Bell Helmets, which supplies 12 of the 20 Formula 1 drivers, provides them with three helmets for each race weekend. Riders can use up to 25 helmets over the course of a season. Helmets can be reused, but “everything has to be as light as possible. So if there’s a rock chip, we’re not going to fix it and we’re going to add weight – we’re going to go and use a new helmet,” said Stephane Cohen, general manager of Racing Force, Bell’s parent company.
And like overalls, used helmets are sometimes auctioned off for charity. A helmet worn by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at this year’s Austrian Grand Prix was auctioned along with other items for 250,000 euros, or about $243,000.
A basic carbon fiber Formula 1 helmet can cost $5,000, but for Formula 1 drivers, Bell scans each head for an ideal fit, meaning it can reach $15,000.
Bell also has to consider visibility; Formula 1 races take place during the day, night and dusk while weather conditions vary. This means there are different visors for different conditions that can be attached and removed during the race.
“Imagine driving a partially wet racetrack under cloudy skies, then the dry line appears,” where the track will look slightly different as it dries. It’s very important for the racer to see clearly where the best lines are and how the track is developing with the highest possible contrast,” said Cohen. “It’s a personal choice; Some prefer a lighter visor, some prefer a darker one.”
A camera weighing 2.5 grams is attached to the protective padding inside the helmet. It is at eye level and records videos from the driver’s perspective.
“The purpose was to show the viewer exactly what the racer sees through the visor of his helmet,” said Cohen. For example, he said: “A little bit of oil comes on the visor, we want the viewer to see and feel it.”