No more frequent helmet livery changes?

[FMecha]

I just saw this on /r/formula1/

Discuss.

[Cynon]

I hope they don't do this, because I can't identify any of the current crop of drivers by their helmets anyway, barring Jenson Button. Every other driver I just look at the T camera or look for the car number. It's not because everyone's helmet design changes, it's because a lot of them look the same from far away... either yellow/green or just a boatload of colors.

A better solution would be for each driver to carry their car number with them from team to team, and for fans to be able to recognize their favorite driver by their car number. To further accomplish this, the car number would be the only decal allowed on the rear wing endplates.

So if you're, say, a Vettel fan and Vettel's number is 83, all you'd have to do is look at the rear wing endplates of the Red Bull and read the number. Easier for newer fans to pick out instead of having to remember helmet designs. Even if he switches teams, he would still carry #83, and it wouldn't be that hard to identify him.

[mario]

I hope they don't do this, because I can't identify any of the current crop of drivers by their helmets anyway, barring Jenson Button. Every other driver I just look at the T camera or look for the car number. It's not because everyone's helmet design changes, it's because a lot of them look the same from far away... either yellow/green or just a boatload of colors.

A better solution would be for each driver to carry their car number with them from team to team, and for fans to be able to recognize their favorite driver by their car number. To further accomplish this, the car number would be the only decal allowed on the rear wing endplates.

So if you're, say, a Vettel fan and Vettel's number is 83, all you'd have to do is look at the rear wing endplates of the Red Bull and read the number. Easier for newer fans to pick out instead of having to remember helmet designs.

Some of the drivers do have fairly distinctive designs though - the blue, yellow and red design that Alonso has is very distinctive, as is Kimi's predominantly black design, although at the same time the similar shades of yellow that Hamilton and Rosberg use for their helmets makes it harder, if anything, to tell the two apart at times.

I can see a certain logic for wanting to keep a certain consistency of helmet design given the fact that FOM likes to use onboard camera feeds, particularly the camera above the cockpit. In those instances, the angle would tend to make it harder to determine at a glance who the driver was since any number on the car would probably be at an awkward angle or out of shot altogether. That angle also removes another way of telling drivers apart, which would be the colour of the camera bar above the driver, so the easiest method of telling which driver it is from that angle then becomes, given its prominence within the shot, the design of the drivers helmet.

[DemocalypseNow]

I hope they don't do this, because I can't identify any of the current crop of drivers by their helmets anyway, barring Jenson Button. Every other driver I just look at the T camera or look for the car number. It's not because everyone's helmet design changes, it's because a lot of them look the same from far away... either yellow/green or just a boatload of colors.

A better solution would be for each driver to carry their car number with them from team to team, and for fans to be able to recognize their favorite driver by their car number. To further accomplish this, the car number would be the only decal allowed on the rear wing endplates.

So if you're, say, a Vettel fan and Vettel's number is 83, all you'd have to do is look at the rear wing endplates of the Red Bull and read the number. Easier for newer fans to pick out instead of having to remember helmet designs. Even if he switches teams, he would still carry #83, and it wouldn't be that hard to identify him.

Seems logical enough, any casual fan of MotoGP knows Rossi is #43, Lorenzo is #99, SuperSic was #58 and Biaggi was #3. Although knowing Vettel, he'd stick with #1 for as long as he could...

[Jocke1]

A better solution would be for each driver to carry their.....

...own coloured flag. Something like this:



When I got my first bike, it had a flag just like in the picture. And my parents didn't have any difficulty seeing where I was.
F1 fans won't either, if you get those things onto the cars.

[Jocke1]

any casual fan of MotoGP knows Rossi is #43

[good_Ralf]

...own coloured flag.

The flag would get scrunched at speed and what if a flag fell off? Would that be a risk for the drivers.
Maybe all the teams should do what HRT did in 2010 and put the driver's names on the sidepods.

[FMecha]

...own coloured flag.

