F1's Nico Rosberg explains how the racing helmet has evolved

As motorsports fans, we tend to pore over every detail of the race car's evolution, but it's easy to forget other aspects of a race team that progress at approximately the same rate. That includes safety equipment. Nico Rosberg took some time off from of his Formula One driving duties at Mercedes AMG Petronas to sit down with a camera crew to track the evolution of the helmet from the jaunty leather caps of 1946 to the carbon-weave shells used today. Rosberg's helmet weighs in at just 1.1 kilograms (2.5 pounds) but can withstand serious impacts without deforming and protect the wearer from heat of up to 800 degrees celcius (1,472 degrees) Fahrenheit for 30 seconds.

Rosberg's helmet can also hold up to a shot from a projectile moving 1,345 feet (410 metres) per second. Very impressive, and entirely necessary for a sport that sees racers reach ludicrous speeds on track. You can check out the video below to chart the safety helmet's interesting progression.