Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen have backed Lewis Hamilton’s criticism of Formula 1’s restrictive helmet design rules.
Last week Hamilton asked his social media followers “how many of you think it’s bs [bullshit] that the FIA only allow the drivers one helmet design change in the year[?]”Vettel changed his helmet design race-by-race until the rule was introduced in 2015. Since then he has tried to vary his helmet design as far as permitted within the rule requiring them to be “presented in substantially the same livery at every event”.
“I keep changing it anyways,” said Vettel. “I think it’s our helmet and we should be free to do what we want. So I think the rule is major BS [bullshit].
“We have very little room left to sort of express ourselves and the helmet is probably the only one. And if people like it, that’s great. If they don’t like it, well, it’s not their helmet. So I think we should be in charge for designing which way, which colour our helmet has.”
The rule was introduced in order to make it easier for drivers to be recognised more easily. However Max Verstappen pointed out there are other, simpler ways to distinguish between drivers.
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“We have massive numbers on the side,” he said. “And we anyway have a halo on the top.
“So let us just do what we want with the helmet now because I think it’s very nice to have every year anyway a different design because it’s boring to keep always the same the same helmet.”
“I always loved when Seb was at Red Bull and changing his helmet every race. It was cool because you were just like, what is he coming up with now?
“I do a few. I’m not going to say that I will do every race a different helmet because it’s just too much effort in designing a helmet.
“But I think if you want to make it blue or red the next race why not? It’s your crash helmet and you should be able to do what you want.”
Drivers are still allowed to use one completely different helmet design during the season, as Carlos Sainz Jnr is doing this weekend, to mark his 100th race start.
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John Ballantyne
3rd November 2019, 0:40
Settle down!
The rule maker upperer just had a quiet weekend so he thought up another rule, so what, that’s his job!
grat
3rd November 2019, 8:19
Actually the 1 helmet design rule was by Bernie Ecclestone when he was feeling peevish, and trying to come up with brilliant ideas to right the ship of F1.
This was the same genius that came up with the alternate qualifying fiasco.
Ads Lee
3rd November 2019, 16:54
It had nothing to do with Bernie. I’m pretty sure the fia forced this rule change through.
David BR (@david-br)
3rd November 2019, 1:19
Really pointless rule. If the drivers need to be recognized, stick their three letter abbreviations on the front of the car, far more effective. Clearly many of the drivers like expressing themselves with the helmet designs, as Vettel says, just let them do what they want. It’s even a point of connection with their fans in some cases.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
3rd November 2019, 4:12
Perhaps have the 3-letter abbreviation of the driver’s name sitting on the Halo. But either way, drivers should 100% have freedom to choose whatever helmet they like. I would have thought most fans used the camera on top to identify drivers. That’s certainly what I do. For example, it wouldn’t instantly be obvious whether I’m looking at Gasly or Kvyat, Perez or Stroll, Grosjean or Magnussen, Russell or Kubica, based purely on their helmets.
Steveetienne
3rd November 2019, 6:24
I guess Lewis doesn’t realise it takes carbon to make a helmet.
John H (@john-h)
3rd November 2019, 7:50
They don’t throw away helmets like the queen does socks! They put transfers on them.
Blimey.
Steveetienne
3rd November 2019, 8:33
I think you’ll find that the transfers actually are placed upon a new helmet not the ones they are currently seen using plus it takes carbon to make new transfers. One day he wants to be carbon neutral the next day he wants to use more of it.
Proteus (@proteus)
3rd November 2019, 9:07
Spot on. He is the biggest hypocrite ever, what makes me laugh are the people too blind to see it.
Edward Russell
3rd November 2019, 9:40
Better to be a hypocrite who is often right than to be consistently wrong.
For what it’s worth, I think changing helmet designs every race was symbolic of flagrant wastefulness. Ending it was no great loss.
Gabriel (@rethla)
3rd November 2019, 9:51
Binding carbon into helmets where it will stay for many decades and not go into the atmosphere is a perfect way to be carbon neutral. Hamilton should build a carbon fibre house, that would be really cool.
John H (@john-h)
3rd November 2019, 15:22
So what happens to the old helmets?
John H (@john-h)
3rd November 2019, 15:31
In addition they currently use a new helmet per race regardless of the stickers on it, so it makes absolutely no difference what decoration is on it.
David BR (@david-br)
3rd November 2019, 11:14
And trees! It’s laughably hypocritical that all these planet saviours want so many trees planted when they take carbon to be made! For a 100% carbon-free and 100% sarcasm-free planet!
Gabriel (@rethla)
3rd November 2019, 9:54
I for one think its awesome with the drivers personal helmets, i especially like vettels easily recognizable helmet. Its a good rule.
Fantomius (@liko41)
3rd November 2019, 10:21
The rule is indeed pointless, but, as often happens, it has been inspired and induced by somebody who went way beyond decency in the past.
Yes, Seb, I’m talking about you.
Michael Brown
3rd November 2019, 20:32
if only there was something to identify the drivers by that stayed consistent throughout their whole career, like a number, for example.
Ivan Vinitskyy (@ivan-vinitskyy)
3rd November 2019, 10:21
This is sort of equivalent to performers on stage wearing the same outfits. It’s just not the right place to enforce such a rule. Recognisability as most have said can be done in other, better ways.
Dani B. Molina (@esmiz)
3rd November 2019, 12:19
I think is one of the few rules that Ecclestone introduced in his last days that is good. Yes, the drivers have to be free to design their helmet, but are two designs by year too little? I think is the correct number. If you look at other sports, they are not changing their outfits every weekend. They have 2, 3 or at much 4 per year. I think the helmet have to be something recognisable and based in the ideas/personality/tradition of the driver, just like a shirt of a team-based sports reflects the character and tradition of the team.
I know other individual sports have no outfit change limitations (Tennis, for example), and that the driver/team jumpsuits ares the same, but I like to recognise the drivers by their colors and design aswell.
On the other hand, it’s only my opinion, and probably if the current drivers feel they don’t like it and want to change it, they need to do a vote and pass the result to the FIA, in the end, they are who wear the helmet.
Warheart (@warheart)
3rd November 2019, 13:58
@esmiz I think the difference is that in other sports, one of the goal of having 2-3 outfitts is selling them. Think about football shirts, or even MotoGP helmets: you can buy a replica of any of the current riders, plus they also have some limited edition designs. I’m not even sure that F1 driver designs are available to the general public.