Online auction of one-off helmet to boost Japanese aid from Music for Relief.

Sauber F1 Team driver Kamui Kobayashi will be lining up on the Sao Paulo grid for the FIA Formula One World Championship final wearing a special helmet design in a good cause. An encounter with rock band Linkin Park in Singapore sparked the idea for a helmet auction to support aid for Japan through the internationally renowned charity organisation Music for Relief, initiated by Linkin Park.

Since 2005, Music for Relief has raised more than five million US dollars for disaster victims and environmental projects. Of this, 700,000 dollars alone has been donated to Japan to help it deal with the consequences of the disasters that struck on 11th March this year.

Kamui - Helmet - Linkin Park Design

Joe Hahn, producer and band member of Linkin Park, personally designed the unique helmet for Kamui Kobayashi. As the Japanese driver explains: “I’ve long been a fan of Linkin Park. I love their music and I’m impressed by the band’s social commitment. I was thrilled to meet the musicians personally in the paddock when they were giving a concert at the Singapore Grand Prix. We’ve been in touch since then and I’m really pleased that Joe Hahn has designed a helmet for me. I hope that we will be able to raise a lot of money for Music for Relief to help rebuild my country.”

Joe Hahn comments: “This was a fun opportunity to create something for Kamui while continuing our efforts to raise funds for Japan.”

In Singapore, the band members were Paddock Club guests of the Good Smile Company, a personal sponsor of Kamui Kobayashi. The helmet – worth 3,500 euros even without its unique design – was provided by Arai Helmet Ltd.

The online auction opens this Thursday (09.00 hrs in Los Angeles/15.00 Sao Paulo/18.00 CET) at:  http://bit.ly/kamuihelmet. It ends on Monday, 19th November 2011 (14.00 hrs in Los Angeles/20.00 Sao Paulo/23.00 CET)