Andy Devaney
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a slice of Formula One history, now’s your moment. Max Verstappen fans in particular will be circling the calendar, because not only is a championship-winning race suit up for grabs, but it’s the very one Max Verstappen wore during the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix — the night he sealed his fourth world title. And because the universe likes symmetry, Yuki Tsunoda has thrown in a one-off helmet that looks like it could double as modern art in the lobby of a very expensive Tokyo hotel.
Both items headline F1® Authentics’ End of Season Auction, and every penny funnels into Wings for Life — Oracle Red Bull Racing’s long-time charity partner dedicated to spinal cord injury research. Over the years, both drivers have tossed plenty of prized kit into these auctions, generating serious sums for science without losing an ounce of competitive spirit.
Tsunoda’s helmet, worn under the neon haze of this year’s Las Vegas GP, comes courtesy of artist Kent Yoshimura. His brief? Capture Yuki’s grit using the Japanese art of kintsugi — the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold seams. As Yoshimura put it, the helmet “…is a representation of Yuki, the challenges, the resilience and finally all that coming together in this theme of kintsugi, which is broken things can be mended with gold and turned into something much more beautiful.”
Tsunoda himself didn’t hold back when he unveiled it on Instagram: “For me this is the best helmet… I can’t wait to get out on the track with it.”
On the other side of the garage sits the main event for collectors: Verstappen’s Las Vegas race-weekend suit, signed and still smelling faintly of domination. This is the kit he wore while locking up championship number four, joining the very small club of drivers with more than three world titles. At this point he’s no longer just a name in the record books — he’s a chapter.
The proceeds are split across Wings for Life’s international hubs, with Tsunoda’s helmet backing the UK arm and Verstappen’s suit supporting Wings for Life USA. One detail worth noting: 100% — not a corporate-friendly 92%, not a “proceeds-after-admin” 70% — all of the money goes directly into spinal cord injury research and clinical trials.
Emma Hind, Wings for Life UK CEO, put it plainly: “Wings for Life are delighted to be part of the end-of-season auction in partnership with Memento Exclusives. We are incredibly grateful to the Oracle Red Bull Racing team and drivers for donating a Max Verstappen Las Vegas race weekend-worn race suit and Yuki Tsunoda’s 2025 Las Vegas helmet, which are the perfect collector’s pieces for any F1 fan!
Having seen such a successful partnership in previous auctions, we are thrilled to be working together again to raise crucial funds for Wings for Life. The money raised will continue to drive us towards our goal of finding a cure for spinal cord injury.”
From across the Atlantic, Wings for Life USA CEO Andrew Wagner couldn’t resist a Las Vegas flourish: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but not Max’s racing suit! Wings for Life is very proud to partner with F1 Authentics for this unique auction opportunity. Max Verstappen was the 2024 World Champion, so owning his Las Vegas worn racing suit from a championship year will be a prized addition for a lucky collector.
I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Oracle Red Bull Racing and F1 Authentics for generously supporting our mission. 100% of the money raised from this auction will fund critically important spinal cord injury research.”
Oracle Red Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies added his backing: “Once again, we’re proud to be supporting our partner charity, Wings for Life, in collaboration with F1® Authentics. As we approach the Las Vegas Grand Prix we hope that fans and collectors alike will be excited to bid on Yuki’s special designed helmet, inspired by the Japanese art style, Kintsugi, and Max’s 2024 Las Vegas Race weekend-worn suit.
With 100% of funds raised going into Wings for Life’s groundbreaking research to find a cure for spinal cord injury, it’s great that we’re able to offer these special pieces for auction.”
So if you fancy owning Verstappen’s title-night armour or Tsunoda’s golden-scarred masterpiece, head straight to f1authentics.com.
The hammer falls on 9 December 2025, and when it does, someone’s trophy cabinet is going to look a lot more interesting.
