When a driver takes to the track, every gesture is calculated down to the millimetre. But there is one element that must always work, with no margin for error: the helmet. Beneath the graphics and sponsorships, a true engineering masterpiece is hidden. Today a helmet used in MotoGP, FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) approved, is capable of withstanding devastating impacts, weighing less than one and a half kilos and cutting through the air at over 350 km/h, but it wasn’t always like this. From the first leather headgear to modern carbon fiber shells, its evolution chronicles decades of innovations born to save lives.
Each layer has a precise role: the outer shell distributes the impact, the intermediate layers absorb the energy, the internal padding deforms to reduce the residual force on the head. A perfect balance between science, safety and speed, which makes the helmet one of the most fascinating and technological symbols of motorsport.
The history of Moto GP helmets: from leather to carbon fibre
In the 1930s and 1940s, drivers raced in simple, padded leather helmets with no visors – more like aviator caps than true safety features. At the time, protection was a matter of “luck” rather than technology.
The first real step forward came in 1953, when Charles F. Lombard, a US Air Force researcher, patented a helmet with a rigid external shell and an absorbent internal layer. The idea was born from studies on crash tests by military pilots and became the basis of modern helmets: a “sandwich” structure capable of dissipating the energy of the impact instead of transmitting it to the head. Only a year later, in 1954, the Italian AGV introduced the first fiberglass helmet, a light and mouldable material that revolutionized the very concept of protection. It is the first helmet truly designed to absorb impacts and not just cover the head. From then on, the race was not only on the track, but also in the materials laboratories.
In the 1960s, another milestone arrived from the United States: the Bell Star, the first mass-produced full-face helmet. It becomes a symbol of safety for motorcyclists and pilots: it also protects the chin and drastically reduces facial trauma. It is a model that sets the example and paves the way for helmets still used today in MotoGP. In the 1970s, companies such as AGV and Shoei began to develop tailor-made helmets for the champions of the moment. Giacomo Agostini’s AGV
In the 1980s, Kevlar, the same fiber used in bulletproof vests, came onto the scene. Rigid, light and resistant to traction, it is combined with fiberglass to obtain a safer and lighter structure. The era of hybrid composites began in the 1990s: fibreglass, Kevlar and carbon were layered together to balance rigidity, absorption and weight.
Today, MotoGP helmets represent the pinnacle of this evolution. The shells are made with 3K or 12K woven carbon fiber, where the acronym indicates the number of filaments contained in each fiber bundle (3000 or 12000). These fibers are then reinforced with aramids – materials such as Kevlar, extremely resistant to impacts and heat – and bonded together by epoxy resins, which work like a structural glue, evenly distributing impact forces and keeping the shape of the helmet rigid even under stress. The result is a “light armour”: capable of absorbing and deflecting the energy of the impact, without weighing more than one and a half kilos on the pilot’s head.
Inside the helmet: an engineering sandwich The engineering of Moto GP riders’ helmets today
A MotoGP helmet is a multilayer structure, built like a sandwich where each ingredient has a function:
- Outer shell: this is the armour. Made of carbon fiber or multi-layer composite materials, it must resist impacts and penetrations.
- Inner shell (EPS): variable density foam that absorbs and distributes impact energy. The better the distribution, the more reduced the deceleration suffered by the skull.
- Padding and coverings: thermo-regulating, antibacterial and hydrophobic fabrics.
- Visor: in optical polycarbonate, anti-scratch and with anti-fog treatments. Each visor must withstand 6mm steel bullets fired at 250km/h without cracking.
- Tear-off films: thin transparent films applied over the visor. During the race, the rider can tear them off one by one to remove dirt and bugs — as if “recharging” a new visor while racing. Each helmet can mount up to 6 overlapping ones.
The helmet must not only protect: it must also be stable and aerodynamic. For this reason, modern shapes with rear spoilers and air ducts have been developed, in order to stabilize the head at high speed, improve ventilation and reduce fogging. At 300 km/h, just a little turbulence is enough to make your head vibrate and impair your vision. This is why MotoGP helmets are tested in a wind tunnel, often together with the motorcycle fairing and the rider’s posture.
Curiosities about Moto GP riders’ helmets: crash tests
Every MotoGP helmet must pass much more stringent tests than road ones. There FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) drops it on steel anvils to measure shock absorption, tests resistance to penetration and subjects the strap to strong tractions. In the most modern tests, the helmet is hit obliquely to evaluate any trauma due to compression of the brain in the skull – one of the main causes of internal injuries – and tested in a wind tunnel to verify its stability. If even one value exceeds the threshold, the helmet is rejected.
There are several curiosities about Moto GP helmets, here are some:
- Valentino Rossi contributed to the development of numerous AGV models, requesting a wider visor to improve lateral visibility when leaning — a technical detail that has now become standard in MotoGP.
- A helmet that is too heavy (over 1.4 kg) can increase neck fatigue and slow down reflexes: at 300 km/h, every extra gram is felt.
- In addition to protection, the helmet is also a personal symbol. Rossi transformed it into a true work of art, an extension of his personality and unique style on and off the track.
