The 2006 McLaren MP4/21 was sold for over €2,500,000
The 2006 McLaren, powered by Mercedes and driven by Kimi Raikkonen, has been sold. In that championship, the constructor finished 3rd.
The McLaren MP4/21 from 2006, powered by Mercedes, was [sold at auction](Titre_Lien). It is the MP4/21 driven by Kimi Räikkönen, and it was sold with chassis number MP4/21-2 for $2,760,000, or €2,515,271. The model, fully restored by McLaren, was auctioned off on the Bonhams Cars website during the Abu Dhabi auction. The chrome and red single-seater was previously owned by a private owner.
The history of the car
This McLaren – Mercedes is known for its aesthetic side. During the 2006 championship, the English team finished 3rd in the constructor’s championship. While no driver won a race with this MP4/21, good results were achieved throughout the season. However, the English manufacturer experienced several reliability issues. Kimi Räikkönen had six retirements and his teammates Juan Pablo Montoya, and later Pedro de la Rosa (for the last eight Grand Prix races), had seven retirements.
Despite these reliability issues, when the race car was running, it was very effective. In 18 races, the Finnish driver finished on the podium six times. His teammates reached the podium three times, although they didn’t win any races.
During the 2006 season, Kimi Räikkönen finished 5th in the championship with 65 points. In the constructor standings, McLaren ended up on the last step of the podium with a total of 110 points. Ferrari concluded the season with a second place and 201 points, just five points behind Renault, led by World Champion Fernando Alonso.
In this 2006 season, Kimi Räikkönen finished in 5th place in the championship with 65 points. In the constructors’ standings, McLaren finished on the last step of the podium with a total of 110 points. Ferrari concluded the season in second place with 201 points, just five points behind Renault, led by World Champion Fernando Alonso.
The 1978 unsold Lotus
While it was supposed to be the most important auction in Abu Dhabi, the 1978 Lotus-Cosworth Ford Type 79 failed to find a buyer. This race car was driven by World Champion Mario Andretti during the same season in which Lotus won the constructors’ championship.
The single-seater, equipped with a V8 engine, was estimated between $6,500,000 and $9,500,000 US (equivalent to a range of €5,926,115 – €8,661,245). Following this success with Lotus, Mario Andretti became the first and still remains the only American to win the Formula 1 World Championship.
