A race-worn helmet from Ayrton Senna’s legendary 1992 System 1 season has bought for a record-breaking $963,700 USD by way of RM Sotheby’s, setting a brand new international benchmark for the costliest race-worn helmet ever auctioned. The earlier file was held by Charles Leclerc’s 2023 Monaco Grand Prix helmet, which fetched $352,315 USD.
This uncommon Shoei X-4 helmet — considerably lighter than the usual model — was utilized by Senna throughout the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix weekend, most famously when he stopped mid-qualifying to help fellow driver Érik Comas following a violent crash. The Brazilian champion leapt from his McLaren, lower off Comas’ engine and stabilized his head till medics arrived — an act broadly credited with saving the Frenchman’s life.
Completed in Senna’s signature yellow with sponsor logos from Marlboro, Hugo Boss, Shell and Nacional, the helmet options its authentic KTEL radio system, darkish blue Honda visor strip and distinctive chinbar padding cutout. Backed by a 2025 inspection report and matched with interval race photographs, the helmet’s provenance and heroic backstory make it a coveted artifact from considered one of F1’s most revered figures.