The flag would get scrunched at speed and what if a flag fell off? Would that be a risk for the drivers.
Maybe all the teams should do what HRT did in 2010 and put the driver's names on the sidepods.

Lotus did that this year.

[Jocke1]

...own coloured flag.

The flag would get scrunched at speed and what if a flag fell off? Would that be a risk for the drivers.
Maybe all the teams should do what HRT did in 2010 and put the driver's names on the sidepods.

Lotus did that this year.

And McLaren before them.

The flag would get scrunched at speed and what if a flag fell off?

It was a joke

[good_Ralf]

Maybe all the teams should do what HRT did in 2010 and put the driver's names on the sidepods.

Lotus did that this year.

And McLaren before them.

Don't forget Renault's 2004 livery strategy as well.

[FMecha]

Jordan did that too for NT (non-tobacco) races, didn't they?

[go_Rubens]

I think either this rule should not come in effect, with Cynon's description of what should happen, or the rule does come into place, but since helmet liveries really don't matter as long as the helmets work, every driver get's an assigned helmet color with their own little logo on it. It would solve the issue once and for all.

Or, helmet livery changes are allowed under certain circumstances, like the Barrichello and Schumacher helmet confusion of early 2000 before Schumi went red.

[good_Ralf]

Jordan did that too for NT (non-tobacco) races, didn't they?

In 1997, they had FISSSSSI and SCHUUUUEEEEY on the rear wings in place of Benson and Hedges.

Or, helmet livery changes are allowed under certain circumstances, like the Barrichello and Schumacher helmet confusion of early 2000 before Schumi went red.

Or 1996, when Coulthard borrowed a spare of Schuey's for Monaco because the original was misting up. He then finished 2nd and could have won.

[go_Rubens]

The flag would get scrunched at speed and what if a flag fell off?

It was a joke

I actually am starting to understand Internet jokes. Shame it's only because of the person who tells the jokes.

[PT8475]

any casual fan of MotoGP knows Rossi is #43

Ah dear...

[WeirdKerr]

Good!

[UncreativeUsername37]

If they end up doing that, they should have black cameras and red (or black) and yellow helmets. You could still tell the cars apart well, everyone would be used to the colour scheme, and black cameras look a lot better.

[Cynon]

I hope they don't do this, because I can't identify any of the current crop of drivers by their helmets anyway, barring Jenson Button. Every other driver I just look at the T camera or look for the car number. It's not because everyone's helmet design changes, it's because a lot of them look the same from far away... either yellow/green or just a boatload of colors.

A better solution would be for each driver to carry their car number with them from team to team, and for fans to be able to recognize their favorite driver by their car number. To further accomplish this, the car number would be the only decal allowed on the rear wing endplates.

So if you're, say, a Vettel fan and Vettel's number is 83, all you'd have to do is look at the rear wing endplates of the Red Bull and read the number. Easier for newer fans to pick out instead of having to remember helmet designs.

Some of the drivers do have fairly distinctive designs though - the blue, yellow and red design that Alonso has is very distinctive, as is Kimi's predominantly black design, although at the same time the similar shades of yellow that Hamilton and Rosberg use for their helmets makes it harder, if anything, to tell the two apart at times.

I can see a certain logic for wanting to keep a certain consistency of helmet design given the fact that FOM likes to use onboard camera feeds, particularly the camera above the cockpit. In those instances, the angle would tend to make it harder to determine at a glance who the driver was since any number on the car would probably be at an awkward angle or out of shot altogether. That angle also removes another way of telling drivers apart, which would be the colour of the camera bar above the driver, so the easiest method of telling which driver it is from that angle then becomes, given its prominence within the shot, the design of the drivers helmet.

There's an easy fix to that too, just slap the number on the driver's helmet like Kovalainen did when he was at McLaren.

[RonDenisDeletraz]

any casual fan of MotoGP knows Rossi is #43

Ah dear...

