Lewis Hamilton switches from Arai to Bell
If he still hasn't renewed his contract with Mercedes, it seems that Lewis Hamilton has decided to switch from Arai helmets to Bell helmets.
Since he was 10 years old, Lewis Hamilton has had a mutual agreement with Arai, where the Japanese helmet manufacturer provides him with helmets free of charge but does not pay him anything financially.
As there is no contract between the two parties, the British driver is completely entitled to test with other helmet brands. This has often been the case during winter testing or Friday sessions.
However, during the recent weekend in Bahrain, he went further by using a Bell helmet for the qualifying and the race, something he had never done until now. In the process, the brand posted the following message on its Facebook page:
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AUTO | Congrats to Bell Racing USA drivers Lewis Hamilton & KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN on the 1-2 Finish this weekend in Bahrain. #F1
Posted by Bell Powersports on lundi 20 avril 2015
Despite everything, the reigning world champion confessed to Adam Cooper that he hadn’t made a decision on that subject either: « It’s not something I want to discuss right now because I haven’t made any decision. I just wanted to try… As a driver, you want to improve everywhere and the Arai helmet hasn’t been in the wind tunnel. »
It must be said that other brands are trying their best to attract the driver currently dominating the category. Foremost among them is Schuberth, which has partnered with Mercedes and already supports Nico Rosberg: « Schuberth wanted me to try their helmet as well. You all know that I’ve been with Arai since I was 10 years old, a very, very, very long time ago, but they are not developing like Schuberth and others. Yet I love helmets that are evolving and improving. That doesn’t mean Arai… Arai is still a very good helmet and I’ve been with them for a long time. You see me coming back to them because I always return to what is reliable. »
These comments may have offended the Japanese leaders, who would thus remind that « the underdeveloped helmet has won the last five world championship titles… » It will therefore be interesting to see what decision will be made in the upcoming races since the leaders of Bell, who are now owned by Bahraini funds, have nevertheless denied that a formal agreement has been reached with Lewis Hamilton.
With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr
