Helmet worn by Canadian F1 great Gilles Villeneuve sells for record US$1.25M

MONTREAL — Gilles Villeneuve’s helmet from his final Formula One race in 1982 has sold for a record US$1.25 million ($1.727 million), according to a motorsports memorabilia collector.

Darren Jack, president and CEO of Hall of Fame Collection based in Burlington, Ont., said his company brokered the sale for the world-record price, exceeding the previous mark of £720,000 (then US$966,449) set by Ayrton Senna’s helmet from the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, sold last year.

Villeneuve’s helmet had been in a private collection for close to 30 years.

Jack said the late Canadian racing legend wore the helmet for Ferrari at the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, where he finished second after Ferrari teammate Didier Pironi famously overtook him on the final lap despite team orders to slow down.

Villeneuve, the namesake of Montreal’s F1 circuit for the Canadian Grand Prix, died two weeks later at age 32 following a crash in qualifying for the Belgian GP. He was wearing a different helmet at the time.

“The GPA helmet itself is an extremely rare helmet model in the collecting world. Also this is one of only five, maybe, that exist ever of Gilles Villeneuve race helmets,” Jack said from the paddock next to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The helmet is predominantly red with black stripes on each side, while the back features a stylized red “V” — a design replicated by current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at the 2023 Canadian GP.

Melanie Villeneuve, Gilles’ daughter, said the sale showcases “how well my father’s legend still lives on.”

“It makes you think that maybe his story has something super valuable for our general culture — so where did he come from, why was he able to achieve what he achieved with so little means,” she said. “It’s such passion, so there’s a human story to it that is very valuable.”

Known for his fearless driving style, Villeneuve won six Grand Prix races for Ferrari, claiming his first victory in Montreal in 1978.

Growing up in Berthierville, Que., he was the son of a piano tuner and a seamstress, first gaining attention as a snowmobile racer. His son, Jacques Villeneuve, won the 1997 F1 championship.

Gilles Villeneuve was named a historic figure of Quebec by Premier Christine Fréchette on Friday. A biopic based on his life is set to be released in cinemas in November.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press