FEATURE

You probably know the entirely list of names of the Formula 1 drivers in 2005 and may even know what each one looks like. But during each race, the face is not the thing you see of the driver but his helmet. And so a driver’s helmet has become his calling card, his trademark of sorts. Prost, Mansell, Schumacher, Alonso, Fisichella… their helmet designs are famous around the world, from TV footage to posters, key rings to t-shirts.

While there are commercial uses for helmets, they play a far more important role and form one of the most important pieces of protection afforded to drivers in modern racing. While the car itself protects the human body, the one part of the body which remains external from the carbonfibre protection tub (of F1 cars) is the head… as such, its protection is of the most vital importance.

Up till the 1960s, head protection was basic and perhaps pointless and It was only at the start of that decade that purpose-made helmets came into use. Open-face helmets – the sort motorcyclists wear which had been patterned after the early jet fighter helmets - became all the rage, and were worn with goggles to protect the eyes and fabric to cover the mouth and nose from fumes and dirt.

During the race, only the helmet is visible and thus plays an important part in identifying drivers to fans.

In 1968, the great proponent of driver safety Jackie Stewart became the first F1 driver to wear a full-face helmet and from the 1969 season onwards, he never wore anything else again. The era of full face, “integral” head protection had begun.

By far, the helmets used in F1 are perhaps the most sophisticated and receive special attention, designed and made specifically for the driver concerned. They weigh, on average, just 1.5kgs but some of the weight is due to radio equipment and drinks straws as the helmet alone is very light indeed. Part of the reason for this is the use of thermoplastics and composites which have enabled the design and weight of modern helmets to be maximised. Incredibly strong and resistant head protection now exists, and despite the only very recent use of such complex materials, their lightness and effectiveness can almost be taken for granted.

Today’s helmets consist of five main components: a hard outer shell to absorb impact, a shock-absorbent inner shell, a soft inner lining, the chin strap and the visor. Other than the inner lining and metal rings of the chin strap, the entire helmet is constructed of plastics. Formula One helmets, also feature an outer shell made from carbonfibre to further enhance their durability and strength.

The outer shell of the helmet can be universally sized but the inner lining has to be customized since each driver’s head is different.

Most helmets’ outer shell is created using thermoplastics. Injection moulding is the principle most often used to create the shell out of plastics, but the carbonfibre option used in F1 is created using a technique known as “compression moulding.” Carbonfibres combine strength and rigidity, but the fact that they conduct heat can make their application difficult. F1 helmets, however, use a combination of carbonfibre and fire-retardant Kevlar to increase the strength of the shell. Kevlar is one of the strongest materials - it is even bulletproof - utilized in modern helmet design, and is most often seen in use in military head protection.

What lies beneath this hard outer casing is the inner shell. This shock-absorbent liner usually consists of a synthetic foam such as “expanded polystyrene.” This layer protects the head by absorbing the shock when a helmet stops, but the momentum forces the head to carry on moving. So the layer acts like a spring, allowing the head a small amount of movement, but also bringing it to a standstill safely and comfortably. The small bubbles in the foam burst in the case of an accident, with the shock spread throughout this layer. The inner shell is usually damaged in the process, but hopefully protects the head from major damage.

But this layer is not the same for the whole helmet. As different areas of the head are contoured in different ways, so the helmet is designed to afford the maximum protection to the most vulnerable parts. Three different types of foam are used to form what is known as a “triple density inner shell.” The material at the front is the most resistant and weighs 50 grams per litre, against 38 grams on the sides and 28 – 35 grams on top.

The inner lining is what ensures each helmet fits its wearer perfectly, to ensure maximum comfort and protection. Every human has a differently shaped head so each helmet has to be specially made for the wearer. A soft foam such as polyurethane is usually used to mould the additional support and this is then covered in a soft fabric to make it comfortable Of course, it goes without saying that the fabric in every F1 helmet must be fire resistant.

Next up is the chin strap, which is also made from plastics. Nylon is the usual choice here, and the strap is permanently attached to the outer shell using rivets and glue. Each side is fitted with an outer-sleeve to avoid roughness and chafing; in the centre, the strap is fastened using a double-D metal fastener. The double-D method is considered to be the best way to ensure a tight fit that will not loosen over the course of a race.

As for the visor, this is made from a transparent plastic and must fulfill a number of conditions. First, it must be strong enough to withhold impact from gravel, stones and even birds and in the event of an impact, it must not shatter. Secondly, it must, of course, be designed in such a manner that it will not impair or distort the drivers’ vision. And third, the visor must be made of a material which will not easily scratch, as drivers often use their gloves to wipe away rain.

All that remains now is to add that finishing touch, the ‘trademark’ … the driver’s individual design. Teams of dedicated artists spend days masking the helmet and airbrushing the intricate designs onto each helmet to make it unique and recognizable to fans worldwide.

Currently, the FIA has set a rigid test program for helmets used by drivers in F1 events. ‘Technical list 25’ of the FIA regulations recognises five different standards, including one of its own. Under the FIA safety test, only seven helmets have passed these tests to attain the FIA safety standard 8860-2004. The helmets are placed under high impact tests at varying temperatures from -20 to 50°C. The outer shell must pass rigidity tests, with the Kevlar passing fire resistance. The inner shell must then pass anti-penetration tests before finally the entire helmet is placed in an 800°C fire for 45 seconds. The visor itself undergoes separate tests, and must resist the firing of pellets at 500km/h. The chin straps are also tested. A weight of 35kg is dropped, using only the straps to hold the weight in order to test their strength.

The FIA test requires that a visor must resist the firing of pellets at 500km/h.	HANS is a recent invention which provides head and neck protection during the very high speed accidents. The original design was bulky and has been improved to make it more driver-friendly.

Also related to head protection is HANS – which stands for Head and Neck Support – and this is device is one of the most innovative safety systems to have been introduced into Formula One racing within the past few years. Invented in the 1980s, its purpose is to massively reduce the loadings caused to a driver’s head and neck during by rapid deceleration in an accident; F1 cars travel at such high speeds that when they collide with something, the forces can be tremendous and can cause injuries to the neck.

In essence it is a simple device. A carbonfibre collar is worn around the neck and is attached to the helmet by three straps. The tethers allow free movement in the cockpit but in an accident they come into play, holding the helmet in place with regard to the positioning of the collar and ensuring that it is the forehead rather than the softer base of the skull which takes the impacts.

Originally thought unsuitable for Formula One due to its bulky nature, following Mika Hakkinen’s huge accident at Adelaide in 1995, serious work was carried out to adapt the device for F1. The FIA set up a research programme and all other head safety methods (such as airbags) were dismissed. Tests suggested that HANS could reduce the motion of the head in an impact by 44%, with the strain taken by the neck reduced by an incredible 86% hence its adoption today.

NB: This story was prepared with assistance from the Mild Seven Renault F1 team, with pictures also supplied by them.