Welcome to another RaceWorld TV Top 10!
This week with top 10 F1 helmets
full-time combining modern designs iconic designs
and some downright ridiculous outlandish designs. In recent years
drivers have become pretty creative with their helmets and as a result the FIA
party-poopers that they are, have discussed bringing in restrictions in an
attempt to rein in the sheer number changes
so far nothing can stop F1 stars from
decorating their heads in any way they see fit. So let's have a run down of the
top 10 best wackiest designs.
Number ten we have Lewis Hamilton's tribute
to smooth criminal Michael Jackson. It's easy to say to
Lewis Hamilton 'You just wanna be startin' somethin'
for this wasn't the first time a driver it given the nod
to a lost idol or sporting hero and it was in the last
teams often display a black band or stripe
or block out a l large section of the car. In 2013 the United States Grand Prix was
definitely no thriller but just as a spectacle,
Louis Hamilton's helmet 'Just Beat It'.
It featured an accurately rendered portrait of the pop star on the crown
and silhouetted on the side the iconic image of
a leaning Michael Jackson in suit. As a top fan of the King of Pop,
Louis Hamilton's decision to have a Michael Jackson tribute
helmet was as easy as ABC.
At number nine we have Heikki Kovalainen's app influenced
Angry Birds Helmet. In recent years app
games have caused a storm in the world of smartphones and tablet computers.
Heikki's helmet appealed to adults and children alike
as he teamed up with the addictive games developer
they donned his helmet with the red cartoon image of an Angry Bird.
And across the side Heikki written in the widely recognized scrawl of the game.
I wonder if some point in the future we'll see a driver with a certain sweet
based game
plastered all over his head.
At number eight we have the first of our iconic helmets
with the Hill helmet. We must call it the Hill helmet
because both Graham Hill and Damon Hill wore the same pattern
around top. The design is actually a replica
of the cap of the London Rowing Club which Graham Hill was an integral member.
That's right one of the quickest drivers in motor racing history
was in a rowing club. Not sure he experienced quite the same G-forces in
his long boat.
Here is an interesting little fact. Josh Hill, the third generation in the family
and Graham's grandson has adopted the same design on his helmet.
He hasn't yet raced in Formula 1 but maybe we will one day soon
see a third Hill at a pinnacle of motor sport.
In the 2000 season Eddie Irvine wore a helmet decorated with jaguar motief.
And it comes in at number seven out of 10. It was the quality of the artwork that really stood out.
Well, the fact that it cuts quite an intimidating site
as it appeared to be roaring, may well have made it stand out, too.
Eddie was driving for Jaguar Racing at the time
and rarely do drivers match their helmets to that teams
unfortunately the elaborate design didn't help him gain success.
The three years he was racing with Jackie were managed just two podium finishes
in his second season with the team and retired at the end of 2010.
In at number six
is the first at the patriotic helmets. David Coulthard
was clearly very proud of his heritage donning a helmet that featured the Scottish Saltire.
The familiar white cross on a blue background became synonymous with DC.
Oh, and Mel Gibson of course! Even though many other drivers have used their national flags
to decorate their helmets
and overalls very few have done it in quite such a brazen way.
Because in Coulthard's case it covered the entire helmet.
DC's helmet is also the first example of a driver who chose a design and stuck with it
throughout his career.
At number five is the helmet of legendary
James Hunt. Despite being a playboy and a rebel
his helmet was a surprisingly simple black design punctuated by
3-stripes in blue, yellow and red and his name
in big bold white letters. The solitary stripes represented the colors of
Wellington College where Hunt studied.
Hunt was a driver from a time before novelty racing helmets
being used as fashion accessories. For Hunt, the pursuit of fashion
was left to lifestyle away from the track.
Twice in both 2007 and 2013, Kimi Raikkonen wore helmets
painted just like Hunt's, as a tribute to the f1 legend.
Number four in our countdown
epitomizes the glamour and grandeur of Formula One and made its appearance
at the Monaco Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton's diamond-encrusted helmet
featuring his autograph etched in diamonds was as gaudy and extreme
as it gets. To be fair though, if you were ever going to witness a helmet like this
it was going to be at Monaco and with all the bling in dole's in South with
it was going to be Louis the ward.
To some, this took the elaborately decorated f1 helmet
over the limit and into the realm of the downright ludicrous.
Brothers, this helmet epitomizes the charisma and razzle dazzle of Formula one
and more specifically the Monaco Grand Prix.
We're into the top three
and number three it has to be a world champion's
helmet and a helmet that utilized the advent
of night races. It's difficult to actually describe the pattern on the helmet that
Sebastian Vettel wore at the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix.
But it was certainly eye-catching. It featured
glittering swirls kaleidoscope patterns incorporating chrome
along with a plethora of different colors.
Well, it was an attempt at a description. The key point here is that it looked fabulous
under the floodlights around the streets of Singapore
and inspired others to make the most of the thousands of light bulbs
illuminating the track.
In at number two so near and yet not quite making the top spot
its the Jackie Stewarts iconic top banded helmet.
Like David Coulthard, Jackie was extremely patriotic
and proud to fly the flag of Scotland
as he stormed to three World Championships. He was also the linchpin
in the campaign to make Formula One and motorsport as a whole
safer and still an influential voice
in the sport. His helmet again
was one which was easily recognized from a great distance.
The Tartan band on Sir Jackie's helmet was Royal Stewart Tartan.
But it's interesting to observe that the Tartan on the race car of Sir Jackie's team
the Stewart Grand Prix was actually different.
Th Tartan of his f1 team was called Stewart Racing Tartan
and was specially designed for the team.
The countdown is over and at number one is the most iconic
widely recognized and quite simply the best formula 1
helmet in history. The late great
Ayrton Senna's yellow green and blue helmet sticks in the memory like traditional
white and black panel. The colors of Senna's helmet quite obviously the colors
of the Brazilian flag
with the bright yellow dominating, making it stand out all the more.
Much like Damon Hill wearing the same pattern as his father,
Senna's nephew Bruno donned a helmet with very similar colors and
design to his uncle's. Needless to say it's was slightly eerie to watch Bruno
driving around with that helmet on
and equally haunting to hear Senna's name spoken again by commentators and pundits.
Bruno Senna isn't the only driver
to wear the Ayrton helmet design. In tribute to the great man
Lewis Hamilton started his career wearing a helmet in the colors of his idol.
More recently and in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Senna's tragic
death, the Brazilian
football team donned helmets in Senna's colors.
In a rather more bizarre attempt to tribute, Brazilian airline Azure
decorated the front of one of their jets in
the colors of Senna's helmet. It will be interesting to see just how far people
we go in the future
to celebrate senna's life. So the reason the Brazilian hero makes
the top spot now top 10 that one helmets
is simply because, uniquely, he has been immortalized in the images and
tributes of this yellow green and blue helmet.
That concludes our list of top 10 F1 helmets the whole time
Let us know your favorite helmets and comment below!
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