RM Sotheby’s and Formula 1 have announced a one-lot auction to be held July 17 during the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone, where instead of an auction block the car will be up for bidding while it is being driven around the track.
Oh, and the car is the 2010 McLaren Mercedes MP4-25A that Lewis Hamilton drove to victory in the Turkish Grand Prix, and is the first Hamilton-driven F1 car to be offered for public sale.
“In over 70 years of Formula 1 and 40 years of RM Sotheby’s, the sale of this GP winning McLaren Mercedes at speed, at a Grand Prix circuit, on race weekend represents a true first of its kind,” RM Sotheby’s noted in its announcement.
“The auction event is, in so many ways, emblematic of the driver himself. A man who has eclipsed all major records with no sign of slowing. Hamilton has become a Global Icon that transcends the automotive world – currently the most dominant and talked about driver in F1, but yet a gentleman competitor always, showing great deference to the giants that preceded him and who’s shoulders he stands upon as the face of the world’s biggest annual sporting series.”
“The timing of the sale couldn’t be better,” noted Kate Beavan, director of hospitality and experiences for F1. “A little over 10 years on from Lewis’ race win #12 in Istanbul, the car will be offered for public sale at Silverstone, home of Formula 1 racing; and the wake of Lewis surpassing Michael Schumacher’s all-time F1 race wins total.
“This very special event will see us actually auction an F1 car while it is being driven around an F1 circuit. It is an incredible stage upon which to sell this iconic car.”
Hamilton made his F1 debut in Australia in 2007, has competed in 270 grands prix, winning 98 with an additional 71 finishes that put him on the podium. He also has won 100 pole positions.
The MP4-25A is powered by a Mercedes-Benz FO 108X 2.4-liter V8 engine. The car features the innovative “F-duct” controlled by the driver covering a small hole in the cockpit with his left leg to reduce aerodynamic drag and gaining as much as 6 mph of speed on straightaways.
RM Sotheby’s expects the car to sell for $5 million to $7 million at the auction.
