January 30th, 2012
Loeb leads a poker of Stilo drivers
The story continues from the very point where it had stopped, with a brilliant victory of the superlative Sébastien Loeb. The eighth time Champion awards the WRC (World Rally Championship) opening act in Montecarlo and three among the four top positions have been taken by Stilo drivers.
Our testimonial par excellence dominated the Rally Montecarlo without any uncertainties, giving his co-driver Daniel Elena, an extraordinary satisfaction with the victory under the admiring look of their home public.
The WRC opening event brought Stilo to the top rankings with a great result since drivers wearing Stilo WRC DES 8860 gained three out of the four first positions. In second position finished Dani Sordo (co-driver Carlos del Barrio), one more Stilo talent who chose Stilo. The Spanish got the upper hand after a tough match with the untamed Petter Solberg.
Fourth place instead for our new entry Mikko Hirvonen (co-driver Jarmo lehtinen) debuting with Citroen DS3 WRC.
January 23th, 2012
5 questions to Alex Fontana
Alex Fontana won with maturity the F3 European Open in 2011 together with the Team Corbetta.
Now Alex is ready to leap forward with his career , hung in the balance between GP3, F2, AutoGP and… a great constructor.
The helmet of the nineteen year old Fontana’s adorned with symbols carrying a precise meaning: Tom Pryce, his dual nationalities Swiss and Greek, and the Welsh dragon.
Captivated by the innovative and technical design of his Stilo ST4F1 8860, Alex sometmes had fun wearing the eyes hood underwear to lay further emphasis to the unique and aggressive aesthetics offered by the Stilo model.
1. With a great kick-start in the Championship you set a pole position and won in Spa and Monza. Has such a great beginning helped you putting your hands on the title of the already at your first season?
“The F3 European Open is a Championship that greatly developed over the past years and this has been one more reason why we decided to move on to such a Continental Championship.
Indeed building a good advance already from the first races was basic and these results were partially unexpected as we didn’t think that we could be so competitive as to get to the top so soon.
It all started with the pole position in Valencia, then successes and more podiums came about, the key has been making results at once. When you can grab lots of points, you don’t have to waste the chance.”
2. How was your season? You won and stepped on the podium showing yourself as one of the best at every circumstances but you have been stopped as well after penalties.
“Maybe in certain situations I have been too greedy while I could have been contented. When I could fight for victory I did not limit myself to the podium and this way I got a good advance. Unfavourable decisions against me arrived after episodes where my driving has been judged too aggressive, it’s been on these occasions that I lost points.
As a whole I am happy with the work that I and the Team Corbetta performed.
“Thanks to very good contacts, in winter I have tested various interesting cars. I won a prize test in World Series (Alcaniz – Spain Test) as a winner of the Championship, then I tested the GP3 in Jerez with Tech-1 and the F2 as well in Montmelò (Spain). I am also waiting for a reply call from a great constructor...”
3. You already took part in the GP3 in 2011 in Spa. How was that experience and how do you value the categories you talked about for the development of your career?
“It’s been positive, I took just a few laps in the Tests and I finished the race in sixth position, in a competitive Championship such as the GP3.
All is still left to be decided for 2012. The choice of the great constructor that I am in contact with is going to influence my future. Certainly I’ll move forward in terms of category.
GP3 would be a good stepping stone cause you race together with F1 and this way gain many important contacts.
F2 is great for Swiss and Greek sponsors and there’s also the final test in F1. The car furthermore will be fitted with carbon breaks starting from this year and with 480 horse powers certainly is an interesting single seat car to step up in category.
AutoGP would be one more possibility. This is an excellent Championship, the car is good and tracks perfect, so we are evaluating this opportunity as well with the Team Corbetta.”
4. Tell us about your Stilo ST4 F1 8860, how do you feel about it? What do you like of it?
“I chose Stilo because in the first place, I have always like the helmet shape. In Stilo I found a company that provides a relevant service, in race as well.
