McLaren to make Formula One history with auction of 2026 car before it hits the track

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 3, 2025
Reuters

McLaren will make motorsport history on 5 December by auctioning a 2026 Formula One car before it has turned a wheel, alongside a 2026 IndyCar and the team’s first 2027 World Endurance Hypercar, in a sale organised by RM Sotheby’s ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

McLaren confirmed the F1 car, set to be driven by either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris, is part of a trio of future race chassis being offered. The IndyCar, to be raced by Mexican driver Pato O’Ward in next year’s Indianapolis 500, and the hypercar, which will contest the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans, complete the line-up.

Chief executive Zak Brown said it would be the first time in Formula One history that a future car has been sold before its public unveiling. The 2026 model, expected to be named the MCL40 after this season’s MCL39, will be the first built under new technical and engine regulations.

The winning bidder will take delivery in 2028 and receive a 2025 show car on lease in the meantime, with behind-the-scenes team and event access included. The IndyCar and hypercar will be delivered after their respective campaigns conclude.

McLaren remains the only team to have won the motorsport ‘Triple Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours, and aims to build on that legacy when it returns to endurance racing in 2027.

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