McLaren's 2026 F1 car goes on sale for £9MILLION...but there's a catch

Three McLaren sports cars alongside one another — Photo: © Photo credit: McLaren

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McLaren's 2026 F1 car goes on sale for £9MILLION...but there's a catch

Someone can walk away from an auction owning an unreleased F1 car

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Sunday 2 November 2025 11:49 Updated: 19:00

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McLaren have officially put one of their F1 cars up for sale to the public. It's just not yet clear which car it is.

Alright, it's not a complete tombola situation – it's definitely one of their 2026 MCL40A machines, which they're yet to finish working on, it's just that the listing says the buyer will receive 'either Lando Norris’ or Oscar Piastri’s chassis'.

A little tip if your Lando Fan Club is saving up its membership fees and pooling the tea money: don't bid on this, you might get Oscar's car, and then wouldn't you feel silly?

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Of course, those membership fees would have to be pretty hefty to afford the estimated $10-12million that the car is expected to sell for when it goes under the hammer in Abu Dhabi next month.

The upcoming auction was revealed all the way back in August by CEO Zak Brown, but the Sotheby's listing has finally gone live with all the pertinent details.

McLaren set to make rare car sale

It's not the only future car that the team are selling, either. In recognition of McLaren being the only team to win the Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans triple crown, they're auctioning off their 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar and McLaren’s first LMDh hypercar from its debut season in the 2027 World Endurance Championship

The F1 car won't be available to the buyer for more than two years after the auction date, with the listing citing 'the strict regulations conceived to prevent rivals from gaining access to relevant intellectual property', although a non-running 2025 show car will be provided for display in the interim.

Once the real deal arrives though, it will come complete with the team's 2026 power unit and can be driven at track days and certain demonstration events, 'supported by a crew of McLaren Racing engineers and mechanics'.

Just in case you thought that getting a real, actual, working F1 car wasn't enough to put your Monzo card through the machine, the winning bidder and five guests will get an invite to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, plus hospitality experiences at two grands prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 access.

So...can anyone lend us a fiver?

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