A Formula 1 helmet signed by 20 drivers has sold for £151,000. The auction proceeds will support Make-A-Wish International and children living with critical illnesses.
Disney artists created the one-off design with Formula 1. The final bid established a new public auction record for an unworn replica Formula 1 helmet.
The final bid set two records
The helmet was offered through the F1 Authentics platform. Memento Exclusives operates the service and organised the sale for the charitable campaign. The winning bid reached £151,000, which was about $201,000 at the reported exchange rate. No publicly recorded unworn replica Formula 1 helmet had sold for more.
The result also became the largest price for one charitable item sold through F1 Authentics. The previous leading item was a set of race-worn overalls. Max Verstappen used those overalls at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. They raised £112,000, leaving a £39,000 difference between the two auction totals.
Twenty drivers added their signatures
The signatures came from 20 members of the 2026 Formula 1 grid. Their participation turned a display helmet into a unique piece linked with the current championship. The helmet was never worn in a race. Its value came from the design, the complete set of signatures and the purpose of the auction.
Collectors could therefore assess the item without claims about race mileage or a specific Grand Prix result. The sale description kept its history clear. The unusually broad group of signatures also separated it from driver-specific replicas. It represented the grid rather than one team or one competitor.
Disney artists created the black, red and yellow design
Bret Iwan worked on the helmet with Disney global creative director Bobby Kim. Iwan is known as the official voice of Mickey Mouse. They used a matt black base with red and yellow details. Mickey Mouse artwork completed the connection between Disney and the Formula 1 campaign.
The project received the name Fuel the Magic. That title appeared throughout the auction and the related Make-A-Wish fundraising work. A second identical helmet will go on display in Anaheim, California. Visitors can see it during the D23 Disney fan event from 14 to 16 August.
The proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish International
Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children living with serious medical conditions. The organisation works through national branches and international partnerships. Memento Exclusives said the funds from this sale will support that work. The auction therefore had a defined beneficiary before bidding began.
Chief executive Barry Gough said the response reached bidders around the world. He also noted that the buyer secured the item while supporting the charity. The final price exceeded the earlier F1 Authentics charity record by more than one third. That increase shows the combined effect of the signatures and the cause.
The campaign joined several Formula 1 communities
Formula 1 supplied access to the drivers and its official auction platform. Disney provided the creative concept, while Memento managed the physical item and sale. Make-A-Wish supplied the charitable purpose and will use the proceeds. Each organisation therefore held a separate role in the completed project.
The helmet will remain with the winning bidder, but the second example preserves public access to the design. Fans do not need to rely only on auction images. The sale ended with a confirmed amount rather than an estimate. Its £151,000 total is the central result of the campaign.
The previous record came from race-used clothing
Max Verstappen’s signed racing overalls had previously raised £112,000. That sale provided the main comparison before the helmet auction ended. The new total exceeded the earlier figure by £39,000. It also set a record for an unworn Formula 1 replica helmet.
Race-used equipment often attracts value through its direct connection with competition. This helmet relied instead on one design and twenty signatures. The final bid showed that collective participation could exceed the price of one champion’s equipment. Every current driver contributed to the same object.
A second helmet continues the campaign
The designers created another signed helmet as part of the same project. It is scheduled for a separate auction during the D23 event. That event runs from 14 to 16 August. Its sale gives the charity campaign another opportunity after the first record result.
The second item uses the same connection between Formula 1 and Disney. It remains a distinct auction rather than an extension of the winning bid. The first £151,000 is already committed to the charity’s international work. The later sale may increase the total without changing the completed record.
One item connected every driver with the charity campaign
The helmet carried signatures from all twenty Formula 1 drivers. That complete collection made it different from memorabilia linked to one team or race.
The winning payment goes to Make-A-Wish International. The organisation uses donations to arrange experiences for children living with serious illnesses.
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