After F1 Grand Prix, Bahrain turns to helmet production - in pictures

Enthusiasm for the sport has spread to the industrial sector in the Sakhir desert

In this picture taken on March 28, 2023 racing helmets are displayed at the headquarters of Racing Force Group and its helmet factory on the outskirts of Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir in southern Bahrain. - The small Gulf kingdom of Bahrain is known worldwide for its prestigious Formula One competitions. In the Sakhir desert in the country's south, enthusiasm for the sport has spread to the industrial sector, with a factory locally manufacturing drivers' helmets. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / 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

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