Audiences of the World Rally Championship (WRC) might soon get to view the action from a raw drivers’ eye view, elevating coverage for fans.
Italian helmet supplier Stilo have reportedly created a helmet which incorporates an onboard camera, similar to those in operation in Formula 1.
The WRC is planning to take the championship to the U.S in 2026, hoping this new camera will provide an almost perfect drivers’ eye view, and draw fans away from homegrown staples NASCAR and IndyCar.
“We are working on engineering a camera together with the WRC Promoter. We are testing something with the Promoter," Stilo managing director Paolo Bonetalli told Autosport.
“The idea is to have a driver perception of the car, so it is possible to see exactly what the driver is seeing. Especially in rally the difficulty of placing of the camera on the car, you have plenty of cameras but when you are in a turn and drifting it is difficult to get a drivers’ eye view. It is something we are working on.”
He pointed out that the difference between cameras used in circuit racing compared to rally racing is that due to the nature of rallying, the camera must be very high quality for the audience to see anything clearly.
Even the best action cameras have their limitations, and Bonetalli added, “You see in Formula 1 that the camera is shaking a lot and you can’t see what is happening. In rally you must have the maximum quality.”
“The idea is to find a camera that can transmit for one minute but in this case, it must be stable and be high quality, this is the difficulty and why we are working with the promoters to find the right solution.”
Circuit racing, like Formula 1 and NASCAR, takes place on a closed circuit track at very high speeds, incorporating sharp turns, straight-ways, and chicanes, as drivers try and finish first.
Rally racing, in contrast, takes place on public or private roads in modified production or specially built road-legal cars, over a variety of, often uneven, terrain, and drivers compete against the clock. The WRC is among the top rallying competitions globally with events in Monte Carlo, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Germany.
One challenge in the design of this camera is the safety of the driver.
Bonetalli said:
“We have designed something, and we are working to test it and the next step is to get it certified.”
Helmet cameras in general are a big area of interest; GoPro acquired Forcite, a company specialised in developing helmets (for motorcyclists) with built-in cameras.
Check out our guide to the best helmet cameras in 2024.
We've also put together a guide to the best helmet cameras for cyclists, and motorcyclists.
