44 comments on “In pictures: All 21 F1 drivers’ helmets for the 2017 season”

Kalun
6th April 2017, 8:35

It’s shocking that both the mclaren drivers has the least amount of sponsors stickers on their helmet as compare to everyone on the grid.
1. The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
  6th April 2017, 14:53
  
  Hulkenberg has the least with only Renault on visor and Schuberth helmet manufacturer on the back. McLaren drivers have Johnny Walker on visor and side positions, Honda on top and helmet manufacturer Bell on the back.
He Man
6th April 2017, 8:47

I’m glad Seb reverted to more bold colours rather than the tatty chrome on his helmet last year. If he keeps his helmet as simple as possible, it will grow to be more iconic in time. I’m also digging Alonso’s (which is pretty iconic by now), Giovinazzi’s and Werhein’s.
Sven (@svennheiser)
6th April 2017, 8:49

I think Sainz and Riccardo have great helmets, but I have to admit…I really like the helmet of Perez to be honest.. #nohomo
Todd (@braketurnaccelerate)
6th April 2017, 8:51

Honestly? None of them really jump out and scream “classic design” to me. I think Kimi and Seb’s are about the best, but the excessive sponsor logos hurt the designs. Lewis and Romain also have decent designs, but are both slightly more busy then the Ferrari driver’s.
1. Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
  6th April 2017, 16:44
  
  @braketurnaccelerate They’re all dreadful apart from a couple that are just poor.
  Some sponsors ruin the designs and some designers don’t understand that a helmet needs to look great from close and afar.
2. Whoami
  8th April 2017, 21:54
  
  That bloody kaspersky white band,ruined kimi signature
Kie
6th April 2017, 8:57

Really a personal preference thing isn’t it.
Both Renault drivers for me.
Bottas’s looks off the shelf + stickers
John H (@john-h)
6th April 2017, 9:03

Nice to see them all together like this. Bottas, Vettel or Hulk are my favourites. Most of the others look like a dogs dinner to be honest, far too much going on.
1. Whoami
  8th April 2017, 21:56
  
  Agree on bottas i think look best all around
Friederike (@rike)
6th April 2017, 9:06

I like vettels best, Lewis too, and ocons helmet shows what they should have done with the car
JC
6th April 2017, 9:36

Hulk’s is the most unique and original. Stands out from the pack. I’ve always liked Massa’s too.
1. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
  6th April 2017, 13:47
  
  +1 on Hulk
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
6th April 2017, 10:23

I really don’t like the new Arai design. The chin-guard is so massive it looks like it was designed for David Coulthard. It’s a shame because it is especially ruining Vandoorne’s otherwise pleasing and unique design.

Clearly the Red Bull and Toro Rosso drivers are in agreement – they still all have old Arais…
1. LosCules24
  6th April 2017, 12:11
  
  What Vandoorne uses is Bell not Arai
2. ForzaRogo (@forzarogo)
  6th April 2017, 22:14
  
  it looks like it was designed for David Coulthard
  
  PAHAHAHAHA
  1. Whoami
    8th April 2017, 21:59
    
    Some say he has a massive chin and it does..
GeeMac (@geemac)
6th April 2017, 11:54

There are a few stand out designs there, notably Bottas, Vettel, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Magnussen and Ericsson. All really clean and (relatively) uncluttered designs. Giovinazzi’s helmet is an absolute gem, clean and clear.

That said there are also a lot of designs that are just too busy, including Hamilton, Vandoorne and Grosjean. The four Red Bull helmets stand out for not giving their drivers any room to make their mark, this year’s group are particularly brutal even by Red Bull’s overly prescriptive standards. Sainz’s lid is probably the best executed of the four.
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
6th April 2017, 12:53

Hamilton, Perez and Grosjean’s designs are AWFUL. Hulkenberg’s helmet would have been better if it was green. The rest are boring. The only ones I like are Giovinazzi’s, Stroll’s and Magnussen’s.
DaiMOn
6th April 2017, 13:21

Arai GP6: RIC, VER, VET, STR, SAI, KVY | Total: 6
BELL HP7: HAM, RAI, OCO, ALO, VAN, MAG, GRO, GIO, ERI | Total: 9
Schuberth SF1: PER, MAS, HUL, WER | Total: 4
Stilo ST5: BOT, PAL | Total: 2

I think this is the first year in a while when the majority of the drivers use Bell helmet and not Arai.
1. faulty (@faulty)
  8th April 2017, 3:09
  
  What’s that “lip” below Ricciardo’s visor?
Shimks (@shimks)
6th April 2017, 13:41

Wow, Stoffel has a tiny head!

I think Hulkenberg’s is the best design.
sigit
6th April 2017, 13:57

Iconic helmet:
#1 Vettel
#2 Giovinazzi

All helmet of red bull/STR driver too similar.
1. George (@george)
  6th April 2017, 17:43
  
  Pretty much my thoughts, although Gio’s is a bit generic for me. Hulk’s is nice but I wish he’d stick to a design.
  
