Finished in a vibrant red, the helmet proudly displays the name 'Niki Lauda' in white lettering on each side, accompanied by logos representing AGV, Goodyear, and Romerquelle. A subtle trace remains on the front of the chin guard where a Raiffeisen Bank sticker once adorned it. Equipped with a tinted visor and an external air tube mounted on the left side, its interior boasts a comfortable lining of red cloth padding secured with a Velcro strap and buckle. Its storied past is evident with signs of crash and fire damage from that fateful day at the Nurburgring.

The German Grand Prix took place at the Nurburgring in August 1976. Qualifying would see James Hunt and Niki Lauda start on the front row of the grid, continuing their fierce rivalry. There were safety concerns pre-race about the lack of marshals at the 14.19 mile long circuit, however after debate among the drivers the race went ahead. Light rain would see Lauda start the race on wet weather tires, however after lap 1 he pulled into the pits to switch onto the dry tires. On lap 2 on the German Grand Prix Lauda's car lost control and came off the track.

Due to other drivers quick thinking, Lauda was pulled out of the burning car and taken to hospital. Just 42 days later, against all the odds, Lauda returned to the paddock to compete in the Italian Grand Prix where he would finish 4th.

More determined than ever Lauda went on to win his second world title in 1977 and his third in 1984. Many would agree that the campaigning efforts of Lauda has led to a significant improvement in safety and incident response times throughout motorsport to this day.

Niki Lauda's German Grand Prix helmet