F1 helmet design changes in-season to be banned

By Jonathan Noble

Wednesday, February 18th 2015, 10:57 GMT

Formula 1 drivers will be banned from changing helmet designs in-season under new rules set to be introduced this year, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

As part of a push to improve the promotional appeal of the sport, F1 chiefs have grown concerned that fans are turned off by drivers constantly changing their helmet colours.

Top 10 iconic F1 helmet designs

Unlike the days of Ayrton Senna when a drivers' iconic helmet design was part of his appeal, these days some drivers change their colours at every race.

One of the most extreme examples is four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who has used around 60 different helmet designs over the course of his career.

Just like a rule introduced last year that has forced drivers to keep the same car number for their career in a bid to make it better for marketing, F1 will now force drivers to not change helmet designs as much.

High-level sources have revealed that teams, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone have agreed to limit drivers to just one helmet design for the season.

This was approved at a meeting of the F1 commission in Geneva this week, and is set to be ratified by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council for introduction this season.

The hope is that fans will be able to identify with drivers more easily both at the track and on television.