From Dream To Reality | Sports Memorabilia Day | Case Study

As part of our Sports Memorabilia Day celebrations, we sat down with motorsport artist, David Johnson, to discuss his extensive helmet collection and what sports memorabilia means to him. David creates vibrant artworks which are sold on F1® Authentics...but his work doesn’t stop there. David also creates commissioned pieces for the F1® drivers themselves, making his address book rather star-studded when it comes to motorsport.  

A collaboration with F1® drivers 

As soon as we start our chat with David, his exquisite collection is in view. Poised in front of a backdrop of racing helmets, David has quite the setup, leaving even us taken aback by the pieces he’s obtained. But before we begin our interview, David enlightens us on the week he’s had, “It’s been a busy one; I did a handover recently with Ollie Bearman for two paintings I’d done for him.” With a lot of rookies joining the grid this season, David is already building his new connections, but that’s simply the tip of the iceberg for him, “I also did a painting for Lewis Hamilton before Christmas and sort of put everything to the side for that, so feel like I’m just about catching up now.” 

David tells us that his memorabilia collection has grown due to the connections he’s made from his art, with many drivers offering items such as visors and helmets as a ‘thank you’ for the incredible pieces he’s created for them, “I like to have a bit of a memento for every driver I've worked with.” Whilst David doesn’t proclaim this, his helmet collection almost stands as his very own trophy cabinet, paying tribute to his works of art and the people he’s created them for, “Looking over all of them really spurs me on to do more art, and I love that connection with the drivers and the whole experience.” 

Owning history 

David explains that his passion for F1® is deep rooted, much like his drive to paint, but says that when he started about 20 years ago, he knew he wanted more than just to capture moments on canvas. He wanted to own pieces. And so, about eight years ago, that’s exactly what he set out to do. “I started to get the visors signed when I’d do artworks with drivers, and then eventually I was able to source a helmet.” Whilst the collection behind David is extensive, it’s only a snippet of his full display, “I think I have about 25 more visors. I also get them signed ‘to David’ - I know that might devalue them, but for me that makes them more special and personal.” 

Among the helmets, which are all neatly placed in rows on a special shelving unit in David’s house, there are some legendary names and iconic designs that we spot, “The main one is Lando’s, here. Lando’s got about 11 paintings from me, so it was amazing to finally get him to sign a helmet for my collection. That’s probably the helmet I look at the most, it’s got a personal message “thanks for everything”. I know he’s got all the paintings up in his house, so when he looks at my artworks, I suppose it’s similar to me checking out his race helmets.”.  

Our eyes are also drawn to another iconic looking lid, representative of a certain British seven-time World Champion,“This Lewis one, I only recently got, that’s one of his official releases where they are limited and he’s only signed a few of them, but I can’t quite believe the detail and quality of it.” As the most decorated driver in F1® history, signed Lewis Hamilton memorabilia is extremely rare and hard to come by. With his recent move to Scuderia Ferrari, the fact David holds a piece from his unrivalled racing journey is incredible, “I’ve never had something like this before, so to get hold of it is amazing. The recent art I did for Lewis before Christmas was actually part of his leaving gift from Mercedes, and so to receive this helmet following that, feels likes I got to be part of that chapter of his career in a way.” 

All in the detail 

Elsewhere in his helmet display, David points out some race used artefacts – a helmet used by Logan Sargeant during his F2™ days and an Esteban Ocon helmet. These helmets even shown signs of wear, with marks from bugs that have hit the visors at high speeds still visible. One of the phenomenal things about sports memorabilia is details like this; marks that help tell the story of the moments in which they were used and the action they bore witness to. Believe it or not but these bug marks on a race used F1® helmet make the piece more valuable, because it shows its authenticity. 

Next, David shows us some of his legend pieces, “We’ve got Schumacher, Prost, Hill, Coulthard and Alonso.” We ask David whether he has ever been able to work with one of these legends, “Damon Hill was a driver I always wanted to work with and then last year it finally happened. When I got into Formula 1®, it was through watching Damon Hill, sothat’s very special.” 

“Then we’ve got Sir Jackie Stewart, I’ve done quite a lot with him and Race Against Dementia. Then Mario Andretti,he’s commissioned about three paintings. Then Jody Scheckter, and finally in the corner we’ve got Nigel Mansell.” David continues. 

Whilst David has his own collection, his artworks make up part of drivers’ and other collectors’ displays all around the world. Some of his striking artworks are available on F1® Authentics, to which we ask if he has a favourite piece that he’s done. “There’s a few where I've impressed myself. I did one recently for Emerson Fittipaldi and I’ve always struggled with faces, and I feel I’ve got the eyes under the helmet spot on. I get anxious at that stage. So, I’m really pleased with it, it’s vibrant.” 

“The 2021 Max and Lewis one is popular. Funnily enough I was painting that one at Silverstone, not knowing what would happen in Abu Dhabi. I’ve had a few strange instances like that. I painted the Ferrari Le Mans cars and then they won in Le Mans. So, I don’t know what I will do next. I’ll have to think about it.” 

From dream to reality 

For David, memorabilia isn’t just about the items themselves – it’s about the stories they hold and the passion they ignite, which for David was sparked when he was young, “This is the model I first ever got – a Ferrari Minichamps. My dad and I were obsessed with models. We also used to say it’d be amazing to one day own a helmet and now I have all of this. It’sso surreal. I really appreciate it – that’s the main thing.” 

When asked if he has a favourite piece in his collection, David remarks, "I think the main one is the Lando helmet, but the Lewis one is incredible too.”. 

With such an extensive collection, is there anything David still dreams of owning? Without hesitation, he shares his ultimate goal... “One day, I’d love to own a race car. My partner thinks I’m lying when I say it, but that’d be the ultimate– a show car or an ex-race car. I do have a half-size Jordan wind tunnel model that’s being restored. My partner knows about that! But I’d need a bigger studio for a full-size car. If I ever got a McLaren show car, that would be the centrepiece. One day, possibly. We’ll see.” 

The bigger picture - the evolving world of memorabilia 

As our conversation begins to wrap up, David reflects on how the world of memorabilia is evolving. “I think accessibility is key to these unique pieces. Obviously, that’s why F1® Authentics is great, as it’s all in one place. I used to queue for hours to get autographs! More recently, I’ve been able to get a few race suits and Amalgam models through F1® Authentics. It’s really hard to get hold of these things. It’s the only company that has been able to provide such rare pieces.” 

Unfortunately, not all memorabilia on the market is genuine, which makes reputable sources like F1® Authentics all the more important, “I was talking to an F1 driver’s manager about how frustrating it must be to see fake signatures on eBay. He was telling me he’s spotted gloves supposedly signed by the driver, but that they didn’t sign them. If he does, he knows exactly where they’re going. That’s why Memento Exclusives and F1® Authentics gives me that reassurance.” 

Over the years, F1® Authentics has played a key role in making rare and exclusive items accessible to fans, whether through its auction site or its store featuring re-engineered parts and artworks. With official licences with the race teams, collectors have the peace of mind of knowing that the memorabilia they buy has been sourced directly from their favourite constructors. David continues, “Who knows what’s next? But as long as unique pieces are being made available to people who wouldn’t have had access before, that’s amazing.”  

As our conversation draws to a close, David shares one final thought – one that perfectly sums up his passion for motorsport memorabilia. 

“Sports memorabilia creates connections all around the world. It’s bigger than just the pieces themselves.” 

To explore the David Johnson artwork collection, visit f1authentics.com. To find out more about Sports Memorabilia Day – celebrated on 27th April 2025, visit mementoexcusives.com