These Formula 1 Racing Helmets Worn By Champs And Fan Favorites Are Headed To Auction

Cop a helmet worn by an F1 legend during Miami Grand Prix weekend.

In addition to a paddock brimming with rampant fans and A-listers, three days of non-stop festivities, and what’s sure to be a wild street-circuit race, Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix weekend will also bring the opportunity to acquire covetable collectibls from some of the sport’s legends, via a Bonhams auction.

The headlining lots are definitely the collection of race-worn helmets from active drivers and motorsport legends. Current Alpine driver Pierre Gasly’s Bell shell from the 2021 United States Grand Prix comes from dependable French driver’s time at AlphaTauri, now Racing Bulls. Though Gasly ended up retiring early, this one is still expected to fetch anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000. A lid from McLaren driver Lando Norris, who happens to be on top of this season’s leaderboard after three races, was worn during Bahrain testing and early rounds of the 2023 season—expect it to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s 2020 Turkish Grand Prix helmet by Bell, valued at between $25,000 and $35,000, is also up for grabs, and unlike Gasly and Norris’s helmets, Leclerc’s saw some notable competitive action. While the Monégasque started from fourteenth after a wet qualifying session, he was able to force his way up the grid all the way to second, but after last-lap elbowing from competitors, Leclerc ultimately finished fourth.

The most prized lid, though, didn’t even race in F1, but it was donned by arguably the sport’s most legendary figure. Michael Schumacher’s 1991 Shoei hlemet, believed to have been used during the seven-time F1 champ’s early racing-kart career and possibly for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), is being offered with the original karting visor, chips and marks. Its pre-auction valuation is listed at $30,000 to $50,000, but given that another ex-Schumacher helmet ignited a bidding war and sold for over four times more than expected at the same exact Bonhams auction last year, don’t be surprised to see the hammer fall well into six figures.

In addition to helmets, several race suits sported by former champs Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton are set to cross the block at The Miami Auction, which is open exclusively to race ticket holders. Bidding begins on May 3—the Grand Prix’s eve—at the Miami International Autodrome.