink changed at one point and green bit has changed shape but im not sure

I think it never changed substantially.

[SDHammer]

Olivier Panis is another driver guilty of numerous design changes.

[fjackdaw]

He is, although he always kept the basic French colours and a similar layout.

[karljoesen]

I like the new. I think sometimes he should refresh himself

[SDHammer]

Is Alguesari sporting a new design this year?

[Waris]

Is Alguesari sporting a new design this year?

Yes. Last year it seemed to be mostly silver, now it's yellow and red.
Though I don't know if it's actually a new design or something he used in junior formulae, might be the latter.

[SDHammer]

As the below picture shows it looks like a new design

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13246011

[tc3j3r]

I hope Vettel races the Red Bull can helmet, I think its genius!

As far as "first major driver" goes, Schumie changed from white to red for the 2000 season, which would be the same time as Eddie, but the driver is a little more major!

Actually, Schumacher started the 2000 season with his old white design, it wasn't untill the Monaco GP (the 7th race of the season) that he introduced the red design, once it had become clear that his old design was too similar to Barrichello's now that they were team mates. So Irvine would be the first major driver, not Schumacher.

Edit: To prove I'm right, here is a photo from the 2000 European GP (round 6):

and here is a photo from the 2000 Monaco GP (round 7):