They always follow me making me part of their activities, I have always felt involved and satisfied with Stilo service. To them it does not matter whether you won a Championship or not, they assist you at every step.
Stilo keeps up and grows with its own drivers, this happened exponentially and it’s clear when you look at the number of drivers who won with Stilo in 2011 and how frequently you can meet these helmets in competitions of all kinds and all categories.”
5. You helmet’s graphics has been chosen in a particular way, there’s a mix of racing history and symbols. Tell us about it.
“It’s not particularly showy but, not everybody knows this, the graphics come from Tom Pryce’s, F1 driver who died in 77. My father, a racing fan and former kart driver himself, used Pryce’s graphics in his memory. When I started with karting and I was 3 and a half years old, my father gave me his helmet and from there everyone knows me with this graphics.
I have modified Tom Pryce’s basic layout, adding the flags of my 2 nations, Greece and Switzerland, also i added the dragon that’s in the Welsh flag (from Pryce’s nationality).
Front lines have changed into arrows and this way I got the idea of a crown. As a background I use pearl white as it looks better than pastel white.
Regarding the dragon, this is a symbol that I also got tattooed as I have been wearing it on my helmets for a lifetime and I feel it as mine.”
www.alexfontana.net
January 9th, 2012
Hirvonen and Lehtinen new Stilo drivers
Two more great Champions join the Stilo team. It is the newly recruited Citroen Racing driver Mikko Hirvonen and his co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen.
The two Finnish men visited the Stilo headquarters over the past days (Tuesday 13th December) in order to try and customize their new helmets, Stilo WRC DES ZERO 8860. Hirvonen and Lehtinen could appreciate the Stilo environment, punctual and precise in its working phase. They are extremely impressed by perfection and lightness of the new Stilo ZERO range.
Hirvonen is thirty-one year old and is one of the absolute stars in the World Rally Championship, he has won thirteen races from 2002 to now, gaining two second places in the general rankings behind his new team mate, and Stilo driver par excellence, Sébastien Loeb.
Mikko Hirvonen, short after his visit to Stilo stated:
”This will be my first year with Stilo and I have to say that I have been very impressed. Helmet feels really comfortable and it’s really really light. You can barely feel that you have a helmet on. And it
has been really nice to see how closely the people there want to work with the drivers and make sure everything is right. I´m really looking forward to these coming years with Stilo.”
December 27th, 2011
Stilo in Monza and Dusseldorf
The Monza Rally Show is an event run within the walls and on the asphalt of the Monza circuit. Here, rally and circuit drivers meet up and battle on an even footing under the qualified eyes of of a crowded audience.
The Race of Champions features some of the best world drivers challenging at the wheels of various cars (GT, Bugghy, X-Bow and WRC) on one-shot races. This year the Race of Champions was set on a circuit made out of the Dusseldorf stadium.
In Germany , 5 out the 16 guest stars were Stilo drivers. Further to Ogier there were Albuquerque, Hanninen, Priaulx and Kopecky.
Both these popular International events saw a good number of qualified Stilo drivers enrolled. Most of the starters (drivers/co-drivers) in Monza worn Stilo helmets and used our intercom system ST-30 DES.
It is thanks to Stilo technology that it was possible to let the audience listen, through the loudspeakers, to the communications between some drivers such as Capello, Sordo, Longhi and their respective co-drivers.
Again it is thanks to Stilo system that during the RAI live transmission for the Master Show, it was possible to listent to what Tobia Cavallini and his co-driver Andrea Nicoli were telling each other.
We would like to stress that these conversations between co-driver and driver, were taking place inside a professional competition car, extremely noisy. All conversations though were neatly clear and this was also appointed by the RAI journalist, Lorenzo Leonarduzzi, who congratulated with Stilo for the impeccable quality of the service.
December 19th, 2011
5 QUESTIONS TO PATRIC NIEDERHAUSER
Patric Niederhauser was one of the best rookies on the training Formula series scene, in the current season. The twenty year old Swiss ruled the ACI-CSAI Italian Championship with four victories, three podiums and six best lap in race.