I wouldn't miss Vettel's infinite helmet changes, so I am in favour of this rule

[Dj_bereta]

I'm going to miss Vergne's tribute helmets.

[apple2009]

I hope this rule isn't implemented. One of the things I really like about Vettel is his helmets.

[dr-baker]

I love the fact that Josh Hill used the same design as his father, who used the same design as his father. If my dad had been a racing driver, and I were to follow in his tyre marks, I would probably want to use the same design. I wish Nico Rosberg would. I wish Jacques Villeneuve did.

[QuickYoda41]

Even though I'm annoyed by Vettel's constant helmet design changes, banning them would be ridiculous, that's part of his style.

[girry]

@drbaker: funnily enough, BOTH the drivers you mentioned you wished to honour their fathers with similar helmets as them DO have their helmets at least somewhat derived from them...

Nico used the very same helmet as his father in karting, and even if now his helmet has broken the lines (and had the blue part changed to silver), it still maintains the colour pattern his father had.

Jacques has used his for over 20 years; albeit placed differently it's got the same V as his father's, and the colours come from a shirt his mother Joann used to wear.... http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mchhy ... 1_1280.jpg

[dr-baker]

@drbaker: funnily enough, BOTH the drivers you mentioned you wished to honour their fathers with similar helmets as them DO have their helmets at least somewhat derived from them...

Nico used the very same helmet as his father in karting, and even if now his helmet has broken the lines (and had the blue part changed to silver), it still maintains the colour pattern his father had.

Jacques has used his for over 20 years; albeit placed differently it's got the same V as his father's, and the colours come from a shirt his mother Joann used to wear.... http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mchhy ... 1_1280.jpg

To be honest, I posted that without double-checking their fathers' helmets... But I am happy that there is a similarity (even if it sounds like that they are not quite as similar as Graham, Damon and Josh's designs). So if Vettel has a son who goes into F1, what's he gonna do?

[watka]

I liked Jacques Villeneuve's helmet design, lots of colours and the distinctive V.

[good_Ralf]

I liked Jacques Villeneuve's helmet design, lots of colours and the distinctive V.

Watching 4 Rooms I saw a Villeneuve helmet in the background, but I can't find the episode where the helmet(s) were sold.

[watka]

I liked Jacques Villeneuve's helmet design, lots of colours and the distinctive V.

Watching 4 Rooms I saw a Villeneuve helmet in the background, but I can't find the episode where the helmet(s) were sold.

I'd wager it was Peter Ratcliffe who had it, but he might have just had it in his room rather than buying it on the show.

[go_Rubens]

So if Vettel has a son who goes into F1, what's he gonna do?

Do something completely random

[Bleu]

So if Vettel has a son who goes into F1, what's he gonna do?

Do something completely random

Recently Nico Rosberg, Nelsinho Piquet and Kazuki Nakajima all have had helmet which reminds at least a bit of their father's helmet. If younger Vettel is deciding to do the same, he would have very difficult to choose which one.

[fjackdaw]

I'd be all for this band. One of the exciting things for me when I first got into F1 in 1996, and for the years until the helmets started changing all the time, was enjoying all the different designs the drivers had... my first task, whenever a new driver was announced, would be to see what new colour scheme would be coming into F1. I used to love looking at the charts of the different helmets on the grid, and the distinctive designs used the by the drivers. It spoilt to for me when they started changing them all the time, and now there's no consistency at all, and many of them have indistinct motorcycle-style helmet designs, rather than bold patterns.

Bring back the iconic designs. Look at helmets from the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s, and tell me that doesn't stir something.

[Nessafox]

So if Vettel has a son who goes into F1, what's he gonna do?

Do something completely random

Recently Nico Rosberg, Nelsinho Piquet and Kazuki Nakajima all have had helmet which reminds at least a bit of their father's helmet. If younger Vettel is deciding to do the same, he would have very difficult to choose which one.

Ironically, the only consistent element on Vettel's helmet is the sponsorship...