Who was the last F1 driver to switch to a full face crash helmet
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I’m not sure, but it may have been John Surtees, who switched to a full face helmet in 1971. Here’s a picture from 1970: http://www.brianwatsonphoto.co.uk/FormulaOne/70/images/394surtees.jpg
I know for sure that Dan Gurney was the first to wear a full face helmet, in 1968: http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1260/554679332_2da389bea6_o.jpg
Thanks for the information @andae23. 1970 was when most of the grid switched to the full face helmets, but since the picture from 1970 shows him in an open face helmet he could have been the last one to change…
Most drivers switched during the 1970 season, so did Rindt for instance, you can look up pictures of the 1970 season for proof.
However, the last open-face helmet was used as late as 1974, by Leo Kinnunen, who started just one Grand Prix, the Swedish GP of that year. Here’s a picture: http://richardsf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/image70.png
It must be said Kinnunen just barely beat Carlos Reutemann, who used his open-face helmet in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix… I think he also wore it at that year’s Race of Champions.
@Roald, thanks for that information. I got to learn something new :)
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