Bahrain, a Formula One Grand Prix host, is also the home of a manufacturer of drivers' helmets. All photos: AFP
Bell Racing Helmets are made at a factory run by Racing Force Group in Sakhir, close to the Grand Prix circuit
More than 45,000 helmets were produced there last year, said RFG's Bahrain managing director Aref Yazbeck
During the 2023 Formula One season, 14 out of 20 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, wore helmets made in Sakhir for the Bahrain GP, said Mr Yazbeck
A competitive tax system and exemptions on custom fees for certain imports makes Bahrain 'the best choice' for helmet production, he said
'One of the main reasons of moving to Bahrain is the Free Trade Agreement between the US and Bahrain,' he said. 'This is very important for us because more than 55 percent of our manufacturing is shipped to the US.'
Inside the factory, workers in grey T-shirts test the helmets for safety
Others polish and paint the exterior of the helmets before packing them for export to more than 80 countries worldwide
It takes 14 days to make each helmet
'It's a handmade product, it's craftsmanship,' said Mr Yazbeck
The burnt 2020 F1 Bell helmet of Haas's Swiss-French racing driver Romain Grosjean on display at the HQ
The sprawling complex was set up in 2015 as part of a move by Racing Force SPA to centralise production
The factory will almost double in size this year under an expansion scheme
