Conor Daly Shows the Differences Between F1 and IndyCar Helmets

Despite the vast differences in car type and circuits across the motorsports world, one common thread is the safety gear. Suits, gloves, and helmets are mandatory for anyone setting foot in a racing cockpit. It turns out, though, that as similar as one series may seem to another, their safety gear requirements can vary drastically. Sometimes those differences are subtle, like the helmets the drivers wear. I hadn’t thought much about it previously, but Conor Daly recently posted a YouTube video where he grabbed a few helmets from his collection and talked through the key points, and it’s far more interesting than I expected.

Now I know that helmets can vary greatly, as I myself have a smattering of protective lids carefully stored with my riding and driving gear. I’ll never forget the first time I strapped into a race car and realized how much smaller the viewport on my automotive racing helmet is compared to the motorcycle options. Not claustrophobic, but certainly more limited. Daly has me beat by a mile in terms of lids worth talking about, though, since he has seat time in a variety of race cars ranging from NASCAR to Formula 1.

The first two helmets he talks through are both from the IndyCar series, but highlight how changes to the car can spiral into changes in safety equipment. The first is the helmet Daly wore in the Indianapolis 500 this past May. The second is an older helmet that was used prior to the change that added the aeroscreens in 2020. The windscreen allowed for ever-so-slightly larger helmet viewports, while also eliminating the need for additional bracing and structure to keep the top of the visor sealed. Also, since the aeroscreen now moves all airflow up and over them, more airflow within the helmet was necessary. A tube is connected to a vent on the side of the car to push airflow in to assist in cooling the driver.

After talking through more details on the Indycar helmets, Daly swaps out the pre-aeroscreen lid for a Formula 1 helmet he acquired in a helmet swap with Carlos Sainz Jr. The top-spec F1 helmet has the same chin spoiler as the Indy 500 helmet, which uses the air entering the driver’s compartment to keep the drivers head stable and pointed down. Without the spoiler, the incoming air would lift the helmet or buffer it significantly. There are also aerodynamic considerations since the driver’s helmet is part of the frontal area of the car. All the rock marks on and above the face shield highlight that fact.

Is a helmet a helmet? Well, yes. But the subtleties and specialization based on the car and the series in which it’s used show just how far racers will go for competitive optimization. Will helmet choice going to make or break my next race? Probably not, but there’s no question that for some it might.