The Bahrain GP could be an emotional event for many motorsport fans even before the drivers hit the track. Jackie Stewart will wear a special helmet that will be donated to charity. Among the special signatures will also be that of Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has been out of the public eye since the tragic skiing accident in 2013 that changed his life. Since then, the family has shared very little information about his health.
It is known that the driver suffered a brain injury in that terrible mountain accident, but beyond that, little to nothing is known. However, the news coming from Bahrain gives hope for his health.
Schumacher is part of an exclusive group of F1 drivers who have signed a helmet that will be worn by Jackie Stewart in the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix. Stewart will drive his Tyrrell, the car with which he won the championship in 1973, on the Bahrain circuit, on the 60th anniversary of his debut in the top tier of motorsport.
A special signature for a good cause
The helmet that Stewart will wear has been autographed by all 20 living F1 champions, including Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen. His wife Corinna helped the German driver reproduce his signature: a simple “MS”. An auction will follow, including the sale of the helmet, with proceeds going to Stewart’s charity, Race Against Dementia.
This is the charity founded in 2016, a few years after Jackie Stewart’s wife was diagnosed with dementia. Stewart’s lap in Bahrain will take place 20 minutes before the start of Sunday’s race.
“It’s wonderful that Michael was able to sign the helmet for this noble cause—a disease for which there is no cure,” Jackie Stewart told the Daily Mail. “His wife helped him, and that completed the group of all the champions still with us.”
At this point, it will be interesting to closely follow Jackie Stewart’s lap, which will take on an even deeper meaning—not only for the charitable cause, but also for the helmet adorned with such special signatures.
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