For the first time in motorsport history, British racing team McLaren is poised to auction off three future cars from three different motorsport events, well before they've even turned the first corner.
The British racing team has partnered with global auction house RM Sotheby’s to sell off a 2026 Formula One car – either driven by Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris – with the auction set to take place at the 2025 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 5, 2025.
As part of the event, McLaren will also auction off a 2026 Indy 500 Series car driven by Pato O’Ward and an LMDh hypercar from the 2027 World Endurance Championship.
According to multiple online reports, McLaren will lease a 2025 F1 car as a placeholder for the winning bidder until the car is delivered, with the owner also reportedly being granted exclusive entry to McLaren’s Technology Centre in Woking, England. Additionally, the owner will also be given behind-the-scenes access to the team and various events.
In a media statement, Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, said, “The auction is an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of racing history and a bid for a car that has competed on-track before its official launch”.
The British marque said the auction is part of its aim “to reclaim the prestigious motorsport Triple Crown”, with McLaren being the only team in motorsport history to win a race in Formula One (1994), Indy 500 (1976) and the 24 hours of Le Mans (1995).
“The Triple Crown is a huge part of our heritage, and we are determined to claim it once again as we prepare for our 2027 entry into the World Endurance Championship. Not only that, these incredible cars will come with unprecedented VIP access to the team and action on-track,” Brown said.
It’s worth noting that the 2026 F1 season will introduce a new set of legislation that will see teams change the way they build their cars.
Though there’s no guarantee McLaren will win the 2026 season, the Papaya team’s strong performance during the 2025 season has led key team leaders to feel confident about their new car despite the new rules.
According to Motorsport.com, the incoming rules will see teams prioritise “flat underfloor and reduced downforce levels, while aerodynamics will play a key factor on straights “to compensate for a near 50-50 split between the internal combustion engine and a much larger electric element”.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella told Motorsport.com, “I think there’s a couple of things that carry over, independently of the technical regulations… one is the technical fundamentals whereby we pursued aerodynamic efficiency, interaction with the tyres, efficient cooling, it is universal”.
While the Italian engineer acknowledged there will be changes the team needs to address to comply with the 2026 rules, Stella said the team has the knowledge that can be transferred to the new era of F1 cars.
“There’s a part of the know-how that is transferable to the work on 2026, and there’s a part of the know-how that you have to reinvent,” Stella told Motorsport.com.
“So, the fundamental reasons why we are in this strong position now, I think there’s a large quantity [of knowledge] that is transferable, and there’s a certain amount that somehow will be lost.
“That will be a ground in which there will be, potentially, a levelling out among all teams, independently of where they were in 2025,” the McLaren Team Principal explained.
For reference, McLaren is currently leading both the 2025 F1 Drivers' and Constructors’ championships, with Australian F1 superstar Oscar Piastri currently leading the pack at 284 points, followed closely by his teammate Lando Norris (275).
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
