- Disney x Formula 1 Helmet Sells for Record £151,000 to Support Make-A-Wish
A custom Disney x Formula 1 helmet signed by 20 drivers from the current Formula 1 grid has sold for £151,000, setting what organiser Memento Exclusives says is a public-auction record for a non-race-used Formula 1 helmet while raising funds for Make-A-Wish International.
The “Fuel the Magic” helmet, produced by Bell Racing and featuring Mickey Mouse artwork, was sold through F1 Authentics to a private collector following an international bidding process. The winning bid was equivalent to about US$201,000, according to Memento Exclusives, which operates the Formula 1 memorabilia platform.
The sale represents a significant premium over previous major charity items handled by F1 Authentics and illustrates the growing commercial value of Formula 1 memorabilia as the sport expands its global fan base and strengthens partnerships with entertainment brands.
Memento Exclusives said the £151,000 price makes the helmet the highest publicly recorded auction sale for a Formula 1 helmet that was not worn or used during an official race session. The company qualified the record as being based on publicly available and discoverable auction results, excluding private transactions and sales whose prices have not been disclosed.
The helmet also became the most valuable individual charitable item sold through F1 Authentics.
The previous record was held by a Max Verstappen race suit from the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, which raised £112,000, or approximately US$149,000. The latest sale exceeded that amount by £39,000, representing an increase of about 34.82%.
It also comfortably surpassed the previous F1 Authentics charity-auction record for a helmet, held by Alex Albon’s race-used helmet from the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, which sold for £84,000. The Disney-F1 helmet fetched approximately 79.76% more.
Its rarity was strengthened by the collection of signatures from 20 current Formula 1 drivers during the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Among the drivers who signed the helmet were reigning world champion Lando Norris, four-time world champion Max Verstappen, 2026 breakout performer Kimi Antonelli, British Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, who serves as an ambassador for Make-A-Wish France.
The combination of signatures from almost the entire contemporary grid transforms the helmet from a conventional replica into a snapshot of a particular Formula 1 era, potentially adding long-term collectible value beyond the Disney collaboration itself.
The helmet was created in partnership with Bell Racing and designed by Bret Iwan, the official voice of Mickey Mouse, with creative direction from Bobby Kim, Global Creative Director at Disney Consumer Products.
Its design combines a matte black base with high-gloss graphics, red and yellow detailing, Mickey Mouse artwork and Formula 1 branding.
A Make-A-Wish star was incorporated behind Mickey’s shoe, designed to resemble a trailing sparkle as the character races forward — a visual link between the motorsport theme and the charitable purpose of the project.
The buyer will also receive a custom presentation box with a plexiglass display case and a certificate of authenticity signed by Iwan and Kim.
For Formula 1, the auction demonstrates how the sport’s increasingly broad commercial partnerships can be extended beyond sponsorship and merchandise into high-value collectibles and charitable fundraising.
Disney and Formula 1 have been expanding their commercial relationship as the championship seeks to reach audiences beyond traditional motorsport fans, particularly younger consumers and families.
The combination of one of the world’s most recognisable entertainment characters with signatures from leading Formula 1 drivers created a collectible positioned simultaneously within motorsport, pop culture and luxury memorabilia markets.
That overlap appears to have been central to the level of bidding.
Barry Gough, founder and chief executive of Memento Exclusives, said the company was pleased that the auction generated significant funding for Make-A-Wish and attracted strong interest from bidders internationally.
He said being entrusted by Disney and Formula 1 to manage the charitable sale was an important responsibility, adding that the successful bidder had secured an unusual piece of memorabilia while making a substantial contribution to the charity.
The fundraising proceeds will support Make-A-Wish International, which grants wishes to children living with critical illnesses.
Founded in 1980, the organisation says it has granted more than 650,000 wishes across nearly 50 countries and works with more than 27,000 volunteers worldwide.
The initiative adds to the growing use of sports memorabilia as a fundraising mechanism.
Items directly connected to elite athletes can attract significant premiums when authenticity, scarcity and charitable purpose combine, while digital auction platforms have expanded the pool of potential buyers beyond spectators attending physical events.
For rights holders, memorabilia has also become a more sophisticated commercial business.
Memento Exclusives operates licensing, retail and auction platforms that enable Formula 1 teams, drivers and other sports properties to monetise items ranging from race-used equipment to signed collectibles and replicas.
The Disney helmet illustrates how that model can also be adapted for charitable purposes without sacrificing the exclusivity that drives collector demand.
A second version of the helmet is scheduled to be displayed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, from August 14 to 16, giving fans another opportunity to view the design.
The £151,000 result is unlikely to be remembered simply for the price.
It represents an increasingly valuable intersection between Formula 1’s commercial expansion, entertainment partnerships and the global collectibles market, while demonstrating how exclusivity and sporting celebrity can be converted into meaningful charitable funding.
For Make-A-Wish, the record provides immediate financial support. For Formula 1 and Disney, it offers another indication of the commercial and cultural reach their partnership can generate far beyond the racetrack.
