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Ever wondered why a driver’s helmet is the way it is? Who picks the colours, design and where did it originate? Well, apart from being a mandatory piece of safety equipment, helmets are the driver's equivalent of a personal statement. Their way of expressing themselves or playing out any superstitions, and Formula E drivers are no exception. We caught up with Trulli’s Michela Cerruti to find out the thinking behind hers…
“When I started racing I had a pink car which is how everyone recognised me on track. But as I moved up the motorsport ladder and changed teams, the team livery changed so I wanted a way for people to still easily recognise me. That’s why I’ve always used something pink, even if it’s not my helmet. It’s not actually my favourite colour! It’s just an easy way for people to see me in the car.
“It was never my attention to have a feminine colour but I started winning races in my pink car and then I didn’t want to change.
“This particular design is a new livery but I’ve kept my butterfly. I’ve always had a butterfly on my helmet [back of head]. For this one I’ve had to scale it down in order to leave space for possible sponsors. As long as it’s pink and I has the butterfly I’m happy!
“Since I was a little girl it’s been my favourite animal and it too is quite a feminine symbol.
“It’s designed by Kaos Design and it didn’t take long to put together. They are very good and make a lot of helmets for other drivers like Nicolas Prost.”