Formula One team McLaren has shocked many since it will auction off its yet-to-be-revealed racecar for the 2026 season. Likely called the MCL40 after the MCL39 for the 2025 season, it will be the first time ever an F1 car that hasn’t even been revealed to the public will be sold.
McLaren F1 could set a new auction record.
We wouldn’t think McLaren is so desperate for cash that it would give away its secrets ahead of the season, or that it has an extra car to spare. Instead, there’s a big catch for the lucky person who submits the highest bid.
That individual will have to wait until 2028 to take delivery of the advanced racecar. To tide the new owner over, McLaren says it will lend out a 2025 show car, reports Reuters.
Not only will the highest bidder get the new McLaren F1 racecar, which will come with an all-new design thanks to a mountain of changes instituted by FIA, that person gets access. Next season they will enjoy mingling with the team and attending exclusive events, so they’re getting so much more.
Of course, we expect the racecar will sell for a ridiculous sum and that’s part of the point. Because no F1 team has ever done this sort of thing, and McLaren is absolutely dominating right now, well-heeled collectors will be clamoring to be the one to snag this unique opportunity.
It really is a genius stroke of marketing.
But we do wonder how desperate McLaren is for cash and if that’s also what’s behind this radical plan. After all, running an F1 team isn’t exactly cheap. The company takes part in other motorsports series, plus is planning to get back into endurance racing for the 2027 FIA WEC season, which also isn’t exactly a cheap activity.
Image via McLaren
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