Patric missed by a hair en encore in the European Championship, setting a very good second position.
We asked the youngest Stilo 2011 Champion a few questions in order to know better this young talent whose name we shall hear again, we are certain of that.
When did you realize that you could aim to the Formula Abarth title? During the winter tests or after the first victory in Vallelunga?
“Well, already in the winter testing sessions I knew that I would be able to fight for the Championship, but I also knew that it wouldn’t be easy.”
What are you expectations forthe forthcoming season? Will you immediately test in different categories?
“Yes, I will go testing in different categories to be ready at the beginning of the next year. My aims depend on the category where I will participate, but naturally I'll try to be the best rookie anywhere.”
In the Formula Abarth you did a great job on your first season (2010) and then you dominated the present season. What’s your next goal?
“As I said, I'll try to enroll in a good Championship next year. If you want to reach Formula 1 you have to win. So, I give my best to reach that.”
Tell us about your Stilo ST4 F1 8860, your thoughts about it?What do you like of this model?
“I really like this helmet, because of its comfort and weight. It fits sensationally good on the head and it's incredibly light. But also the support from the Stilo Team is just fantastic. This is really important to me.”
The design of your helmet is particular, with bright and outlined colours. Who’s the designer?Anybody advised about it?
“Bright colours are important, through them everybody can see you better, so you get recognized better. The designer is a Swiss guy called Patrick Krähenbühl (pa-design.ch). His job’s brilliant. We were sitting together to make the layout and the rest is his creation.”
December 7th, 2011
Zero range: Photogallery
The worldwide première for the Stilo range “ZERO” was particularly interesting. Here we are showing in detail our new products photogallery with those models that will be worn by many drivers over the next motorsport season.
The picture unfortunately only shows partly the build refinement and flawless assembly of each model but also, the incredible lightness of the Stilo “ZERO” is imperceptible.
Please contact us for information or to touch first-hand our new products.
E-mail contact: info@stilo.it
Ph: 0039 035690040
ST4F N ZERO 8860
ST4F ZERO 8860
ST4W ZERO 8860
WRC DES ZERO 8860
December 2nd, 2011
Zero new range
STILO ZERO. THE WORLD’S LIGHTEST WITH NO COMPROMISES IN TERMS OF SAFETY
Stilo ST4 ZERO has come. The evocative location of the Monza Circuit was theatre for the release of the new Stilo products, introduced in worldwide preview to a particularly qualified public, made of drivers, journalists and Stilo dealers. The new products range, named “Zero”, stands out for technological innovation, constructive refinement and design. The design indeed enforces those guidelines that made Stilo helmets unmistakable in every version.
The Managing Director Ludovico Fassitelli introduced to the motorsport world the new projects that will be proper equipment for the increasing number of Stilo drivers taking the field in the most important Championships in the motorsport world.
Among guests that did not want to miss out the ST4 Zero prémiere, there were the eighth time Champion Sébastien Loeb, the World Rally star Dani Sordo and the young talents Kevin Ceccon and Alex Fontana. Dindo Capello, Marco Bonanomi, Andrea Piccini, Christian Montanari, Luca Rossetti, Paolo Andreucci, Stefano Gai and Max Papis. All well-known drivers who wanted to see first-hand and appreciate the incredible lightness of the “Zero” models.
The extraordinary results coming from ST4F and ST4W zero did not slip out of the attentive and qualified FIA observers, so that IQ, the official press magazine, is publishing an article about the new Stilo Zero helmets with the following words: “ … the world’s lightest helmets, without any compromise in safety standards…
No one better than Mr Ludovico Fassitelli could present the new Stilo range.
“ Stilo philosophy is not to consider anything as the arrival.
In 2008 we homologated our first full-face FIA8860 helmet. Many constructors have retained this as the arrival but we have considered this as starting point.
