Alongside OMP within Racing Force Group, Bell joined one of the dominant brands in rally competition, with several world titles won by equipping the most successful teams and drivers with racewear, seats, harnesses and other safety and performance components. For Bell, this created an incredible opportunity: the mission was to bring the Bell brand back to the top of this discipline as well, leveraging the technology and experience gained in Formula 1, but also, precisely, OMP’s deep knowledge of these competitions. The engineering challenges were multiple. In example, rally helmets are generally open-face, requiring integration with an audio system to ensure communication between driver and co-driver inside the cockpit.
Bell’s new line of helmets launched in 2021, with the HP10 and MAG-10 as top of the range models, immediately proved extremely popular with World Rally Championship drivers, including names such Thierry Neuville, Andreas Mikkelsen, Esapekka Lappi, and Oliver Solberg. Bell also signed a partnership agreement with M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, and it became routine to see Bell drivers on the podium or winning races in the WRC, the highest level of the sport. Credit was due to the benchmark levels of comfort and protection and the sound quality provided by the electronics provided by sister brand Zeronoise, in a perfect synergy within Racing Force Group.
Another great statement of confidence in Bell helmets came from the choice of 9-time world champion Sébastien Loeb, who from 2023 decided to switch to Bell helmets for all his competitive programs, starting with participation in the Dakar, the most famous rally-raid and an extremely severe test bed for any technical part. In 2023, New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon gave Bell its first international rally title in many years, in the prestigious FIA European Rally Championship.
Coinciding with Bell’s 70th anniversary, 2024 was also the rollout year for the revolutionary Wired-Wireless technology developed together with Zeronoise engineers, thanks to a deep synergy within Racing Force Group.
In the Wired-Wireless system, the Zeronoise electronics are integrated into Bell Racing’s top-of-the-line MAG-10 Rally Carbon and HP10 Rally open face helmets, combined with the new Fearless Wireless intercom. The control unit can operate with and without cable, automatically switching to the most efficient mode to manage the driver and co-driver interaction, inside and outside the cockpit. The kit allows drivers and co-drivers to continue communicating even off the car, up to 30 meters, during time control or in emergency situations, like repairs or the replacement of a flat tire. Without the necessity to physically connect the helmets to the intercom, it is possible to save precious time that can be decisive for the final victory.
The Italian Rally Championship, one of the most important national series, was the scene of the race debut of the Wired-Wireless system, with multiple champions Giandomenico Basso and Simone Campedelli among the ones adopting it. Already in the second round of the season, the Rally Regione Piemonte, the maiden victory of this technology, which is becoming more and more interesting in the eyes of industry’s insiders, was celebrated with Basso and his co-driver Lorenzo Granai. The Basso-Granai duo of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Italy team repeated the result at the prestigious Sanremo Rally, rounding off the season in ideal fashion.
