Formula 1’s crown jewel and most winning driver ever, Lewis Hamilton, will have his race-winning 2010 Turkish Grand Prix McLaren MP4-25A auctioned off at the British Grand Prix. The unique auction, conducted by RM Sotheby’s, will see punters hustling for the seven-time F1 champion’s car while it does laps around the Silverstone circuit in England.
Hamilton is the sport’s most successful driver, with 98 victories to his name, and he recently notched up his 100th pole position. According to the auction house the car is the first Hamilton F1 car and the first Hamilton GP-winning car to ever be offered for public sale. The special machine is being put up for sale by an anonymous private collector.
The 36-year-old Mercedes driver battled then teammate Jenson Button for victory in Istanbul 11 years ago, and claimed a memorable win. The Briton had won his maiden championship two years earlier.
The McLaren MP4-25A, powered by the Mercedes-Benz FO 108X 2.4 litre V8 engine, proved to be a major improvement on it’s predecessor, in part due to the innovative ‘F-duct’ incorporated into it’s design; the system’s effect being controlled by the driver covering up a small hole in the cockpit with his left leg. The design innovation along with a host of other improvements helped reduce aerodynamic drag and allowed the car as much as an extra 6 mph (9.7 km/h) on straights.
“The availability of this particular example, Chassis no. 1 is an unrepeatable opportunity given the model’s scarcity,” RM Sotheby’s said.
“While client confidentiality precludes disclosing exactly how many cars exist in private ownership, it’s believed to be only a scarce few. As such these examples remain highly coveted and largely in private hands, unlikely to be sold in the near future.”
