The helmet is today an object indispensable for any automobile competition, although not always it was thus, which would bring about great tragedies during these years of birth for the world of the racing cars. For that reason it is a good moment to review the evolution of the helmet through the history of this sport that as much gets passionate to us.

Primitive protection used by Ken Tyrrell in the category Formula Junior, 1956

In the beginnings of the organized competition more, Formula 1 in 1950, many pilots did not use helmet at least. The rest, used leather caps that simply they protected of the wind…
If there were some accident with upset, the pilot ones was lucky to survive: any blow with the head would be fatal. Nevertheless, nobody towards much on the matter…
That unconcern lasted until 1960. Some industries saw this serious problem that received every day more victims in the quick races of Formula 1 and other categories around the world. They developed to the cardboard helmet pressing that although it did not have a high effectiveness, was better than to take leather. Nevertheless, they were uncomfortable for the pilots. Many did not use them, because it was not obligatory ENTRUSTS according to it.

Helmet of intermediate generation used by Derek Warwick in 1981

In 1968 the first integral helmet would arrive from fiber glass. It weighed almost three kilos. It was very I inconvenience for the conductors, but remarkably more cash. Little by little, it would be reduced to his weight and size, adjusting more at the top of the pilot, avoiding all class of strong blows. It lacked that if, much more to do as it demonstrated the accident of Tom Pryce in the Great Prize of South Africa of 1977, one of the most avoidable tragedies of the history of motoring: the Shadow Ford of the English struck a fireman who crossed the track then. The extinguisher of the track commissioner struck the head of Pryce and caused the instantaneous death of the pilot. The doctors certificaron that the cause of the death was a deep one hurt in the right weather. Although the object against which it struck Pryce was quite heavy, also it is certain that the helmet had to support the blow, since in track an accident with an automobile had been very many more fort.
It was a lesson for the engineers of the laboratories of development of helmets, that still more worried to improve the balance security-I weigh. Thus the Tricomp at the beginning of 1980 was born.

This spectacular helmet belongs to Serbian the Oriol Spanish, of the series Champ Car. It is a model of last generation

The Tricomp is a fiber alloy of carbon, fiber glass and diverse polymers that the outside covers with the helmet. It allowed that the surface of the helmet will improve completely returning it smooth, without no flat sector. Nowadays this is moderate in few millimeters of roundness like minimum and without additional elements of other materials. While less plane is the helmet, major resistance and dispersion of the force is obtained at the time of an accident.
In addition the visor was developed to the point of which the plastic del that this constructed supported a blow of stone to 500 kilometers per hour and was created an internal layer of Nomex (material resistant to the fire) and a wadding of poliestileno to reinforce the protection still more.
They were also created the protector of ears and special a wireless microphone to speak with pits. All this in less than 1,5 kilograms…

The decoration in the helmets of the pilots is a great business the great ones you make compete to design the helmets of the famous pilots more of motoring

On the layer of the Tricomp, it was begun to develop the industry of the painting: from 1980 they began to appear showy and much more detailed helmets with designs and external drawings, even with the letters of the sponsors of the equipment.
Finally in the middle of 'the 80 aerodynamic engineers they saw in the helmet the option gain tenth vital ones for the triumph and began to seriously investigate it in the wind tunnel. Nowadays it is taken into account like an important part of the car.

From the year 2000. the security in the helmets was complemented with modern system HANS

If the helmet were safe already in those years, today it is it much more.
The German factory Schuberth released in the GP of Australia de Fórmula 1 with the brothers Michael and Ralf Schumacher the most resistant helmet of the planet, able to be squashed by a tank of several tons of weight and to anywhere receive a firing of the helmet to more than 700 kilometers per hour without receiving damage some. In addition, it counted on the collaboration in design of Rory Byrne, the designer of Ferrari as far as aerodynamics.
As well as it is the competition today, with speeds never before seen, the helmet is more indispensable than ever.