Though the majority of driving gloves are made out of soft leather, car racing gloves cannot be made out of leather. The reason is that leather tends to shrink when heated. Therefore, the gloves for racing drivers are made out of Nomex, a flame resistant material manufactured in the 1960s. It is a polymer which is related to nylon. This material is used with the intention of protecting drivers from fire and heat.
When it comes to the design of gloves worn by a racing car driver they are designed to provide a good grip so that he could get the feeling transmitted by the wheels to the steering. There are quite a few requirements that need to be fulfilled by car racing gloves. They should be tight fitting but the elastics threads and embroidery should not come in contact with the driver’s hand.
Normally the racing gloves are not lined but are provided with holes for breathing. Use of leather in car racing gloves is discouraged. In case leather is being used, there are restrictions on its use. Leather should not be there on the cuffs. Also leather is not allowed on the back of the hand and between the fingers. Leather could be only an extra layer on the Nomex which is the standard material allowed for racing gloves.
During the manufacturing stage, the racing gloves are subjected to some rigorous tests in order to ensure that the thread will not melt or break even after flaming. This is to ensure the protection of racing drivers.
