For this season, helmet manufacturers have had to comply with the FIA’s new “ultra protective” 8860-2018 standard for both F1 and F2, with other championships to follow in the future.

Among the tests that the new models have had to undergo are a 225g metal disc fired at 250km/h, a 10kg weight falling five metres, an air rifle shot directly at the visor, and exposure to a 790°C flame.

Arai’s latest helmet had not passed all the tests until Wednesday.

The new helmet models are deemed fully legal once they have the appropriate FIA stickers.

Drivers were allowed to use Arai’s latest helmet in Barcelona this week, on the basis that – even without the final certification – the Japanese company was confident that it is safer than previous models.

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo have both been running with it, while the other two Arai users, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly, are expected to switch in due course.