After joining McLaren in 1988, Ayrton Senna was almost unstoppable as a serial Formula 1 race-winner. Only Alain Prost, the Brazilian driver’s McLaren teammate, could force Senna into second-best for the Drivers’ Championship in 1989. In the years before and after, Senna had romped to the title in three out of four seasons. The 1992 season was memorably dominated by Nigel Mansell, with his 104 Championship points blowing 2nd-placed Riccardo Patrese, with his 56 points, out of the water. Senna remained competitive with three race wins, however, all-the-while vying with the emerging talent Michael Schumacher in the German’s first full Formula 1 season.

For the 1992 season, the Japanese helmet manufacturer Shoei was enlisted to provide headwear for Senna, who had previously worn helmets by Bell (1984 to 1989) and Rheos (1990 to 1991). It is thought that car racing helmets accounted for around five per cent of Shoei’s motorcycle-centric product output, making models such as this race-worn X-4 very rare. Documented to have been made on 29 April 1992 and painted in Japan, the helmet was given Snell SA90 type approval with the serial number “SA 0026237”. Made as a lightweight version of the X-4, this helmet weighs some 1,380 grams compared to the regular helmet at 1,500 to 1,600 grams, making this helmet even rarer than the standard Senna helmets.

The helmet was painted to accommodate numerous key sponsor logos—in this case, the newer “HUGO BOSS” version of the fashion company’s branding, which had earlier scripted “MEN’S FASHION”. The left and right Shoei logos are set underneath the helmet’s clear coat layer, while the Brazilian bank and Senna’s long-term sponsor, Nacional, appear alongside Marlboro visuals. It is believed that the cigarette manufacturer’s logo was painted in white with a red chevron but with a blank frame, allowing for the removal of the company’s name lettering in races that prohibited tobacco promotion. The helmet features the correct dark blue Honda visor strip with Shell logos and as a unique identifier for Senna’s helmets, the centre of the chinbar padding has been cut away.

While the build date would suggest that this helmet might have been taken to grands prix in San Marino and Monaco or used in testing, this piece was most notably used either in qualifying or during the race itself at the 1992 Belgian GP. Its stone chips and other identifying marks, which have been verified with multiple photo matches, prove its use at Spa—at a famous race in which Senna stopped to help fellow driver Érik Comas who had suffered a major accident. Senna pulled his car over, and ran across incoming traffic to the aide of the French driver, who sat idle in his car. Senna turned off the engine, thus stopping fuel flow. Comas later credited Senna for likely saving his life.

While the vibrant yellow colourway of the iconic Senna helmet design makes this piece stand out, its provenance as a race-worn memento from the Brazilian’s glittering career make this a must-have for serious Formula 1 collectors.