In 2009 we homologated with the FIA 8860 standard the first open-face helmet in the world. Since then we have started to work to improve our FIA 8860 certified products with the goal of reducing weights, the key in motorsport performance. “
The new range, named “Zero” embodies the excellence in terms of safety, weight and constructive quality.
“The ZERO range helmets came to life in their full-face version for usage on circuit and in their open-face version for rallies.
Weight reached levels that we can state as exceptional for helmets FIA 8860 certified: 1.200 grams for the full-face version, 1.150 grams for the open-face version (including intercom).
It is to be noticed that our helmets passed all tests scheduled by the FIA 8860 standard with wide margin, so to be retained as the “state of the art for FIA 8860helmets”.
Such outcome results from a meticulous work since its design and development phase.
“Not to consider anything as the arrival. This is one of the secrets inspiring Stilo’s work. Another Stilo strong point is its exclusive devotion to the motorsport.
Stilo produces helmets for motorsport exclusively.
Our models ST4 and WRC come from a project that was studied and optimized since its origin to realize a helmet that could comply with the FIA 8860 standard requirements at its best. The shell sections and the EPS were optimized in order to obtain a balance where all parts worked in ideal symbiosis.”
One of the strong points of the new Stilo ST4 ZERO range lies in the shell construction technology.
“The shell is made in high-tensile T1000 carbon with a special technology reducing to a minimum the presence of components necessary to the construction process but not necessary for the helmet's structural resilience.”
Construction technologies that you developed, taking them up to more and more perfect levels.
“ Sections and density of the EPS combine optimally with the structural features of the shell, allowing an easier tweaking of the shell millwork, thanks to the immediate and consistent correspondence between the results of the tests carried out during the development phase and previsions coming from each modification. “
There’s a refined work behind each component and in each area to reach such quality standards.
“Each component of the helmet was subject to detailed analysis and optimization aiming to ensure the best performance on a structure level - and therefore safety - but with the lowest possible weight.
The weight of the helmet aroused great enthusiasm in all drivers that could touch it with their own hands.
The AutoGP Champion Kevin Ceccon and F3UK Champion Felipe Nasr already got a chance to use it in race (respectively in the GP2 on the Abu Dhabi event and in the F3 in Macau) and were enthusiastic at its lightness and comfort.
The helmet was used by Auto GP Champion Kevin Ceccon in the Abu Dhabi GP2 event, and by British Formula 3 Champion Felipe Nasr in Macau and were enthusiastic at its lightness and comfort.
Stilo ST4 ZERO has already been tested much and in various F1 cars with brilliant results both in terms of weight perception and aerodynamics, always judged excellent by the drivers.”
November 24th, 2011
Stilo new range
On Saturday, November 26th, at the Vip area of the Autodromo Internazionale in Monza, Stilo news for 2012 will be disclosed. The World preview of the new Stilo helmets will take place at one of the speed temples, and it couldn’t have been anywhere else, on occasion of one of the most challenging kermesses in the worldwide motorsport scene, the Monza Rally Show.
Many Stilo testimonials will attend to the preview on the new products 2012, drivers who collected successes during the season on course, Sébastien Loeb to name one.
The new products come at the peak of a year where the drivers wearing Stilo emerged in a significant sense.
Stilo helmets, worn by Champions in all the most selective world competitions, from Rallies to the most popular American races such as NASCAR and Formula Indy, up to single-seaters in GP2 and F3, but also DTM and GT, they stood out for their quality, safety and style.
This large number of successes traced an ideal roadway to the final event, the introduction to the new Stilo models. Products that represent an outcome after years dedicated to research and development, in which the Stilo technical staff put lots of efforts and that resulted in helmets of absolute excellence. Their distintive mark is “Zero”.
Stay with us on-line and you will find out all, or almost all, the secrets of the new Stilo range.
November 21th, 2011
Sebastien Loeb. 8 time World Champion
Sébastien Loeb is World Champion for the eighth time. When talking about Loeb, our testimonial par excellence it is really tough not to fall into rhetoric and finding new adjectives to describe the greatness of his venture is almost impossible.
