Helmets used in Formula 1

[Crowthorne]

I have checked the search facility, but could not find a similar thread. So, here we go.

I am curious to know how many different helmet manufacturers' products have been used in Formula 1 since 1970. My list shows some of the different products used during this period with the names of one or two drivers which used the respective makes, but surely, there must be many more.

AGV - Andrea de Cesaris, Niki Lauda,
Arai - Alain Prost, Olivier Grouillard,
Bell - Patrick Tambay,
GPA - Patrick Depailler, Gilles Villeneuve,
Jeb's - Clay Regazzoni, Michele Alboreto,
Schubert - Michael Schumacher,
Simpson - Elio de Angelis,
Kiwi - Jody Scheckter, Stefan Bellof,
Bieffe - Gerhard Berger, Jean Alesi,
Nava - Eddie Cheever, Mario Andretti,
Shoei - Bertrand Gachot, Stefan Johansson,
Rheos - Ayrton Senna,
Nolan - Corrado Fabi, Ivan Capelli.

Two more questions :
1. During the late seventies and early eighties most French Grand Prix drivers used the GPA helmets. However, I have never seen a photo of Patrick Tambay with such a helmet. Could it have been due to contractual commitments or was there another reason?
2. What make(s) of helmet did Ronnie Peterson use during his Formula 1 career?

[Damon]

This isn't a quiz question is it?! If it's not you have way to much interest in helmets my friend!

[Jordi]

Schuberth is used by Michael, Ralf and Nick Heidfeld.
Bell helmets are used by Jacques Villeneuve and Jarno Trulli, while drivers like Alonso, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Frentzen, Montoya, Fisichella... etc use Arai. Damon Hill also used Arai.
Fisico, Trulli, Alesi and Alonso all used Bieffe

Senna used Rheos and Shoei. Schumacher used Bell until 2001. Hakkinen was an Arai user until 2001, when he switched to Bell.

And of course Dan Gurney pioneered the full-face Bell Star helmet!

[Crowthorne]

Damon

No, it is certainly not a quiz question. I am just curious.

Jordi

Thank you for your detailed information - especially with regard to the current drivers.

[Damon]

Fair enough .

Why the curiosity then? As curious about your curiousity now!

[ASCII Man]

Thierry Boutsen used Arai helmets too IIRC.

[Super Tourer]

GPA's were also worn by Derek Warwick in his early F1 days, and Rene Arnoux. Alain Prost also wore a GPA in the early 80's IIRC. The GPA was characterised by the visor slides that locked the visor by withdrawing the slides into the side of the helmet.

Elio wore the famous Simpson 'Bandit' helmet - I have some pics I can post!

From the era of the early 80's Alan Jones wore a Bell helmet, as did Nigel Mansell.

The most unusual helmet was the 'google visored' helmet worn by Jacky Ikxx (IIRC), which had an aperture shaped like a pair of goggles, with a joining piece in the middle - I have no idea of the make though.

[Bleu]

In 2002 drivers used this helmets:

Schuberth: M Schumacher, R Schumacher, Heidfeld
Arai: Barrichello, Coulthard, Räikkönen, Montoya, Sato, de la Rosa, Frentzen, Yoong, Webber, McNish
Bieffe: Massa, Fisichella, Irvine
Bell: Villeneuve, Panis, Trulli, Button, Bernoldi, Salo

[Kicking-back]

David Coulthard is switching to Schuberth this season.

[ATF]

Originally posted by Damon
This isn't a quiz question is it?! If it's not you have way to much interest in helmets my friend!

Maybe we should find out who is the "helmet champion" of F1, i.e. which helmet company has won the most world championships!!

[AussieGuns]

I believe Webber has also switched to Schuberth.

Rubens has been wearing Schuberth from the start of last year I think...

[Armco Bender]

The most unusual helmet was the 'google visored' helmet worn by Jacky Ikxx (IIRC), which had an aperture shaped like a pair of goggles, with a joining piece in the middle - I have no idea of the make though.

Bell,Twin Windows or something it was called.

