The Formula 1 helmet worn by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during his home Monaco Grand Prix last month sold for a record €306,000 ($329,960) in an auction to raise funds for flood victims in Emilia-Romagna.
Auctioneers RM Sotheby’s said in a statement on Thursday that the amount made it the highest-priced racing helmet ever auctioned.
A 1990 helmet worn by Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna, with the team radio still in it, set the previous record in 2019 when it went for 162,000 euros.
Leclerc’s race suit fetched 61,200 euros, his boots went for 20,400 and his gloves sold for 42,000 in a ‘Charles Leclerc for Emilia-Romagna’ charity auction that made a total of 429,600 euros.
The signed red and white Bell HP77 helmet was a one-off item created for the Monaco race, in which Leclerc finished sixth.
Fifteen people died in floods that hit the northern Italian region in May when torrential rain caused more than 20 rivers to burst their banks and sent water cascading through towns and villages. Ferrari’s home grand prix at Imola was called off, with Monaco the next race on the calendar.
Offered directly from Charles
RM Sotheby said of the helmet before it was sold: “An opportunity has arisen to acquire a race helmet worn by Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
“Offered directly from the driver, this incredible piece of motorsport memorabilia is being sold to raise money for those affected by the devastating floods that struck the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy—home to the famous Maranello factory—in May 2023. An estimated 20,000 people are believed to were displaced in the worst flooding to affect Italy in 100 years.
“This cutting-edge Bell HP77 full-face helmet was worn by Leclerc for the duration of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix—a thrilling race in which the Scuderia Ferrari driver battled to a 6th-place finish.
“The helmet features a totally unique design inspired by that worn by his father, Herve Leclerc, who became the first in the family to race the streets of Monte-Carlo. The design echoes the striped motif of his father’s helmet, though finished in Charles Leclerc’s own trademark red and white—a nod to the Monégasque’s national flag—while ‘Monaco’ script adorns the rear.
“The helmet is signed by the driver and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity and in addition to acquiring a unique piece of Scuderia Ferrari and Formula 1 memorabilia, this sale offers the chance to make a significant contribution to the recovery effort of the Emilia-Romagna floods. (Additional reporting by Alan Baldwin)