  Ignoring the colours, Vettel and KMag are probably the only ones I could pick out by design.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
6th April 2017, 14:08

im totaly un impressed with Hamiltons attitude towards this helmit design. i thing he made a sensable choice in the fan design he chose – it had a bit that everyone wanted and that had all the features that he wanted – and now – he blatently goes against all that and steps back to last years design apart from the large candy apple red section on the front.

other than that not many huge changes – but loving perezes new design – having to incorperate pink makes it look cool.
like max’s new take – although it fits with the car instead of doing stand out

also is it just me that would live to see some of the best drivers stick too one helmet design (im thinking Senna and Mansel style where you can look back now and recognise it instantly). is that just me – im not saying dont tweek just stick with basic design??
1. petebaldwin (@)
  6th April 2017, 16:36
  
  Yeah I agree with the last paragraph. Massa’s and Alonso’s are the only 2 for me that are approaching iconic. Vettel’s could be eventually if he sticks with that design for a little longer as could Giovinazzi’s. Hamilton’s first helmet was iconic but since he started messing around with it, it’s lost what made it unique.
  
  If you covered the logos and names and asked me in 10 years time which helmet belonged to which driver, I think I’d struggle to get more than a couple right. If you did the same test but for drivers from the 90s, I doubt I’d get any wrong!
iFuel
6th April 2017, 15:02

I call for a ban on “speedmarks” on helmets
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
6th April 2017, 15:11

Haha I like the smiley face sun peeking out from behind a cloud drawn on the rip off on Raikkonen’s visor.
Electrolite
6th April 2017, 15:15

That’s a lot of atrociously over-detailed helmet designs! im pleased Bottas has retained the same recognisable, simple design despite switching teams. Merc could have quite easily made him wear something silver and turquoise.
HUHHII (@huhhii)
6th April 2017, 15:41

Really disliking those beige parts in Kimi’s helmet. Kimi’s helmets have been great, but this is maybe my least favorite from him.

I would’ve liked Perez and Ocon to retain the old color schemes. Difficult to identify those two.

Don’t have a clear favorite, but if I had to name someone then I’d say Vandoorne has the best looking helmet.
Mahesh (@m47e57)
6th April 2017, 17:53

well.. the toro rosso helmets look by far the best..
Matthijs (@matthijs)
6th April 2017, 18:20

Call me an old fart but most helmets look horrible to me. Loud, noisy, busy and a blur of colours. I love the philosophy behind the helmets of Coulthard, Hill, Hakkinen etc. Clear, simple and very recognizable.
1. Matthijs (@matthijs)
  6th April 2017, 18:24
  
  I have to correct myself, some are quite good after a second glance.
  1. George (@george)
    6th April 2017, 19:53
    
    @matthijs
    Having also given them a second look, I would really like Stroll’s if it weren’t for that weird squiggle on the side. I like how it has his name on it, good positioning.
    1. The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
      6th April 2017, 21:04
      
      @george Squiggle? You mean his Initials LS.
      1. George (@george)
        6th April 2017, 23:26
        
        @the-last-pope
        I see it now, it’s more obvious in the picture of the other side of the helmet. Still not a fan of that part, it looks odd and distorted.
Louis
6th April 2017, 18:28

It seems all these helmets liveries were designed by one single person :(
1. AndrewT (@andrewt)
  6th April 2017, 22:45
  
  Well, at least most of them, I experienced this last year, when I tried to recreate the 2016 helmets onto a unified template. Those annyoing round rhomboid shapes entwined into each other drove me crazy compared to the clean and elegant designs of the 90s for example…
AndrewT (@andrewt)
6th April 2017, 22:41

@keithcollantine the helmet site of the Toro Rosso drivers don’t seem to be containing the photos of their 2017 helmets, and Grosjeans section is empty
Markp
6th April 2017, 22:43

All the Red bull and Torro Rosso have the same theough the middle. Onmy differences are the very top and bottom so they basically look the same.
Evil Homer (@)
7th April 2017, 1:20

Giovinazzi, Hulkenburg and Massa for me, others arent awesome and I dont like how Red Bull takes up 70% of all 4 of the drivers helmet making their own stand out design near impossible, they could make that a bit smaller.

I was watching 2008 season review last night and Hamilton’s yellow helmet was a nice clean design and stood out well- better than any of these (probably reminded me of Senna’s).
Some Dude
7th April 2017, 2:00

Out of all the RBR designs, only Mark Webber’s is identifiable from a distance!
Bobby (@f1bobby)
7th April 2017, 6:52

All the Red Bull ones are garbage. Wouldn’t surprise me if they start to insist that their drivers to change their middle names to ‘Red Bull’ next.
Whoami
8th April 2017, 22:05

Both Force India driver look like lollipop head,and driving a car that must be painted using pepto bismol