UNDERSTANDING NEW & EXISTING HELMET STANDARDS / HOMOLOGATIONS – (updated Sept 2023)

The ever-confusing topic of helmet standards appears to be hot topic again this season (2023). We thought it might be prudent to try and make clear which standards are valid and which are soon to be void in terms of both FIA sanctioned events and MSUK events.

As a reminder, the approval of your helmet can be found inside the helmet, normally just under the lining towards the back of the helmet. Some helmets carry two standards, but the FIA standard takes precedence over the SNELL approval, for both FIA and MSUK events.

The vast majority of new helmets we stock & sell meet the FIA 8859-2015 standard, this approval is the most used in both the U.K. and Europe and at the time of writing this, has no expiry date.

The next level up of approval is FIA 8860-2018. This is the most stringent FIA approval and is mandatory in categories such as Formula 1, F2, F3 and Formula E and will also become compulsory in WRC, Le Mans and other FIA GT events as of 2028.

Below is a table which we hope identifies all current standards and shows their validity in both FIA and MSUK events in an easy-to-read way.

(Sourced from the FIA Technical List 25 and MSUK Blue Book section 10.3.1. in 2023).

Older helmets to SNELL SA2005, SFI and British Standard approvals are no longer valid for any international or national motorsport events.

You can see the range of FIA Approved Motorsport Helmets here:- HELMETS FOR MOTORSPORT & RACEWEAR