Michael Schumacher signs helmet for Jackie Stewart's dementia charity

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Ferrari great Michael Schumacher has lent his signature to a special helmet to be worn by fellow Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart during a tribute lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit this Sunday. This event aims to raise funds for dementia research.

Schumacher, now 56, has not been seen in public since suffering a serious brain injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. Despite his condition, Schumacher's contribution has added immense value to this charitable endeavor.

Organizers of the event revealed that all 20 living Formula 1 world champions have signed the helmet that triple champion Stewart, 85, will don while driving his 1973 title-winning Tyrrell. This poignant moment coincides with the 60th anniversary of Stewart's Formula 1 debut.

"It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause, a disease for which there is no cure," Stewart remarked to the Daily Mail at the Sakhir circuit. He added, "His wife [Corinna] helped him, and it completed the set of every single champion still with us."

The Daily Mail reported that the initials "MS" were carefully inscribed on the white helmet, which features the Stewart tartan. This helmet is a nod to the traditional gear Stewart wore during his prime racing years in the 1960s and '70s. A spokeswoman for the Schumacher family confirmed the details to Reuters.

Stewart established the charity Race Against Dementia in 2016 after his wife, Helen, began suffering from the disease. The charity's mission is to raise and allocate funds to expedite global research aimed at preventing and treating dementia, mirroring Formula 1's spirit of rapid innovation and response.

As Stewart prepares for this symbolic lap, the involvement of legends like Schumacher underscores the ongoing solidarity within the racing community to address and combat the pressing challenge of dementia.

Up Next