Open-face helmet

While the first full-face helmet in Formula 1 was worn by Dan Gurney at the 1968 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, and represented a major step forward in driver safety, Leo Kinnunen was still wearing an old-fashioned open-face helmet, driving his Surtees TS16 (pictured above), six years later in 1974.

Dan Gurney had collaborated with Bell on the development of a full-face helmet, which provided much better protection for the driver’s face from debris and flying stones, by incorporating a chin guard and a visor.

Leo Kinnunen, an endurance ace with Porsche, the first Formula One driver from Finland, had bought a Surtees TS16 and entered it in six Grand Prix in 1974, without much success, as the Finnish driver failed to qualify five times, and was forced to retire in Sweden.