At a UNICEF auction in Miami. Expected to fetch $50,000-$60,000 USD.
The helmet had been poorly fitted and was ejected from the car in the crash, leaving Lauda's face and head exposed to the flames. He was so near death from burns and smoke inhalation that he given last rights. He elected to repeatedly undergo the most painful treatments and therapies available (including having the detritus literally vacuumed from his lungs) because those were the ones that promised to get him back into the cockpit all the sooner.
Forty-one days after the crash, he qualified fifth in the Italian GP, less than 1 second off pole. He came fourth in the race. After the race the bandages covering the skin grafts on his scalp were soaked with blood.
Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret
"It varies from circuit to circuit, but he’s totally at one with the machine. He has this unbelievable feel and empathy with the car, the grip, and the conditions, and confidence in himself.It's only been a couple of weeks ago that Adrian Newey was quoted as saying that Verstappen has Vettel's uncanny sensitivity to changes in the tire setup combined with Webber's remarkable sensitivity to changes in the aero setup."He has the ability to understand the tyres, what they need, when they need to be pushed, when they need to be saved, and he’s got this incredible racing brain as well.
"It’s almost unhuman [sic], what he’s capable of, but it’s a pleasure to work with and a pleasure to see. Effectively, he’s writing history."
And just to pour salt in the wounds, Red Bull's pit stops in China took 2.1 and 2.0 secs. Maybe the other teams should be practicing changing tires in the dark, too.