Stand 21 Nomex Fireproof Undershirt — Lotus 99T, 1987 Formula One World Championship Race-Worn by Ayrton Senna Throughout the 1987 F1 SeasonHand Signed by Ayrton Senna in Green Marker
There is an intimacy to fireproof underwear that no helmet, no trophy, no car component can match. Worn directly against the skin, beneath the race suit, in the cockpit of one of the most formidable racing cars of its era — this Stand 21 Nomex fireproof undershirt was as close to Ayrton Senna as any object in the world could be during a Grand Prix weekend. It is, in the truest sense, a piece worn by the man himself.
The Garment
A cream/off-white Stand 21 Nomex fireproof undershirt, bearing the original Stand 21 chest logo — the same French manufacturer responsible for producing Senna's race suits and fireproof undergarments throughout his Lotus years from 1985 to 1987. Stand 21 manufactured Senna's suits during his time as a Lotus driver, across the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons, under the watchful eye of Yves Morizot, chairman and founder of the company.
The garment shows the natural aging and patina consistent with genuine race use — the cream colouring characteristic of period-correct Nomex fireproof material. It presents in wearable, displayable condition, retaining its original construction and form.
Signed directly onto the chest in green marker, Senna's signature sits bold and clear — an intimate, personal inscription on a garment of equally personal significance.
Stand 21 & The Nomex Standard
Stand 21 was — and remains — one of the most respected names in motorsport safety. In the 1980s, their Nomex-constructed fireproof undergarments were among the most advanced available to Formula One drivers, providing a critical additional layer of fire resistance beneath the outer race suit. For a driver of Senna's intensity and physical commitment, these garments were not accessories — they were essential protection, worn through qualifying sessions, race starts, and the full physical demands of a sixteen-round World Championship season.
The 1987 Season — Context & Significance
This undershirt was worn during one of the most technically remarkable and emotionally significant seasons of Senna's career. Piloting the revolutionary Lotus 99T — fitted with computer-controlled active suspension and the Honda Twin-Turbo engine — Senna drove a car that could stay flat over bumps, preserve tyres, and run less wing for more top speed.
Senna achieved two race victories in 1987, at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Detroit Grand Prix, as well as six other podiums throughout the season — four second places and two third places — finishing third in the Drivers' Championship. These wins, and the additional podiums, represented a feat never to be repeated thereafter in F1 by a Lotus — marking the last time the great team would stand on the top step of a Grand Prix podium.
It was his final season in yellow and blue. The following year, Senna moved to McLaren and claimed the first of his three World Championships. This garment belongs to the final chapter of that Lotus story — the last season of a partnership that had launched one of the greatest careers in sport.
A Note on Rarity
Original Stand 21 Nomex garments from Senna's 1987 Lotus season are extraordinarily rare — among the few made with specific period detailing unique to that championship year. Race-worn fireproof underwear almost never survives in collectible form; it was functional equipment, not considered for preservation at the time. That this piece exists, is signed, and can be directly attributed to the 1987 season places it in a category reserved for only the most exceptional Senna material.
A signed race suit from the same Stand 21 partnership has been exhibited at the Museum of Legends in Pavia, one of the most significant Senna collections in the world. Nomex undergarments of this provenance and period are vanishingly scarce.
Signed. Race-worn. Irreplaceable.
Estimate: Upon request
