Driver Equipment
 In 1994 on the Hockenheim circuit in Germany, during a routine pitstop fuel was splashed across the Benetton-Ford of the Dutch driver Jos Verstappen. The fuel reached the red hot engine and within an instant Jos, his car and the 21 members of the pit crew were engulfed in flames. |
'..aeroplanes refuel safely at 30,000 feet why then, with all our technology, can't we do it on the ground safely ?'
Gerhard Berger
(days before Jos's episode) |
The casualty list was one - Verstappen - he lost an eyebrow. The blaze was caused by a faulty fuel valve and a junior mechanic was blamed for the error.
'NOMEX' Armour
Jos and his pit crew owe their lives to the overalls they were wearing that day. Tailor-made from flame-resistant 'Nomex' cloth, the suit is designed to allow the wearer to survive a 700ºC hydrocarbon blaze for as much as 12 seconds. Every single thread used in the manufacture of the suits, including the advertising patches must meet the same exacting standard, as laid down by the FIA, motorsports' governing body.
It doesn't stop there because all items of clothing worn by drivers must be manufactured from the same incredible material. Socks, long-johns and T-shirts are all mandatory and are all fabricated from Nomex, along with the gloves, foam-padded boots, balaclava and the padding of the obligatory full face crash helmet. All of this is a far cry from the early days, when the likes of Fangio, Ascari and Stirling Moss would race in shirt-sleeves and trousers. |
Mike Hawthorn, the 1958 world champion actually wore a bow-tie, while as can be seen from the photo on the left, Jim Clark, considered by many to be greatest driver ever, would even pop on a cardigan if the weather got a little nippy!
Over the past fifty years the safety clothing with which the drivers are equipped has actually evolved almost as much as the cars. Using textiles which are the fruits of space research the clothing now provides protection against much more than just the wind. |
Evolution of the Helmet
To describe the headgear worn by the 1950s drivers as a helmet is stretching the use of the word more than little. Basically the old boys wore a linen or cloth cap that was designed to keep the head warm. It offered little protection and when an accident occurred, as they often did, the fate of the driver was often in the lap of the gods. |
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Advanced in plastics have also been utilised in the helmets and visors and they are now designed to withstand the impact of a stone catapulted at speeds in excess of 300mph. Unfortunately this sort of protection was not available in June of 1960 when the British driver, Alan Stacey was killed when he was struck in the face by a bird during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. |
In a normal season most drivers will get through as many as 6 or 7 helmets all of which sport the driver's personal insignia along with the obligatory sponsorship messages. Aside from the increased safety offered by current helmets, they also include many additional innovations. To allow two-way communications between drivers and their pit-crews a microphone and special radio ear-pieces are embedded in the helmet. Other features such as visors with tear-off plastic strips mean that maximum visibilty is always available, while a drinking tube allows drivers to take on fluids during the race. The importance of this becomes more apparent when it is considered that during a race drivers often suffer a 2-3 kg weight loss.
Helmets are now also beginning to play a role in the aerodynamics of the cars. As the engine air intake is located above the driver's head some drivers have recently taken to wearing shaped helmets to improve the air flow into the engine compartment. |
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