McLaren-heads around the world will get the chance to realise their dreams of getting behind the wheel of an F1 car when five epic examples go on sale with Tom Hartley Jr.
Whether they’ll be able to drive them is another matter entirely, although I’m sure for the price they’ll likely command, the private hiring of a racetrack shouldn’t significantly impact the bank balance too much.
The five examples are being presented directly by McLaren and span 32 years of its F1 history, from 1991 to 2023, showcasing the eras of the earlier Honda V12, naturally aspirated V8 and modern turbo-hybrid generation.
Famous drivers like Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris have all been behind the wheel of them at one point, with the cars having remained in the custody of McLaren… until now. The five examples are all being offered individually, and McLaren will prepare each car before it is given to its new owner.
Zak Brown (Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing) said: “We have decided to part with these iconic McLaren Formula One cars because we feel that having them simply sitting in storage is a disservice to what they represent. These cars were built to be driven and raced, and we want to see them being used and enjoyed. We believe that is the best way to keep our history alive and our heritage business active.
1991 McLaren MP4/6A, Chassis #04
The first of two McLaren MP4/6A challengers from 1991, chassis #04, was raced by Gerhard Berger during McLaren-Honda’s successful World Championship campaign, helping deliver the team its fourth Constructors’ Championship.
Its second-place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix as part of a 1-2 McLaren success — alongside teammate Ayrton Senna — was all the sweeter, as both cars became the second of the same chassis type to lap the entire field. It was one of the most dominant performance in F1 history.
Powered by Honda’s legendary RA121E naturally-aspirated V12, the MP4/6A represents the final generation of McLaren’s great V12-powered championship cars.
1991 McLaren MP4/6A, Chassis #07
The second of the 1991 MP4/6A cars, Chassis #07, was also driven by Berger and finished second at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, McLaren’s home race.
In its four Grand Prix appearances, Chassis #07 qualified within the top five, including a P3 qualifying run at the German Grand Prix. It was also tested by Ayrton Senna and was also notable for never having crashed.
2012 McLaren MP4/27A, Chassis #01
Chassis #01 was raced by 2009 World Champion Button during the decisive closing stages of the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship, and was among the fastest cars of its generation.
The car was one of McLaren’s final generation naturally aspirated V8-powered F1 cars and its successes included seven pole positions and three Grand Prix victories during 2012. Lewis Hamilton has also been behind the wheel of chassis #01 during testing.
2021 McLaren MCL35M, Chassis #01
The MCL35M, Chassis #01, was raced exclusively by Lando Norris during the 2021 Formula 1 season and represents the beginning of McLaren’s renaissance in the sport.
It secured podium finishes at Imola, Monaco, and Monza, where it was part of McLaren’s first 1-2 finish since 2010 and first team victory since 2012. The MCL35M is also notable for carrying McLaren’s iconic Gulf livery during the Monaco Grand Prix.
The car’s value is likely to have soared after Norris’ World Championship title in 2025.
2023 McLaren MCL37A, Chassis #03
Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix — Credit: Lukas Raich
What McLaren calls the ‘centrepiece’ of its offering is the MCL37A-03, which was raced exclusively by Lando Norris during the 2023 Formula 1 season and achieved consecutive second-place finishes at the Singapore Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Despite not starting the 2023 season in particularly great form, the MCL37A eventually became one of Red Bull’s closest challengers and help form the backbone of what made 2024 and 2025 extremely successful years for McLaren. After its racing exploits in 2023, chassis #03 went on to be used in McLaren’s official testing programme, being driven by Norris, Oscar Piastri, Pato O’Ward, Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas and even Martin Brundle.
The car was also piloted by Brad Pitt during a private test at the Circuit of the Americas in 2025 as part of F1: The Movie, where he reached a reported speed of 197mph and represents the most modern F1 Grand Prix car ever offered for private ownership.
“I’m personally looking forward to finding great homes for them”
Tom Hartley Jr is no stranger to the world of F1 sales, having previously handled the sales of the Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection and the Ojjeh Collection.
Tom Hartley Jnr said: “I’m very excited to bring this opportunity to market. It is incredibly rare for a collector to have the opportunity to acquire race-driven Grand Prix cars directly from the manufacturer and team that built and campaigned them, and that makes this a very special offering.
“We have a great relationship with McLaren and have worked closely with Zak and his team for many years, assisting them with a number of sales. However, to now be able publicly to offer these cars directly on McLaren’s behalf is very exciting, and I’m personally looking forward to finding great homes for them.
“I’m very grateful to McLaren for entrusting my business with these sales. We are extremely active within the Grand Prix car market and appreciate more than most just how special it is to own a race-driven Formula One car. The personnel, technology, and innovation that go into creating a Formula One car far exceed anything found in a road car, and for me this is where the automotive world comes closest to the traditional art world. Values have moved considerably in recent years, but I still believe this market has a long way to go.”
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Tom Hartley Jnr