Griffin helmets were worn by a few in the early '70s(Larry Perkins was one),one of the first to have the air hose attached.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Super Tourer
The most unusual helmet was the 'google visored' helmet worn by Jacky Ikxx (IIRC), which had an aperture shaped like a pair of goggles, with a joining piece in the middle - I have no idea of the make though.

John Watson also had one.

[Super Tourer]

I have a pic of the Bell twin opening helmet!

[Mattracer]

Senna used Bell, Rheos, Shoei but never Arai AFAIK.

It'd be tough to say which helmet has been used to win the most WDCs but you'd have to say Bell would be right up there.

[Kicking-back]

In 1993 at McLaren Senna used Shoei - and Mika used them for a few years after that.

They had a distinctive shape to the lower sides towards the front.

[Rennen]

Originally posted by Jordi


And of course Dan Gurney pioneered the full-face Bell Star helmet!

He also pioneered the open face Bell with the snap on peak, which was quickly adopted by nearly all the 60/70s GP drivers after Jimmy Clark came back from Indy having been made to change up to one on safety grounds.

[josvandeperre]

Quite a few people used the Griffin in the seventies until there was an incident with one flying off due to 'frangible bolts' which as I recall they claimed was a design feature....

I reckon Ronnie used a Bell Star

[Redblurr]

lost source but you know me

"GERMAN race ace Michael Schumacher is to have the safest head in Formula One - thanks to a new Panzer helmet.

The six-times world champion will start the new season with the strongest helmet in the world - a super tough Schuberth RF 1.5 - which is even tank proof.

But safety doesn't come cheap and the beefy bash hat has a Grand Price costing around the same as most people's cars.

The F1 king's new multi-layered, carbon fibre and zylon crowns cost up to £10,000 each and Schuey will need at least half a dozen for the coming season and could even use up to 10.

But German crash helmet specialists Schuberth say this model is the strongest and safest in history and twice as strong as standard F1 helmets in use at the moment.

Confidently they proved their point by rolling a tank over one.

And last week it passed the new FIA safety regulations after extensive crash tests at the TRL in England.

Ferrari star Schumacher said: "It has overtaken all other helmets in terms of safety."It is 100 per cent better in shock absorption and strength. But the weight still bothers me and we need to work on that."

For the super strong Panzer helmet weighs 1,450 grams - around 220 grams heavier than his current helmet.

The Schuberth helmet was developed in close collaboration with the Italian Ferrari team and underwent nearly 300 hours of aerodynamic tests in wind tunnels."

[darcym]

no one uses bieffe now as they have stopped distributing - not Massa/Fisco/Marques/Massa/Trulli have switched to rivals.

Not sure whats going on with Bieffe at the moment

[Redblurr]

300 hrs of wind tests for Schumi's helmet - that must more than some teams cars

[hamsmith]

I thought i was becoming an f1 anorak but now i feel my interest is now relatively normal. i'm with damon on this one. Why do you know so much? and why want to?

[Crowthorne]

Damon, Hamsmith

I guess it is sometimes difficult to quantify the reason why something specific, as in this case, drivers' headgear, could be of interest to someone. Maybe it has something to do with the poster I got as a youngster from a French magazine way back in 1980 showing the helmets of all the different Formula 1 drivers at the time. The poster remained on my wall for quite a long time and ever since the different helmets from different manufacturers have always interested me.

Going back to my original post, I forgot to add that Michele Alboreto used a Boeri helmet in the early eighties.

On the subject of Jim Clark may I just add that he later changed from a Bell helmet to a Buco - a helmet also used by Jack Brabham.

[Redblurr]

Originally posted by hamsmith
I thought i was becoming an f1 anorak but now i feel my interest is now relatively normal. i'm with damon on this one. Why do you know so much? and why want to?

It is off-season

[tangoed sparky]

Originally posted by Redblurr
lost source but you know me


Confidently they proved their point by rolling a tank over one.

I also saw the photo of the helmet and the tank but I was surprised to see that Mr Shumacher was not wearing the helmet at the time of the test. Now that would show a bit more confidence in the product. :P I have also read that it has a heating element in the visor to stop it steaming up when it rains. But for £10000 I would want it to do the driving as well.