The best racers in the world wear yellow crash helmets...

If you are an avid motorsport fan, you are aware that crash helmets are more than just protection.  They are the racers identity, their symbol.  The helmet often represents their country, sponsors, and even family.  It is a source of pride for the racer and is generally created with much thought and purpose.  Some racers have been conscious enough to leverage a brand from their helmet designs, marketing them to fans.  And some, some, have become iconic.  This is where we got to thinking about our favorite liveries and designs, and realized...a lot of them are yellow.  Actually most of them are yellow.  Maybe it is coincidence, maybe not, but either way, they are our favorites and here we are to share them with you.

 

Ayrton Senna | 3-Time Formula 1 World Champion

Now this first one should be no surprise.  Arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, Ayrton Senna's iconic yellow helmet is nearly as recognizable as the driver himself.  If you were to search Ayrton Senna on the internet right now, you would be bombarded with iconic shots of him in his white and red Marlboro Honda and bright yellow helmet.  The helmet itself is pretty simple in design, mostly yellow with a green stripe at the top and a navy stripe around the bottom.  The significance of the colors of the helmet are inspired by his home country Brazil's flag, symbolizing gold, forest, and the night's sky.  The first time Senna wore the helmet was in 1979 during the Karting World Championships in Estoril, Portugal.  Senna's iconic helmet design also become the inspiration for seven time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

 

Valentino Rossi |  9-Time MotoGP World Champion

Simply put Valentino Rossi is the greatest motorcycle racer of all time.  He did more for the sport than any other rider in history.  Even today, as Rossi has retired, fans still wear his merchandise and wave his flags at race events around the globe.  Rossi was a marketing genius, who from the very beginning of his career made a choice to choose one color to represent him and his personal brand.  You guessed it, that color was yellow.  Additionally, Rossi chose a Sun and Moon to be on every helmet livery, symbolizing the two sides of his personality.  The sun representing the sunny, cheery side and the moon, representing the more dark and aggressive side.  The yellow, sun, and moon can be found across the countless Rossi helmet designs, many of which are now sold as replica helmets by AGV.  Rossi was really one of the first motorsport athletes to market himself in such a big way, including a fan club, and now his own MotoGP team.

 

Lewis Hamilton | 7-Time Formula 1 World Champion

Like Valentino Rossi, Lewis Hamilton has become a major driver in the sports popularity, and has since became a household name thanks to his seven Formula 1 World Championships and Netflix's Drive to Survive.  Hamilton being a huge Senna fan, it is no surprise that his own helmet design resembles his all-time favorite driver.  Hamilton even received a Senna promotional helmet used by Senna as a gift from the late-drivers family.

 

Troy Bayliss | 3-Time World Superbike Champion 

Troy Bayliss spent much of his career with Ducati to which he found great success.  Multiple World Championships in World Superbike, a stint in MotoGP, including a race win at the season ending Valencia round in 2006.  His yellow and green Suomy was a staple with Bayliss for many years and much like Senna, it represents colors from his home country of Australia.  Yellow and green have long been present in Australian sporting, not just motorsport.  Yellow represents images of Australias beaches, mineral wealth, grain harvest, and the fleece of Australian wool.  Green representing forest, eucalyptus, and pastures of the countries landscape.