Lewis Hamilton's F1 Racing Car Will Be Auctioned Next Month, Target Selling IDR 100 Billion

Lewis Hamilton's McLaren MP4-25A Formula One is expected to sell for IDR 100 billion. (Wikimedia Commons/Morio)

JAKARTA - The McLaren MP4-25A Formula 1 (F1) race car driven by British racer Lewsi Hamilton, when he won the Turkish Grand Prix in 2010 will be auctioned.

The plan is that the auction will be held at the 2021 British Grand Prix on 17 July, before the qualifying race at the Silverstone Circuit. The price is not kidding, ranging from 5 million-7 million US dollars or around Rp. 72 billion-Rp. 100 billion.

When auctioned, this car will later circle the circuit during the auction process. However, it has not been disclosed who the driver is. To be sure, not from the active F1. McLaren Heritage will run the car for the buyer, with about eight people and it will take several days of preparation to operate it. Bridgestone's original tires have been replaced with Avon rubber.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, now at Mercedes, is the most successful Formula One driver of all time with a record 100 pole positions and 98 wins.

"It's a great opportunity to get a part of the story," Felix Archer, auto specialist for auctioneer and Formula One partner RM Sotheby's, told Reuters.

"This is the first time that Lewis Hamilton's race winner has been offered publicly." This time, the auction will be conducted by RM Sotheby's.

McLaren MP4-25A Formula One driven by Lewis Hamilton. (Wikimedia Commons/Morio)

This car was sold by an unnamed private collector. But certainly, not by Hamilton or McLaren. When he won the race in 2010, Hamilton took advantage of a collision between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton rode it in four races that year, 2009 world champion teammate Jenson Button in five and took three podiums and the fastest lap.

"It's from an era where engines were still screaming V8s and would be driving around the track in a rage. This would appeal to someone who wants it as a collector's item or really wants to drive and sit in Lewis and Jenson's place and then take it to the race track." Archer.

"If someone is willing to pay more than a million quid (pounds) for Kanye West sneakers, I think there is someone out there for Lewis Hamilton's Formula One car. It is truly a work of art, a piece of history," he continued.

Archer said pricing was based on cars driven by seven-times world champion from Germany Michael Schumacher and the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna.

To note, the 2002 Ferrari F1 car driven by Schumacher sold for 6.65 million US dollars in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

"This very special event will see us actually auctioning an F1 car, while it is driven around the F1 circuit. This is an incredible stage to sell this iconic car," said F1 Hospitality Director Kate Beavan.