My helmet is part of me because it reflects my image. It is the only visual contact for the people to recognise me in the car. I have to say that's it's a kind of love story...In fact at 6 Years old I decided to be an F1 driver, so I always tried to wear helmets since that time. I did a lot on dirt bikes and then road bikes so I always had my helmets. I guess I spent half of my life in a helmet. Now you know why it is so important for me from both a design point of view and also my safety.

I loved the Martini Racing Team colours and the way they were arranged, so for my first F3 race in 1984 it was this design with Martini colours. Afterwards I changed only the colours: yellow, grey and blue for the years 1985-86-87 but always with the same lines then later I replaced the yellow with red.

Finally in 1988 I decided with Nadine (my Wife) that I really wanted something much brighter, so we decided to go with the Benetton colours used at that time by Berger (fluorescent red & green with blue).

In 1989, I just put the blue a little darker & nothing to change for the rest.
I want to say the painter is still the same after all these years (hello Mike!) and of course ARAI too. This is easy to understand, because ARAI is the best and Mike too!
I do hope that Mr Fairholme will not take his pension before I do!!

Eric van de Poele