A pair of boots worn at the wheel by legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna are for sale at a British auction house.
The blue footwear flew around the Brands Hatch circuit on Senna’s feet at the 1986 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.
The blue, Adidas shoes have been signed by Senna, who drove the race for Team Lotus.
After coming in third in qualifying, Senna failed to finish the race.
That was atypical at a time when the Sao Paolo-born driver was rising very quickly to the top of the F1 tree.
The boots have been signed, labelled for Senna and initialed in pen too. Image courtesy of Graham Budd.
By 1988 he was world champion.
Senna died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in a crash that shocked the F1 world. He was given a state funeral in Brazil.
His short life and extraordinary talent make him one of the most revered of all F1 or motorsports figures.
In 2012, a signed helmet in a Brazilian livery from the 1993 season was auctioned for £74,750 ($125,938).
These boots carry a pre-sale estimate of £19,000 to £20,000 at Graham Budd auctioneers.
Last year, Nigel Mansell’s career collection of memorabilia made over £2 million at auction, with a helmet topping the lots at £68,400.
Occasionally, F1 cars come to auction.
Earlier this year a Mercedes W196R Streamliner from 1955 set a record of £42.7 million at auction, more than doubling the previous high set by a similar model in 2013.
Senn’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8A realised £3.6m at auction in 2018.
The world of F1 is a big-money world and it’s a sport of individual heroism. Senna is one of the most magnetic names in the sport’s history and these boots could easily speed past their estimate.
