Should sponsors completely disrupt a driver's helmet design?

[Kicking-back]

Well, Ferrari thought the two drivers helmets were very similar when viewed from the front - and Willi Weber (never one to miss a merchandise opportunity) immediately told them Michael would change.

[Knowlesy]

That was the stated line, that it was down to there being difficulties distinguishing the two.

However, I can't say I had any difficulty telling them apart, so this leads me to believe that Michael had his helmet painted Marlboro red. Call me cynical.

And it was a shame.....I really liked Schueys old design and colour scheme.

[Mekola]

This case if sponsors should or not disrupt driver helmet designs is important in some ways, because we race viewers identify drivers by their helmets and there are several cases of people that knows the driver most for his helmet than for his face.

There were many cases of driver changing helmet designs for sponsor reasons: Eddie Irvine's helmet is a clear one when he was contracted by Jaguar in 2000 and he changed his orange fluo-with-green lines design for one dark green with jaguar faces on it. Schumi changed his design almost at the same time.

But it's not related only in F1: I remember when in CART Christian Fittipaldi changed its yellow-with-darkgreen-drops for a red-with-white-drops for a season, because the car he drove was red (I don't remember if it was a Swift).

And it's one case more curious, of a driver who changed his helmet colours almost every time he changed team: it's the case of Giorgio Pantano. Since 2002 he's used the same shape design, but with different colours according to the colours of the cars he drove: in 2002 he used an red and bright green design for his red Coloni F3000 car; in 2003 he used a blue and light blue design for his pale blue Durango F3000 car; and in 2004 he used a yellow and light blue design for his yellow and black Jordan F1 car.

In a conclussion word, for identify reasons, I would say that sponsors shouldn't disrupt driver helmet designs, but the last word is ever for the helmet holder, that is - the driver.

[Russfeld]

Id love to see completely blank helmets, one of the best things about the off season is guys who are moving teams often have to run emtpy overalls and helmets; and some of those shots of Webber testing the Williams with no stickers on his skid-lid were awesome.

[Armco Bender]

Most drivers helmets these days all look like an explosion in a paint factory,and with the high cockpit sides you can't see them anyway.

[Gt_R]

Hmm..curiously why have it taken a twist to smirk at Michael?

Michael's helmet has evolved over the years, just like many other drivers...who, as they get more professional, their helmet design reflects the same. Fundamentally, the basic design had remained the same, and that it's only a change of colour to further enhance Michael's link with Ferrari.

Michael's original helmet bears too similar a design as Rubens when seen from far (ie TV shots), and hence, it's natural somebody have to make some alteration (not because a Sponsor wanted it). If Rubens had changed his design, cynics would have said Michael bullied Rubens into it.

So what if it is for whatever reasons? Drivers change their helmet designs (update) over the span of their career. Some replaced the white section with chrome, some added some strips...so what if Michael had his changed? Mechandise opportunity? LoL..so i guess he made a living out of changing helmet design..

In fact, someone brought up Eddie Irvine..and it reminds me how drastic the changes have been in some cases. But it's a real balance...on one hand, it may lose a driver's identity if the change is too drastic (ie complete re-design), on the other..minor updates (ie changing to chrome) to enhance the original design can be interesting to see.

[Splatz the Cow]

GT-R I think the discussion has been mainly on-topic so far, and discussing Michael's helmet is part of this discussion.

My own view is I like tradition - keep helmets the same.

I like distinctive helmets that standout, for example Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna, Jacques Villeneuve.

When Michael changed to the red helemt I hated it at first; sacrilage, I thought, he's sold out, no morals... but now I think it is perfect and it epitomises his relationship with Ferrari - completely united. His last mark of individuality, his helmet, he gave up to appear just as any other Ferrari team member, symbolically an equal member of the team, at least visually if not actually. But appearances count for a lot, and he no longer looks like Michael the "ace fighter pilot", but now more like the ace Ferrari driver, called Michael Schumacher. It is a visual change that symbolises Ferrari's team unity.

In addition to that I think history should remember this helmet as truly his as that bright red helmet will always be synonomous with Michael Schumacher, just as Senna's yellow, and Damon Hill's black and white cross, helmets are their own. For a new driver to immitate even by accident such uniqueness would not be received well by fans, and is counterproductive.

So stick to original designs, but their are excepitions but only of excepitional nature if you know what I mean.

Splatz the Cow.

[Logrence]

Originally Posted by Tweed

So what would happen if Klien and AJ Allmendinger were both in F1 in a couple of years?

We'd all be ice-skating in hell?

You're talking of some post-Apocalyptic renegade GPWC-type series there...

[Skam85]

Not impossible the Klien and Allmendinger theory. AJ is talented, and we know Klien is good enough if he is consistent this season. We'll see.

And Splatz, wasn't Damon Hill's helmet the same as his dad's? I do believe I have seen pictures. Jacques Villeneuve is a good example of sticking with the same helmet design throughout his career. And has anybody noticed that Heidfeld's helmet design is nearly identical to Schumi's old one?

[andy_b]

Originally Posted by Skam85

And Splatz, wasn't Damon Hill's helmet the same as his dad's? I do believe I have seen pictures. Jacques Villeneuve is a good example of sticking with the same helmet design throughout his career. And has anybody noticed that Heidfeld's helmet design is nearly identical to Schumi's old one?

Yes, Hills was like his Dad.

Heidfelds isnt really like Shuey's helmet, although he did change it slightly in his last year of F3000

[ASCII Man]

Originally Posted by manwell

Maybe this is just a rumor, but im sure i heard or read somewhere years ago that the Nacional sponsorship that Senna had on his helmet wasnt paid for.
I heard originally they sponsored him in some of the lower series and then his first few years getting into Formula 1. But after that they withdrew their sponsorship of him but he continued to keep their logo on his helmet to thank them because it was them who helped him get to where he was.
Can anyone else confirm this?

Yep, that's absolutely true.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by Skam85

And has anybody noticed that Heidfeld's helmet design is nearly identical to Schumi's old one?

Nope. The helmets of Yuji Tachikawa and José MarÃ*a López are more similar to the design of Schumi's old one.

[brightline]

Originally Posted by Splatz the Cow

I like distinctive helmets that standout, for example Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna, Jacques Villeneuve.

Al Unser Jr. and all penske drivers under the Marlboro liveries have changed their respective helmets to Marlboro orange, black and white. Heck Sam Hornish jr's helmet is a marlboro orange and black american flag which is pretty disgusting.