The FIA has just approved a tiny helmet cam for every single Formula 1 driver this season after inking a deal with the Racing Force Group (parent company of Bell Helmets).
Motorsport fans have occasionally been treated to up-close + personal wheel-to-wheel action since the innovation was introduced on a trial basis circa 2021.
Last seasons only drivers wearing helmets manufactured by Bell – such as seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – were allowed to compete with a camera.
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Now, onboard footage directly from the Driver’s Eye system will be a more consistent fixture to the overall grid experience.
The tech itself is just eight millimetres wide and mounted at eye level within the helmet’s protective padding. Over the course of its development, the Driver’s Eye has become lighter and lighter. Initially weighing an already unobtrusive 2.5 grams, these days, it’s approximately 1.43 grams. Because every little bit counts when you’re piloting 800 kilo road rockets capable of pulling up to 6Gs.
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Currently, it’s unclear whether every Formula 1 track session will be covered by the Driver’s Eye helmet cam. It does, however, opens some exciting possibilities for the broadcasts.
While certain services such as Australia’s Kayo already offers the option to view entire races via a specific competitor’s onboard footage, as anyone who has even briefly glimpsed a helmet cam post – there’s simply no denying it’s far more immersive.
What a time to be an F1 fan, eh?
