You Can Now Own Ayrton Senna’s Iconic Grand Prix Winning F1 Car
The year? 1991.
City? Sao Paolo.
Circuit? Interlagos.
Ayrton Senna took pole position that Saturday in Qualifying, and took the first slot of the starting grid the following day. Although a two-time Formula 1 World Champion already, the Brazilian had never won an F1 race on home ground. He had tried and failed eight times before. He got off to a thundering start and led the 71-lap race from the word 'go'. Towards the end, a gearbox issue nearly saw him lose it all. But as the chequered flag was waved, the iconic white and red McLaren, powered by the screaming Honda V12, sailed through to the pages of history. Chassis number MP4/6/1 had taken Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna to his first F1 win in Brazil, in front of the home crowd.
It was a stupendous moment. The grandstands erupted in jubilation as the crowd had held its breath the last few minutes, hoping and praying their hero wins. The drive in the final laps drained the seasoned Formula 1 driver so much so that Senna could barely lift the trophy. “It wasn’t the greatest win of my life,” Senna said afterwards, “but it was the hardest-fought one.” Everyone who saw that race would never forget it. Now that car is due to go on sale.
Senna's winning car will be offered exclusively through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform, with bidding opening on December 8 and closing on December 11. It carries a pre-sale estimate of USD 12 to USD 15 million.
The chassis is the first of 11 that were constructed by the McLaren-Honda F1 team for the 1991 Championship. While MP4/6/1 is significant for delivering Senna’s home win, it is just as special because of its unblemished track record. The car has never raced again and therefore, never lost a race! It’s one of those rare cases where a specific chassis took the Pole Position in Qualifying, won the race, and also led the race from start to finish.
The MP4/6 also marked the end of an era in Formula 1, becoming the last F1 car with a manual transmission—it had a 6-speed manual gearbox—to win the World Championship. It was also the final triumph of the historic partnership between McLaren and Honda.
Throughout the season, MP4/6/1 served as a factory development and test car for Senna, Gerhard Berger, and official McLaren test drivers. Following its retirement from testing in October 1991, it remained in McLaren’s possession for nearly 30 years before being recommissioned by McLaren Heritage upon the acquisition by its sole private owner in 2020.
“Anything connected to him—a helmet, a suit, even something he once touched—has become sacred to collectors. Senna transcended the role of driver long before his tragic passing; he became an icon. But even within that realm, there are levels, and this car sits at the very top," said Nick Wiles, RM Sotheby’s car specialist, adding: "The McLaren MP4/6 that carried him to victory at his home Grand Prix in Brazil, in what Senna himself called the ‘hardest-fought race of his life,’ represents the pinnacle of Formula 1 collecting. It’s difficult to imagine anything more significant or more desirable to a collector.”
Indeed a priceless ownership experience for whoever eventually gets to own it.