Pagenaud, Power sampling Bell helmets

Something as simple as helmet choice is a rather inane area of development for drivers to consider, but it has become a new topic of interest for Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Will Power. As longtime users of the Japanese Arai brand, Penske’s most recent Verizon IndyCar Series champions are using the two-day Phoenix open test to sample the fit and feel of Bell’s latest helmet.

According to Power, the evaluation is being conducted in the name of performance and safety.

"They’re working very hard to make them light, which is really important for our cars, so the Bell is lighter and it does feel pretty good," he told RACER. "I’ve been using Arai all along. We’ll see which one I end up going with."

A lighter helmet will help to reduce weight atop the car, which helps with the center of gravity, but the biggest value comes from lowering the mass a driver’s head must control under braking, in the corners and, most importantly, in a crash. Part of the evaluation process involved sitting for a 3D head scan performed by Bell. With the scan completed, Bell’s technicians were able to tailor the shape of inner core to better fit the heads of Pagenaud and Power (below).

Got my head scanned for a better helmet fit...A photo posted by Will Power (@12willpower) on Dec 29, 2016 at 3:47pm PST

If the two ultimately choose to go with Bell, they will join teammates Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden who’ve used the American brand for many years.

"They’ve been very comfortable for me," Newgarden said. "But it’s a preference and feel thing. Every driver has their own ideas on what works best for them, and whatever helmet it is, you have to be 100 percent comfortable in these cars with the speeds we’re going."

Power will spend more time sampling the Bell at Phoenix, and with the season-opening race at St. Petersburg one month away, he’s planning to have his helmet painter prep Arais and Bells to ensure he has options once the championship gets under way.

"We’ll have both ready just to be safe," he added.