In a YouTube video for GQ Sports, Sergio Perez listed the 10 things he can’t live without, which included his racing helmet. The Mexican driver delved into why it was so precious to him, and when asked how much it cost, Perez simply replied that it was not for sale.
However, he still elaborated about the cost of the helmet including the hand painting of the design and its other elements. Perez stated how the painting alone costs €2000 (around $2170), and the cost of buying it would be around €5000 (around $5430). This pushes the total price of the helmet to €7000 ($7600).
Siempre es un gusto volver a Austin, que es como correr en casa.
Gracias @disneyplusla por este casco especial, está increíbleIs always great to be back in Austin.
It’s like racing at home. Thank you, @disneyplusla for this special helmet, it’s amazing pic.twitter.com/j4iuqEihSj— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) October 17, 2024
Perez revealed that his helmets aren’t usually for retail sale. But he does auction them via his charity Fundacion Sergio Perez. The Red Bull driver said, “I don’t sell them so they’re priceless. I’ve only auctioned them for my foundation and they’ve been auctioned for like 200,000 USD which everything goes into the foundation.”
As for his foundation’s charity auctions, Perez has received help from several F1 drivers like Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Felipe Massa, and Valtteri Bottas. All of them donated their used and signed racing gloves to raise money for Perez’s charity.
In the video for GQ as well, Perez mentioned what his foundation does. He said, “It’s all about kids. We look after a lot of kids. They don’t have parents and we look after them from a very young age till they’re 18.”
Auctioning Perez’s helmets for his charity foundation would greatly benefit the children they support. With some helmets selling for over $200,000, they surely make a valuable contribution to those in need. So, in addition to protecting him while he’s racing in F1, Perez’s helmet also does a lot more off the track.
Perez’s peeves with his racing helmet
Perez listed the features of his racing helmet, highlighting its remarkable ability to withstand strong impacts without ever breaking. He also noted that the visors, though interchangeable, are durable. Interestingly, Perez tends to stick with a helmet until he has a standout race while wearing it, adding a touch of superstition to its already impressive specs.
The 34-year-old said, “If there’s a very special race or if I win the race, I always keep it. If it’s like a normal race or a bad race, I keep it wearing until it’s a good one and then I keep it with me.”
Perez mentioned how he has his logo ‘SP11’ painted at the back of the helmet. Besides that, it also has a special message — ‘Never Give Up’ — which he likes to see every time before gearing up for a race. The #11 driver also stated how he has the Mexican flag painted on top of his helmet — a habit he has retained since his karting days.