Loeb and his co-driver Elena, on the last event in the World Rally Championship in Wales, hit the memorable goal of the conquest of the eighth World Title.
The important title awarded by Sébastien Loeb comes to Stilo at the peak of a wonderful professional season where our products supported many among the best and most representative drivers in the motorsport world on their way to success. Loeb’s World Title comes unexpected at a point in the season where many Championships already reached their ends but the Stilo drivers’ winning moves are never ending.
Fabio Leimer set a pole position and a victory in the main race of the one-shot event in Abu Dhabi, especially dedicated to the GP2 Series in Abu Dhabi.
Again in Asia, on occasion of the last round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011 in Zhuhai for the GT group, Augusto Farfus set the pace (paired with Muller) wearing his Stilo ST4 F1 8860 and at the wheels of a BMW M3.
Farfus finished ahead the second BMW crew, made up of another Stilo driver, Andy Priaulx paired with Alzen.
The final rankings saw Stéphane Sarrazin in the second place, awarded in the cockpit of his Peugeot 908 and wearing Stilo F1 8860. Professionals’ events are fading now but Stilo is getting ready for an appointment that will leave a trace. Stay with us and on the forthcoming days we will let you know some more hints on what we are working on…
November 4th, 2011
5 questions to Edo Mortara
Edoardo Mortara has just come to the end of his first season in the DTM, one of the toughest and most challenging Championships for closed cars. After closing a brilliant 2010 with the F3 Euro Series title, Edo became part of one of the most prestigious official Teams in the motorsport scene, Audi, and became a Stilo driver.
The German firm put Mortara at the wheel of one of his A4 in the German Championship and the young Stilo driver awarded the “rookie of the year” title, stepping up twice on the podium.
Let’s see what the future might bring to our driver. You were one of the best rookies of 2011, you moved from the F3 to the DTM that is a tough change for everyone but you handled it very well. Tell us, how was it?
“I am extremely happy of this season, I drove a car a little older than the others, dated 2008. Despite this, it has always been fast so that we could set good performances every week-end, allowing us to conquer two podiums, one in Brands Hatch and one in Oschersleben.”
Regarding your step from single seaters to DTM cars, with 460hp engines and closed cockpits, what differences have you noticed?
“DTM cars are similar to Formulas in the driving style involved and this helped me but what changes is weight, closed cars are much heavier than GP2 and F3 cars.
With the DTM, you use tyres much more and therefore you have to pay attention to the driving style. The view field is different as well, you cannot see much from the cockpit for there’s the roll-cage, needed for safety reasons, indeed the inside is packed with tubes and carbon.”
After 2 years in GP2 you’ve been strong to go back in F3, to put yourself at stake and now you are Audi official driver in the DTM. Does F1 remain the main goal or do you have different aims now?
“Right now I want to do well with Audi, the dream is still F1 but I do reckon that it is not realistic at the moment since Audi will hardly enter the F1. It takes a lot of money and sponsors for the F1 and…it’s not so easy.”
What perspectives for your future?
“The Championship will definitely improve with the participation of BMW but it will also be more challenging. I do not hope in anything really specific, I still have much to learn, especially from my team mates. I will have to work an awful lot to reach to the level of the best, and maybe, should my style fit the new car, I’ll be aiming to good performances and fight for success.
You wear Stilo ST4F1 8860. Tell us about the feeling that you have with your helmet and tell us some curiosity?
“I feel comfortable with Stilo, further to being reliable in safety, it’s also beautiful esthetically, really well built. The ST4 features details and accessories already integrated, such as the air ventilation, that make it really useful and comfortable for us suffering the heat on the inside of closed cockpits. Further to this, the radio system and the drinking system, both perfects.
As to my graphics, this results from an idea of mine that always remained pretty much the same. In time I changed the colours, adapting them to the car and the sponsors and I had some fun with a few amendments. I have been friend with Lucky Design for many years now, I trust his work and he always realizes new and beautiful designs.”