OMP established itself as a world-renowned company, but always maintaining its roots. 2019 saw the 30th anniversary of the move from Genoa to Ronco Scrivia, which was intended to be definitive. That idea has never been betrayed, quite the contrary. Over time, OMP increasingly became a reference point for the whole Valle Scrivia territory. While the roots of the OMP tree were deepening, expansion could still take place making new branches grow. The future is born day by day, and is made up of great ambitions.
Precisely in 2019, after lengthy negotiations, the purchase of Bell Racing Helmets, a leading manufacturer of racing helmets, was finalized. The deal creates the world's largest group in the motorsport safety equipment industry. A project that would once perhaps have appeared as a mere fantasy turned into reality.
The OMP and Bell union was perhaps written in fate. Not with a word, but with a number: 500. A 500, the small Fiat that motorized Italy, was the same car used by Roberto Percivale for hillclimb racing and in which the first handcrafted rollbars were mounted in 1973. 500 was also called the first helmet produced in 1954 by Bell. Two success stories, between Liguria and California, born almost in the same way, in a small workshop. OMP and Bell ranges, together, could include a complete range of safety products. This also helped to extend OMP's prestigious partnership with the FIA, started in 2012, adding the helmets’ supply.
At the end of 2020, Racing Force products were again under the entire world’s spotlight, as they played a key role in saving Romain Grosjean’s life. During the opening lap of the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix, the French driver crashes into Turn 3 barriers at almost 200 km/h. Grosjean was wearing a Bell helmet. The medical car driven by Alan van der Merwe rushed to his rescue, with medical officer Ian Roberts in the passenger seat. As FIA officials, both were wearing OMP overalls, and Bell helmets too. Roberts ran towards the flames to reach Grosjean, who in the meantime was jumping out of the car, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to a safe area. These images went down in motorsport history and certified the quality of OMP and Bell products.
On September 13th, 2021, the two historic brands merged into the new holding company Racing Force Group, together with the emerging start-ups Zeronoise and Racing Spirit, specialized in communication systems and technical motorsport clothing respectively. Stronger together, the four brands could start a future full of new opportunities.