' Pilots use an ' F-1 {Balaclava}: hood under the ' helmet '}.....

Pilots use the hood, not to burn in case of accident. As overall, this hood is made ​​of a special fabric that does not catch fire and resists heat up to 427 ° C. The correct name is freaked out that balaclava, a reference to the old hoods made of small rings twisted, used by medieval knights. "The idea of ​​a flame retardant protection under the helmet after the accident came from the Austrian Niki Lauda, the German GP in 1976. He slammed his Ferrari got stuck in the wreckage and took off his helmet to breathe. But the car exploded and the fire took account of the pilot. Lauda has large scars on his face today, "says the journalist Livio Oricchio, a specialist in Formula 1. There are even a few years, leaving much of the balaclava face uncovered. Today, to increase the protection, balaclava only have openings for the eyes and mouth, which lets in a tube attached to a bottle of water or isotonic. The first balaclavas were made of asbestos, a fiber also fire resistant, but less reliable. Currently, they are made with Nomex and Kevlar wires, two super-tough synthetic compounds. Another novelty is that the mechanics that make the pit stop also started to use the balaclava under the helmet to reduce the risk of fire in one refueling.....