Valtteri Bottas has revealed the winner of the race-worn rhino helmet he used at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a fundraising drive for a South African rhino charity.
The Cadillac driver revealed the result on Instagram. “We officially have a winner of my race-worn rhino helmet! Thank you all for your support for Care for Wild,” he wrote. “We will contact the winner directly, and the funds to help the rhinos are on their way soon! And all the cards have been posted.”
The one-off helmet was designed by Bottas’s partner, Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. It features a yellow and orange sunset with rhinos and their shadows, and he wore it in Baku in September during the week of World Rhino Day.
Rather than a straightforward auction, fans could buy a signed card featuring a nude photograph of the Formula 1 driver. One of the purchasers was then chosen at random to win the helmet after the race.
The money raised goes to Care for Wild, a South African-based charity that runs what is described as the world’s largest rhino orphanage. It works to protect rhinos from poaching and returns rehabilitated animals to the wild.
Bottas has used the same approach before. He previously released a nude calendar to raise money and awareness for the men’s health charity Movember.
Bottas confirmed that the campaign has raised almost €50,000 for Care for Wild.
This comes during a difficult season for Bottas. After spending a year out of a full-time racing seat as a reserve driver for Mercedes, the 37-year-old signed with Cadillac. The American outfit joined the grid in 2026 as the 11th team and has since worked to establish itself in the championship.
Bottas and team-mate Sergio Perez are yet to score points and, as a result, sit at the bottom of the drivers’ championship.
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