The world has seen plenty of historic Formula 1 cars auctioned off before — but we've never seen a Formula 1 car auctioned off before it has ever even run a race. Yet according to reports by Reuters and Racer, that is exactly what McLaren is planning to do.
The auction will reportedly be hosted by RM Sotheby’s on December 5 at the final Formula 1 race weekend of the year in Abu Dhabi. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown announced the sale at this year’s Monterey Car Week in California.
Not only will McLaren auction off the 2026 Formula 1 car, according to the reports, but the lot will also include the 2026 Arrow McLaren Indycar, which will be raced at the Indianapolis 500 next May, and McLaren's 2027 World Endurance Hypercar that will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
While the auction's date comes before the cars ever turn a wheel in anger, McLaren is not going to deliver them until they have completed their racing duties, according to the reports; the winning bidders will not be able to take home the cars until 2028. However, in the meantime, the top bidder for the F car will be offered a 2025 show car on lease.
The unusual triple-car auction is meant to celebrate McLaren’s feat of being the only team to have won the ‘Triple Crown’ of racing. The automaker has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, the first in 1972; it has won the Monaco Grand Prix sixteen times, the most recent coming this year; and it picked up its only 24 Hours of Le Mans win in 1995.
The interesting thing about auctioning the cars off before any racing is done is that no one knows what type of racing history the cars will have. The 2026 Formula 1 car will be driven by Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris. Will one of them be a Formula 1 champion by then? How will the Indycar do at The Brickyard next year with Pato O'Ward at the wheel? Can the 2027 World Endurance Hypercar pull off a victory as McLaren enters the top class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
We'll have answers to those questions in due course. And on December 5, we will have the answer to another important question: how much is it going to cost to take home these racing Maccas?
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