Auction house RM Sotheby’s is no stranger to incredibly rare, valuable and historically important vehicles, but even by its standards the car heading for the block on July 17 this year has generated a serious buzz.
The car in question, a McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25, was driven to victory at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix by Lewis Hamilton and will be auctioned to coincide with this year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Any F1 car coming to market is a big deal, but this one is particularly interesting because it’s the first time one of Hamilton’s cars has come up for sale. But you’ll need to be almost as rich as the F1 champ himself to buy it. RM Sotheby’s estimates the Vodaphone-sponsored machine will fetched between $5-7m (£3.55-5m).
The MP4-25A is powered by the Mercedes-Benz FO 108X 2.4-litre V8, and F1 fans will remember it for its innovative F-duct aero device. The system was controlled by the driver covering a small hole in the cockpit with his leg, which would reduced drag so effectively it could increase the McLaren’s top speed by as much as 6mph on long straights.
Always keen to safeguard its clients’ privacy, McLaren is very discrete about how many of its recent former F1 car are currently in private hands, but RM Sotheby’s suggests the number is extremely small, meaning whoever buys this car will be part of a very exclusive club.
Obviously it’s not the kind of car you can wheel out at a £200 trackday, but neither does it have to be a static exhibit. The car is fully driveable, and McLaren support is still available for those who want to play at F1 driver for the day on very special events. The talent to drive it on the other hand, well, that’s something money can’t buy.
Keyword: One Of Lewis Hamilton's F1 cars is up for auction