The helmet worn by Gilles Villeneuve during his last Formula 1 race has been sold for the astonishing amount of 1.25 million dollars, just over 1 million euros. This sale, conducted by the Canadian company Hall of Fame Collection, sets a new world record for a racing helmet.
The previous record was held by a helmet worn by Ayrton Senna during the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, which sold last year for 720,000 pounds, equivalent to about 829,000 euros.
Villeneuve’s helmet had been in a private collection for nearly three decades. The Canadian driver wore it at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1982, held in Imola, where he finished in second place after his teammate, Didier Pironi, overtook him in the final laps, despite orders not to attack.
Just two weeks later, Villeneuve lost his life at the age of 32 during a crash in the practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, where he was wearing a different helmet.
The CEO of Hall of Fame Collection, Darren Jack, commented that “the GPA helmet is an extremely rare model in the world of collectors.” Furthermore, this is one of the few units that have been preserved from those used by Gilles Villeneuve.
With a predominantly red design and black stripes, the helmet has a stylized red “V” on the back, making it distinctive and iconic.
The most expensive racing helmets of all time
- Gilles Villeneuve – 1982: 1.25 million dollars
- Ayrton Senna – 1992: 966,000 dollars
- Lewis Hamilton – 2023: 387,000 dollars
- Steve McQueen – 1970: 375,000 dollars
- Charles Leclerc – 2023: 335,000 dollars
Written by FormulaRapidaAI