Kobayashi reveals one-off helmet for Brazil

F1 pictures

November 24, 2011 at 6:15 pm by
38 comments

Kamui Kobayashi is wearing a special helmet for this weekend’s race.

The design created by Linkin Park is to raise money for international aid for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami through Music for Relief.

Vitantonio Liuzzi is also using a very unusual special helmet design for this race. Here’s what his team had to say about it:

“It is the seventh special edition designed this season by Kaos Design, but this new helmet is different to the rest and will be different to anything seen before in Formula 1. With a completely black base, the characteristic lines which Tonio has on his standard helmet will be drawn in white with the sponsors and VL logo written in golden leaves.

“The name of the helmet is ‘K-Writeme’ and it is covered in a material similar to that of a blackboard meaning that Tonio can write and erase what he wants on the surface until he is happy with the design.”

Here are pictures from Thursday at Interlagos.

F1 pictures

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Images © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo, Renault/LAT, Getty Images/Red Bull, Force India/Sutton, Sauber F1 Team, Motioncompany

Read more: 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix | 2011 F1 season | Adrian Sutil | Bruno Senna | Daniel Ricciardo | F1 Pictures | Felipe Massa | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | Force India | Heikki Kovalainen | HRT F1 | Jaime Alguersuari | Jarno Trulli | Jenson Button | Jerome d'Ambrosio | Kamui Kobayashi | Lewis Hamilton | Lotus | Mark Webber | McLaren | Mercedes Grand Prix | Michael Schumacher | Narain Karthikeyan | Nico Rosberg | Pastor Maldonado | Paul di Resta | Red Bull | Renault | Robert Kubica | Rubens Barrichello | Sauber | Scuderia Toro Rosso | Sebastian Vettel | Sebastien Buemi | Sergio Perez | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | Vitaly Petrov | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Williams

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38 comments on Kobayashi reveals one-off helmet for Brazil

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  1. Avatar Image

    PieLighter (@pielighter) said on 24th November 2011, 18:17

    I didn’t know Kobayashi likes Linkin Park. We have one thing in common then. XD

    Reply

  2. mario said on 24th November 2011, 18:19

    That helmet is horrible.

    Reply
  3. Avatar Image

    Fer no.65 (@fer-no65) said on 24th November 2011, 18:20

    Checo Perez also revealed a new helmet for this weekend on his twitter account.

    Reply
  4. Avatar Image

    UKFan (@) said on 24th November 2011, 18:47

    I used to like Linkin Park when I was a kid, now Im grown up they are grown up too, different band, different taste, just like that transformer helmet tasteless… Awful. Hahn and Shinoda have Japanese roots so it makes sense to use their popularity as solidarity tool for Japan still I dont think that rasing money by auctioning helmets is a solution people should donate if they will no matter what cause or country involved there are countrys that must need much more help than Japan.

    Reply
  5. Avatar Image

    The Last Pope (@the-last-pope) said on 24th November 2011, 19:02

    Grosjean looks like a stick man. How on earth does his pencil neck hold up with the corning Gs ?

    Reply
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      Bullfrog (@bullfrog) said on 24th November 2011, 19:56

      He looks happy though…in fact everyone is smiling in these photos, (apart from Jan Cherouz, whoever he is).

      And that’s one of those uncanny Senna pics we see from time to time, I had to look twice!

      Reply
  6. Avatar Image

    Rob Wilson (@rob-wilson) said on 24th November 2011, 19:19

    Lovin’ Kamui’s helmet, i think if i was a racing driver i would go for that kinda style. Like a purple or a pink, something that nobody else would go for.

    I think Lewis should go for a completely new helmet colour next season to indicate a fresh start. Would be great if he just turned up in Melbourne with a bright red helmet or something entirely different, but i guess for Lewis the yellow is like his signature and something that he’ll never change. Just a thought though.

    Reply
  7. Avatar Image

    Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey) said on 24th November 2011, 19:24

    Love that design, Kamui-san.

    Reply
  8. Avatar Image

    Ben Needham (@ben-n) said on 24th November 2011, 19:41

    I like Kobayashi’s helmet! I think it looks great. Rubens Barrichello is also going for a one-off helmet! He has crossed his own design with Ayrton Senna’s, so the yelllow and green replaces Rubens’ red and blue. It looks good, but unfortunately I don’t have a link!

    Reply
  9. Avatar Image

    electrolite (@electrolite) said on 24th November 2011, 20:34

    Well that’s another thing Linkin’ Park should avoid doing anyway. Hope it raises plenty of money anyway!

    Reply

  10. GT_Racer said on 24th November 2011, 22:41

    Speaking of Helmet’s, Should be a Helmet camera used this weekend ;)

    Will be the same as the one tested in the Monza GP2 race-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohAeA0_ixz8

    Reply
  11. Avatar Image

    Hairs (@hairs) said on 25th November 2011, 0:11

    …meaning that Tonio can write and erase what he wants on the surface until he is happy with the design.

    “… and hopefully it will help him build a portfolio for his new career writing the lunchtime specials on blackboards outside pubs.”

    Reply
    • Avatar Image

      bosyber (@bosyber) said on 25th November 2011, 9:27

      My thought exactly! Also, any deficit to Ricciaro will be said to be because of the extra drag from that surface+chalk, I think.

      Reply
  12. Avatar Image

    Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 25th November 2011, 2:05

    I like the blue on Kobayashi’s helmet. It’s not a colour we see much in Formula 1 these days – the closest thing I can recall is the Mild Seven/Team Spirit Renaults from 2005/06 – which is a shame, because it’s a good colour. Barwa Addax used something very similar in their GP2 livery this year, and they looked fantastic. Hopefully Sauber work it into their 2012 livery given the Telmex connection.

    Reply
  13. Avatar Image

    Burnout (@burnout) said on 25th November 2011, 5:34

    Vettel and Charouz look so much like each other! Especially when you look at their photos one below another.

    Reply
  14. Avatar Image

    Dave (@davea86) said on 25th November 2011, 5:58

    I love that photo of Alonso. The big KEEP CLEAR sign and he’s strolling past like ‘screw you sign!’

    Reply
  15. Avatar Image

    PieLighter (@pielighter) said on 25th November 2011, 8:05

    LOL at Liuzzi. XD
    Awesome helmet!

    Reply
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