10 years in the making, the FIA 8860-2018 helmet standard took crash helmet safety to a new level. These revised helmets offer several safety benefits, including advanced ballistic protection, increased energy absorption and an extended area of protection for racing drivers in all major championships.

Throughout the programme, co-funded by the FIA Foundation, FIA researchers worked closely with some of the world’s leading F1 helmet manufacturers such as Stilo, Bell Racing, Schuberth and Arai. FIA 8860-2018 standard outlines the safety and testing levels that helmet manufacturers must achieve to provide equipment for the FIA’s top motor sport series and was introduced to Formula One & Formula 2 and Formula E for the 2019/20 season and Formula 3 for 2021.

During the project's development phase Stephane Cohen, Chairman of Bell Racing Helmets, said: “The current standard is already very demanding in terms of energy absorption and resistance to penetration. The new standard goes one step further that maybe a few years ago we’d have thought was impossible to reach.”

“We’ve been evolving since 2006 when we started working on it,” said Andy Mellor, Senior Research Engineer on the project. “There was no emergency because the current 8860 helmets provide huge levels of protection and the industry was getting established with them. But now is the right time and the manufacturers are ready for it.”

As is often the case with research and development in motor sport, the project was driven by specific accidents, such as at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix where a loose spring hit Felipe Massa’s helmet at 220kph. This is one of the reasons for the most noticeable change - the visor opening being lowered to incorporate increased ballistic protection in the frontal area. Previously, F1 helmets had a zylon panel attached to the top of the visor, but from 2019 onwards this additional protection was integrated into the shell of the helmet, ensuring that the protection is built in.

At the other end of the performance and price spectrum the same research team that developed the 8860-2018 standard also developed the FIA ‘safe and affordable’ helmet, that meets UN safety standard 22.05, is comfortable in hot and humid climates, and available at a target selling price of around 20 USD. A powerful motor sport contribution to safer road users.