JAKARTA - Every end of the season, the world of Formula 1 (F1) is always busy with the birth of new cars that are adjusted to the latest regulations. However, interesting questions also arise: where did the previous season's cars, whose value could penetrate more than US$20 million (equivalent to Rp325 billion)? The answer is, the F1 car journey never ends on the finish line, it just started.
Citing Jalopnik, Tuesday, August 26, especially for large teams such as Mercedes AMG F1, every car that has completed its duties will be dismantled into millions of components. There is a special division that records and stores each section, from the aerodynamic wing to small bolts, to be reused or used as the next model development material. Machines often have to be returned to suppliers, such as McLaren, which deposits its engine back to Mercedes if the status is leased.
However, not all cars have the fate of being 'dismantled'. Some are actually maintained in prime condition, ready to be pushed back in historical events, promotions, to showruns in various parts of the world. Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, and Mercedes have museums and heritage divisions that take care of these legendary cars so that they can still be enjoyed by the next generation.
From The Circuit To The Auction Center
Although it is rare for a team to sell their cars directly, several legendary cars finally arrived at the auction hall and were sold at an astonishing price. For example, the 1950s F1 car that Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio had driven sold for 53.9 million US dollars was one of the largest transactions in automotive history.
Even modern-era F1 cars have become the target of collectors. Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes W04 in its inaugural season with the team (2013) sold for 20.36 million US dollars in 2023. The Ferrari F2001 which led Michael Schumacher to the title sold 18.17 million US dollars.
Not a few fanatical fans, including former racers, participated in the hunt. Sebastian Vettel, for example, kept Nigel Mansell and McLaren MP4/8 1993's Williams FW14B 1992 driven by Ayrton Senna. Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone, the former F1 boss, recently auctioned 69 cars from his personal collection with a total fantastic value of 646 million US dollars.
Even more surprising, there is a team that has even auctioned off their 2026 season car, even before the car actually took off.
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