I don't know anything about the chap at Donington so this is a general point.
I don't normally marshal in positions which allow me to see/check whether drivers are kitted out correctly but a couple of years ago I was standing around at the start of a promenade sprint. Chatting to the drivers in the queue and looking at the splendid historic machinery, I noticed that a driver had the helmet strap done up wrongly. It was a ’D’ ring type where the strap goes through both rings and then back through just one.
His went through both rings and that was all.
Having done it up for him he explained that he was a novice (aged about 70) and this was his first event. I then checked every one and found (from memory) about 20 with the helmet not correctly fastened.
Scary. None of them seemed to be deliberate (as I have know rally drivers try) so here were 20 mature and sensible people failing to RTFM* or ask or have experienced support.
Regards
Jim
*Read The Fancy Manual