Vettel reveals special helmet to “get us all thinking about our oceans”

2021 Turkish Grand Prix F1 drivers' helmet designs

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Two of Formula 1’s most prolific producers of different helmet designs, Sebastian Vettel and Lando Norris, are sporting new looks for this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel’s 2021 Turkish Grand Prix helmet

Vettel’s new design for this weekend’s race is intended to raise awareness about ocean pollution.

“More than 70% of the earth is covered by oceans,” said Vettel. “They are the origin of all life. It’s a very sensitive habitat and we need to protect it. For example every year more than eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean, plus toxic waste waters.

“We urgently need a change of mind and we need to join our efforts to save our blue planet. And that’s why I have dedicated a special design for this weekend’s helmet to raise awareness and get us all thinking about our oceans.”

Vettel incorporated a rainbow into his design for this race last year.

Lando Norris’ 2021 Turkish Grand Prix helmet

As was the case in 2020 Norris is the only other driver besides Vettel who decided to produce a special helmet design for the Turkish round. But unlike last year Norris managed to get his to the track on time – his 2020 lid got stuck at customs and didn’t appear until a later round.

This weekend Norris is using a matt white and black version of his familiar design.

Vettel helmet images: Jens Munser Designs via Twitter; Norris helmet images: McLaren via Twitter

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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18 comments on “Vettel reveals special helmet to “get us all thinking about our oceans””

  1. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
    9th October 2021, 9:20

    Lando’s helmet is really nice and I can’t help but to think it’s a missed chance for Checo/Max not to also get something special to go with that Honda-thank you.

    Vettels helmet? ‘Meh’. But hey, it’s his choice

  2. RocketTankski
    9th October 2021, 9:49

    Turkey unfortunately does have high levels of air and water pollution, so is a good venue to discuss how F1 and BWT can help save the environment.

  3. Vettel, the man who spent most of his career privately under the radar, is becoming quite an activist. Good for him!

  4. It’s great when F1 becomes a platform for achieving real things with real values, more than just driving round in circles very fast. Seb and Lewis set fine examples to the younger generation, and F1 itself has the equalities thing and WSeries. All a step up from when Spanky was running things.

  5. Vettel’s is almost like a joke helmet. Like something a 9-year would wear.

    1. @balue That’s because it is meant to appeal to younger fans, who might actually be open to hopeful messages.

      1. @ferrox-glideh No, it appealed to Vettel’s daughter and that’s about it. Any other 9-year olds watching are boys, who will think it’s cringe.

        1. @balue How embarrassing to think only boys watch F1. Absolute rubbish.

          And while I’m at it plenty of boys like pink things with designs on. Good grief, must be tricky navigating life laced that tightly straight.

          1. @hazelsouthwell Where do you have that from? Being so sure you are willing to engage in personal attack to refute the argument, you will surely have some data to prove it and wouldn’t just make it up in your mind.

            I’ll anyway let you know more of my thoughts going forward. I know you are glued to them all the time.

          2. @hazelsouthwell And if you disagreed so vehemently with what I said, why didn’t you just delete my comment as is your way?

          3. @balue although entirely wrong, it didn’t technically breach the guidelines.

            I read all the comments, I am the comments moderator.

          4. @balue and my citation for girls liking F1 should be FAIRLY obvious, given I am one. (and have been a devoted F1 fan since I discovered it, age 6)

            Why on earth the gender of a child would in any way decide whether they like fast cars is a mysterious creation of advertising.

          5. @hazelsouthwell

            and my citation for girls liking F1 should be FAIRLY obvious, given I am one. (and have been a devoted F1 fan since I discovered it, age 6)

            So it was anectdotal? That’s your entire basis for declaring as undisputed fact that girls are just as much into racing cars as boys? It’s just as I thought. You are grandly using yourself as reference of reality and truth, but that’s obviously not how the world works. Then my point stands that the people getting Vettel’s helmet message is his daugher and 0.0001% of the viewing public.

          6. @hazelsouthwell

            although entirely wrong, it didn’t technically breach the guidelines.

            That never stopped you before.

            I read all the comments, I am the comments moderator.

            You’ve made a special case of mine though since every comment has to be vetted for wrongthink before it’s released. Anyway, feels nice that I’m featuring so largely in your life and you obviously feel the same. You’re not the first to obsess over me here though.

          7. @balue 46% of people interested in F1 were female in 2019, according to a survey and actually entirely equal numbers of male and female fans were newly getting into the sport that year.

            However, it is more than a little bit silly to suggest that something is only of interest to nine-year-old girls just because it is pink.

        2. @balue Most modern 9 year old boys are sophisticated enough to actually have a sense of humour and fun about things as trifling as a helmet design, are are not yet old enough to be affected by homosocial blackmail. They usually get the idea that silly things and pink things are unmanly beaten into them by the time they are 11 or 12. Now THAT makes me cringe.

  6. Look out, Vettel is going to trigger the cranks again!

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