Dubai: McLaren are putting five fully operational Formula One cars up for sale, including machines driven by world champions Lewis Hamilton and the late Ayrton Senna. One of the cars was also tested by Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
The cars are being sold through luxury dealer Tom Hartley Jr and are expected to fetch tens of millions of dollars. McLaren, the reigning constructors’ champions, will prepare each vehicle for its new owner.
Hartley Jr previously handled the sale of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s car collection, as well as 20 road cars owned by the late McLaren co-owner Mansour Ojjeh.
“We have decided to part with these iconic McLaren Formula 1 cars because we feel that having them simply sitting in storage is a disservice to what they represent,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said in a statement on Oct 18.
“These cars were built to be driven and raced, and we want to see them being used and enjoyed. We believe that is the best way to keep our history alive and our heritage business active.”
The five cars cover 32 years of McLaren history, beginning with two MP4/6A models powered by Honda V12 engines. Gerhard Berger raced the cars, while Senna tested them during his 1991 championship-winning season.
Chassis 04 secured second place in a McLaren one-two at the San Marino Grand Prix, where the pair lapped the entire field. Chassis 07 also finished runner-up at the British Grand Prix. McLaren has retained both cars ever since.
Also included is the 2012 McLaren MP4/27A, chassis 01, raced by 2009 world champion Jenson Button and tested by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
The collection is completed by two cars driven exclusively by current champion Lando Norris during the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
The 2021 McLaren MCL35M helped Norris secure podium finishes at Imola, Monaco and Monza. Meanwhile, the 2023 MCL37A-03 claimed back-to-back victories in Singapore and Japan before being used in post-season testing by several drivers, including Norris's team-mate Oscar Piastri and Mick Schumacher, son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
The 2023 car was also driven by Brad Pitt during a private test at Austin's Circuit of the Americas in June last year, linked to his starring role in F1 the Movie. Pitt reportedly reached 317km/h, with the car becoming the most modern F1 machine offered for sale to a private owner.
“It is incredibly rare for a collector to have the opportunity to acquire race-driven Grand Prix cars directly from the manufacturer and team that built and campaigned them, and that makes this a very special offering,” said Hartley.
“These five cars will be offered individually and there is no time pressure whatsoever. Our priority, and McLaren’s, is to find the right homes for them.”
Although no prices have been announced, the cars are expected to sell for between £5 million and £10 million.
A McLaren MP4-25A driven by Hamilton to victory in Turkey in 2010 sold for £4.8 million in 2021. Meanwhile, a race-winning 2001 Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher fetched US$7.5 million in New York in 2017.