F1 drivers switch to special Schuberth helmet

After the rainy race at the Grand Prix of Great Britain on 6 July, one "made in Germany" product was right at the top of the wish list of many Formula 1 drivers: A heated visor from Schuberth. Mark Webber is only one of the drivers who is changing his helmet supplier.

The technical advantages of this important detail (a heated visor) were too great to resist when trying to combat Silverstone's rain. The bad English weather brought the Braunschweig company unanticipated demand.

Traffic jams must be highly undesirable particularly for Formula 1 drivers, but when some of them had to queue up on Monday at the helmet manufacturer Schuberth, they seemed more than glad to do it. Ultimately, it involved a highly coveted product of the Braunschweig premium manufacturer.

As the heavens opened up above Silverstone, BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld had a quite clear view of his competitors and the track. His Schuberth RF1 helmet is equipped with a heated visor - an advantage he knew how to use: Unimpressed by the spray being produced by the other vehicles, the "Rain King" Heidfeld went from fifth to second place in Silverstone. While he was doing this, the other drivers desperately sought to clean off their visors with their hand in order to improve their view of the track.

However, this technical triumph has long since been used by Ferrari drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa as well as Heidfeld and Williams driver Nico Rosberg. Every fourth Formula 1 driver will start with the Schuberth visor in the next race at the Grand Prix of Germany. Mark Webber of Team Red Bull Racing} will be among them.

The Australian decided immediately after the race in England to exclusively use Schuberth head protection systems in future races. Webber considers the future to be positive not only owing to his new special visor: "I am very glad about the cooperation. Schuberth is well-known for its innovative, top-class technology. Schuberth combines comfort and performance. I'm looking forward to using this technology."

The Schuberth RF1 is pure high-tech. Its visor is made of polycarbonate and has a transparent "Anti-fog" coating which would ensure absolutely no fogging even if it were minus 30 degrees. But even in the humid and hot climate of Singapore where the Formula 1 circuit will go for the first time in September 2008, Schuberth's visors will guarantee unimpeded vision. Regardless of the climatic conditions, the visor's glass, which heats up without the driver being required to do anything, ensures the ideal temperature and thus perfect vision.

Schuberth's helmets: High-tech from Germany

Schuberth, based in Braunschweig and Magdeburg, has developed and produced high-end head protection systems for over 70 years. With numerous innovative products, the company is among the world's leading manufacturers of Formula 1 and motorcycle helmets. Particularly the experience obtained in the royal class of motor sports is constantly providing new impulses for product development which mark the reference class of head protection systems.