Albon auctions orphan designed Singapore F1 helmet for charity
Alex Albon will race in Formula 1's Singapore Grand Prix with a special helmet designed by Thai orphans, with the helmet being auctioned off for charity to support the orphanage.
The Anglo-Thai driver has been supporting the Wat Sakaeo orphanage near Bangkok since his move to Williams as team boss Jost Capito's brother Volker, a long-time Bangkok resident, happens to run a charity that supports the orphanage.
That relationship led to a visit by Albon earlier this year and his pledge to help support the Iceman Charity's push to renovate the orphanage's sports hall, which will be renamed Alex Albon Sports Hall upon completion.
To help fund the project, Albon will race in this weekend's Singapore GP with a helmet designed by the orphans, which will then be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the orphanage.
"They are basically raising money for their sports hall and it was up to them to design a helmet for me," Albon said. "There were about 200 kids that got involved and they all had a go.
"We're going to auction off the helmet and we're going to give 100% of the proceeds to the charity."
The quirky, light blue helmet features a big smile and several small drawings on the front.
Another child designed the top half, depicting orphans holding hands around Albon's personal logo, while the side of helmet features an elephant, an important element of Buddhism and the national animal of Thailand.
At the back there's a drawing of Albon alongside two orphans wearing red shirts, a memento of the Williams driver playing football at the orphanage with the children, many of which were Liverpool fans.
At the time of writing the helmet has already received 26 bids, with the current bid exceeding £8000. The auction, which is hosted on the F1 website, runs until 11 October.
Photo by: Alex Albon
Photo by: Alex Albon
Photo by: Alex Albon
Photo by: Alex Albon
Photo by: Alex Albon
When speaking with Autosport earlier this year about his charity push, Albon said he realised he was in a great position to help and felt it was an "opportunity to do the right thing."
"I'm quite shy and public things aren't my favourite things to be doing. But I do feel that there's an element of responsibility to be able to do good," he explained.
"I do feel very much Thai and I want to do more and more projects that can give opportunities to people, to children, to whoever it may be in Thailand.
"Obviously, I feel like I'm in a great position to try and help. It's an opportunity for me to do the right thing. We've been able to donate quite a lot of money and we're not stopping, we want to keep going."
Albon returns to the Williams cockpit after missing the Italian GP due to appendicitis. Complications from the procedure caused Albon to suffer respiratory failure, which led to a stay in the intensive care ward.
But three weeks on from his health scare, Albon says he no longer feels any pain and is "as fit as I can be".
Alfa Romeo F1 team fined €10,000 over tyre breach
F1 Singapore GP: Leclerc tops wet final practice from Verstappen
Kevin Magnussen to partner father Jan in Daytona 24 Hours
Racing father and son Jan and Kevin Magnussen are to team up again in next month’s Daytona 24 Hours in a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class.
What the brave new world of LMDh really looks like on track
As the future of sportscar racing in Europe has witnessed a tantalizing drip-drip of Le Mans Hypercars from Toyota, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Ferrari and Vanwall, across the pond in America the LMDh era arrived with a big bang at Daytona last week as Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche all hit the track together for the first time.
Leclerc expecting “smooth transition” under new Ferrari boss
Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari will undergo a “smooth transition” when a new Formula 1 team principal takes over next year.
Rovanpera expects bigger WRC title challenge after Tanak’s M-Sport switch
Kalle Rovanpera expects a bigger challenge to defend his World Rally Championship title in 2023 now there are winning drivers in all three teams, following Ott Tanak’s move to M-Sport.
Why Mercedes believes it can make the step F1 needs to fight Red Bull
The 2022 Formula 1 season was Mercedes' leanest for a decade, achieving just a solitary pole and grand prix win. Yet the team is confident it has got the tools it needs to cast that disappointment aside and return to the front of the field again next year
How BRM's one-off F1 double defied its rollercoaster history
It’s 60 years since BRM achieved its goal and Graham Hill led the team to a world title double. But that was just part of the remarkable story of a unique team that at times overstretched its resources and had its fair share of disappointments
The bold F1 DRS experiment that could end the debate forever
OPINION: The effectiveness of DRS in Formula 1 remains a topic of debate as the winter break gives a chance for reflection on the racing we saw in 2022. For all of its detractors, perhaps an experiment where DRS is cast aside and the impact this has on racing is in order to truly understand its merits in modern F1
The sliding doors moment that saved Red Bull and Porsche
OPINION: Everything looked set for Red Bull and Porsche to join forces for the 2026 season, before the marriage between both parties was called off. While at the time it looked like a major coup for Formula 1 in gaining both VW Group powerhouses Audi and Porsche for 2026, Red Bull and Porsche have really been spared a potentially fractious relationship.
How Tyrrell’s post-Stewart era descended into a fight to survive
Glory days for Tyrrell became increasingly infrequent after Jackie Stewart’s retirement. But in the latest instalment of his history of the team for Autosport's sister title GP Racing, MAURICE HAMILTON recalls how Ken Tyrrell’s plucky and defiantly small team stayed bold enough to innovate – springing a surprise with F1’s first six-wheeled car
The forgettable final car of a former F1 giant that gave Damon Hill his start
While it launched the F1 career of a future world champion, STUART CODLING recalls that the BT60 was also the final nail in the coffin of a once-great marque 30 years ago. Here is its story
How departing F1 boss Brawn views F1’s new rules - and the future
Multiple-title-winning designer and team boss Ross Brawn is finally leaving Formula 1 after nearly 50 years in motorsport. But he still has plenty of insights on what’s working and what comes next, as he revealed to Autosport in a far-reaching exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi
The key F1 management call Ferrari must make to avoid more defeat
OPINION: Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari will naturally bring a range of changes across the Formula 1 team. But how the changes shape up and the impact they could have is set to be dictated by a key direction Ferrari’s top dogs will need to pick