The introduction of Halo has made it harder than ever to appreciate the effort which goes into painting F1 drivers’ helmet designs.
“It’s almost pointless of us painting the helmets nowadays,” lamented Lewis Hamilton ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. “I’m probably going to get rid of the paint on mine [because] it saves weight.”
As race director Charlie Whiting pointed out, you don’t need to be able to see drivers’ helmet designs to identify them. But helmet liveries bring a touch of personal colour to a sport where the human connection is often lacking, so it’s not hard to appreciate why many fans prefer being able to spot them.
The arrival of rookies Charles Leclerc and Sergey Sirotkin has brought two new designs onto the grid for 2018. Fernando Alonso also has a striking and refreshingly simple new design for his helmet, which will also appear in the World Endurance Championship. Where, of course, it will be even harder to spot than it is behind a Halo.
Here’s what all 20 drivers are wearing at the start of the 2018 F1 season.
By far the best one is Alonso’s. This might be his best helmet ever. Very uninspired line-up this season, in my opinion. Sainz, Gasly and Ericsson also caught my eye.
Hamilton – terrible Bottas – bad Vettel – interesting Raikkonen – terrible Ricciardo – terrible Verstappen – terrible Perez – terrible Ocon – terrible Stroll – ok Sirotkin – terrible Hulkenberg – ok Sainz Jr – ok Gasly – ok Hartley – terrible Grosjean – bad Magnussen – ok/bad Alonso – great Vandoorne – ok/bad Ericsson – ok Leclerc – ok
It’s funny that, for someone that used to change his helmet scheme after every race, Vettel’s helmet has been more or less the same over the past 4 seasons. It’s still one of my favourites. It’s distinctive in it’s simplicity. From a fan’s point of view, that’s all I want.
I’m a big fan of the Alonso and Ericsson designs too.
At the beginning I didn’t like Vettel’s simple design. But now it has become iconic. Red Bull ruins every helmet with the huge text. Even Sainz has to use it in Renault (he’s been lent, I know). Sirotkin’s design is horrible! Hulk’s is quite good, but last year it was better.
Are you seriously making fuss about his hair?!? @bullfrog Who are you? A 70 year old British royal? Wait with your silly drama until Lewis looks like Reggie Watts, ok?
Such a shame that Hamilton has returned to the white helmet, for someone who loves Senna so much I am surprised that he returned ditched the yellow design. The RedBull helmets are horribly corporate, it’s interesting to see 5 of them with Sainz being on loan. Sainz’ helmet is ok though, the other 4 are awful.
No need to bother now as they cannot be seen in the cars anyway. Unlit the halos are painted to match, which is going to be extremely difficult in many cases, the drivers remain numbers only!
Manufacturers: HAM – Bell BOT – Stilo VET – Arai RAI – Bell RIC – Arai VER – Arai PER – Schuberth OCO – Bell STR – Stilo SIR – Bell HUL – Schuberth SAI – Schuberth GAS – Arai HAR – Bell GRO – Bell MAG – Bell ALO – Bell VAN – Bell ERI – Bell LEC – Bell
Some designs are so generic that the “crown” on the top to acomodate sponsors is there even when there is no sponsor to use it. Haas and Red Bull drivers bar Sainz, for example.
Joao (@johnmilk)
24th March 2018, 15:09
That’s it, I’m going to give a compliment to Ericsson, that is a nice helmet design.
Alonso’s cool too, a bit more Asturias influence in the colour scheme
carbon_fibre (@carbon_fibre)
24th March 2018, 15:17
By far the best one is Alonso’s. This might be his best helmet ever.
Very uninspired line-up this season, in my opinion. Sainz, Gasly and Ericsson also caught my eye.
Egonovi
24th March 2018, 15:38
Can we have a gallery of all halo designs :p
Damon (@damon)
24th March 2018, 15:38
Hamilton – terrible
Bottas – bad
Vettel – interesting
Raikkonen – terrible
Ricciardo – terrible
Verstappen – terrible
Perez – terrible
Ocon – terrible
Stroll – ok
Sirotkin – terrible
Hulkenberg – ok
Sainz Jr – ok
Gasly – ok
Hartley – terrible
Grosjean – bad
Magnussen – ok/bad
Alonso – great
Vandoorne – ok/bad
Ericsson – ok
Leclerc – ok
Phylyp (@phylyp)
24th March 2018, 15:45
To me, the simpler and cleaner designs catch my eye and hold my attention better than others, because those others look like noise.
Alonso, Ericsson and Vettel are some of the clean ones.
Thumbs down to both the Red Bull teams putting in their gigantic logo on the helmets.
JackySteeg (@jackysteeg)
24th March 2018, 15:48
It’s funny that, for someone that used to change his helmet scheme after every race, Vettel’s helmet has been more or less the same over the past 4 seasons. It’s still one of my favourites. It’s distinctive in it’s simplicity. From a fan’s point of view, that’s all I want.
I’m a big fan of the Alonso and Ericsson designs too.
OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
24th March 2018, 16:01
At the beginning I didn’t like Vettel’s simple design. But now it has become iconic.
Red Bull ruins every helmet with the huge text. Even Sainz has to use it in Renault (he’s been lent, I know).
Sirotkin’s design is horrible!
Hulk’s is quite good, but last year it was better.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
24th March 2018, 16:03
Which weighs more – the paint on Lewis’s helmet, or his hair?
https://www.racefans.net/2018/03/22/2018-australian-grand-prix-build-pictures/motor-racing-formula-one-world-championship-australian-grand-prix-preparation-day-thursday-melbourne-australia-252/
Damon (@damon)
24th March 2018, 16:08
Are you seriously making fuss about his hair?!? @bullfrog Who are you? A 70 year old British royal?
Wait with your silly drama until Lewis looks like Reggie Watts, ok?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
24th March 2018, 17:00
I didn’t see it slow him down in quali today :-)
Broke84 (@broke84)
24th March 2018, 17:46
Such a shame that Hamilton has returned to the white helmet, for someone who loves Senna so much I am surprised that he returned ditched the yellow design. The RedBull helmets are horribly corporate, it’s interesting to see 5 of them with Sainz being on loan. Sainz’ helmet is ok though, the other 4 are awful.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
25th March 2018, 4:26
@broke84 – +1 to Hamilton’s yellow. Very iconic from his McLaren days, and I do wish he’d return to that.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
26th January 2019, 19:53
Gasly’s isn;t too bad either
Jere (@jerejj)
24th March 2018, 17:52
Ocon’s helmet color scheme is my personal top favorite.
rpaco
24th March 2018, 17:52
No need to bother now as they cannot be seen in the cars anyway.
Unlit the halos are painted to match, which is going to be extremely difficult in many cases, the drivers remain numbers only!
Tim
24th March 2018, 19:20
Manufacturers:
HAM – Bell
BOT – Stilo
VET – Arai
RAI – Bell
RIC – Arai
VER – Arai
PER – Schuberth
OCO – Bell
STR – Stilo
SIR – Bell
HUL – Schuberth
SAI – Schuberth
GAS – Arai
HAR – Bell
GRO – Bell
MAG – Bell
ALO – Bell
VAN – Bell
ERI – Bell
LEC – Bell
Ed
25th March 2018, 3:57
Some designs are so generic that the “crown” on the top to acomodate sponsors is there even when there is no sponsor to use it.
Haas and Red Bull drivers bar Sainz, for example.
moogleslam
4th April 2018, 15:33
Alonso, Hulk, Ocon, Grosjean are probably my favorites.