McLaren to auction three cars during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The announcement was made by Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO, earlier this week at an RM Sotheby's Monterey sale.
During the auction here in Abu Dhabi, three McLaren Racing cars will be sold from across the team's portfolio covering FIA Formula 1 World Championship, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. If you think that's cool, the next bit is even cooler.
McLaren isn't auctioning off a past car (although that is still pretty cool). Instead, a 2026 season car is going to be displayed for auction, marking the first time a future Formula 1 car has ever been publicly auctioned.
A McLaren United AS World Endurance Championship Team car will also be offered as a separate lot following the team's debut in 2027. The final car to be auctioned off will be a 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Indianapolis 500 race-driven INDYCAR – a car that will be driven by Pato O'Ward in May 2026.
This will be the first time the lucky winner will get the opportunity to purchase a chassis from upcoming seasons before they are fully unveiled or raced.
The chosen cars celebrate McLaren Racing's achievement as the only team to win the prestigious motorsport Triple Crown – the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours.
Besides owning a pretty cool car, each owner will also get plenty of other perks, including tours of McLaren's sites and VIP tickets for preferential access to McLaren road and race car purchase options.
Delivery of the car will take place in 2028. As that is a long time to wait, McLaren has got your back, offering a 2025 show car on lease until the actual car arrive. And the buyer will be invited to visit the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, where they will get behind-the-scenes access with McLaren Racing. When will the auction take place?
The cars will hit the display stands to be auctioned off in Abu Dhabi on Friday, December 5, 2025.
December 5 marks the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the first of three days that will see 20 drivers trying to snap up as many points as they can to end the season on a high.
Lando Norris Oscar Piastri – McLaren podium
At the moment though, the McLaren team – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, are dominating the circuit and are currently battling each other for their chance of taking home the World Champion title.
Max Verstappen, the current World Champion, from Red Bull, is currently in third place but needs 97 points to catch up if he wants to keep his title for a fifth year in a row. While that does seem to require a miracle, if there's one person who can take over, it's this brilliant Dutchman. Ask anyone in the Orange Army.
For more details on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 in December 2025, you can visit this link here.
If you want to catch the Yasalam after-race concerts, visit our guide here.
If you want some racing action right now, well… you have to wait a bit because the drivers are currently on a summer break and will be back on the grid on August 29 for the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in Amsterdam. If you don't have a ticket to see the race in Amsterdam, here are a few cool places to catch the live racing action right here in Dubai.
Images: Getty Images and McLaren Racing
> Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
What's On
a day ago
- What's On
McLaren to auction three cars during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
RM Sotheby's and McLaren Racing have joined forces to auction three McLaren racing cars in Abu Dhabi during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025, the final race of the season. The announcement was made by Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO, earlier this week at an RM Sotheby's Monterey sale. During the auction here in Abu Dhabi, three McLaren Racing cars will be sold from across the team's portfolio covering FIA Formula 1 World Championship, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. If you think that's cool, the next bit is even cooler. McLaren isn't auctioning off a past car (although that is still pretty cool). Instead, a 2026 season car is going to be displayed for auction, marking the first time a future Formula 1 car has ever been publicly auctioned. A McLaren United AS World Endurance Championship Team car will also be offered as a separate lot following the team's debut in 2027. The final car to be auctioned off will be a 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Indianapolis 500 race-driven INDYCAR – a car that will be driven by Pato O'Ward in May 2026. This will be the first time the lucky winner will get the opportunity to purchase a chassis from upcoming seasons before they are fully unveiled or raced. The chosen cars celebrate McLaren Racing's achievement as the only team to win the prestigious motorsport Triple Crown – the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours. Besides owning a pretty cool car, each owner will also get plenty of other perks, including tours of McLaren's sites and VIP tickets for preferential access to McLaren road and race car purchase options. Delivery of the car will take place in 2028. As that is a long time to wait, McLaren has got your back, offering a 2025 show car on lease until the actual car arrive. And the buyer will be invited to visit the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, where they will get behind-the-scenes access with McLaren Racing. When will the auction take place? The cars will hit the display stands to be auctioned off in Abu Dhabi on Friday, December 5, 2025. December 5 marks the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the first of three days that will see 20 drivers trying to snap up as many points as they can to end the season on a high. Lando Norris Oscar Piastri – McLaren podium At the moment though, the McLaren team – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, are dominating the circuit and are currently battling each other for their chance of taking home the World Champion title. Max Verstappen, the current World Champion, from Red Bull, is currently in third place but needs 97 points to catch up if he wants to keep his title for a fifth year in a row. While that does seem to require a miracle, if there's one person who can take over, it's this brilliant Dutchman. Ask anyone in the Orange Army. For more details on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 in December 2025, you can visit this link here. If you want to catch the Yasalam after-race concerts, visit our guide here. If you want some racing action right now, well… you have to wait a bit because the drivers are currently on a summer break and will be back on the grid on August 29 for the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in Amsterdam. If you don't have a ticket to see the race in Amsterdam, here are a few cool places to catch the live racing action right here in Dubai. Images: Getty Images and McLaren Racing > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
Dubai Eye
04-08-2025
- Dubai Eye
Norris cuts Piastri's lead with Hungary win
Lando Norris held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and slash the Australian's Formula One lead to nine points after completing more than half the race on a single set of hard tyres. Australian Piastri made two stops to Norris's one and finished a mere 0.6 of a second behind the Briton while George Russell took a distant third to complete the podium for Mercedes. The race at the Hungaroring outside Budapest was the last before Formula One's August break.
Gulf Today
04-08-2025
- Gulf Today
Norris wins in Hungary to trim Piastri lead as McLaren reel off another 1-2
Lando Norris trimmed McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri's lead in the drivers' world championship to just nine points on Sunday when he switched tactics to lead him home by just 0.698 seconds in a thrilling finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Briton, who moved from a two-stop strategy to one stop, held off series leader Piastri, on fresher tyres, over the closing laps of a strategic contest to claim McLaren's 200th victory and their record 13th win in Hungary. It was Norris's first win at the Hungaroring in the event's 40th race, avenging his 'team orders' defeat in 2024 when Piastri claimed his maiden success, his fifth victory of the season and the ninth of his career. The dominant McLaren pair finished 22 seconds clear of third-placed George Russell of Mercedes with pole sitter Charles Leclerc of Ferrari fourth, grumbling at the Italian team's poor planning after he slipped out of the leading position. 'I wasn't planning to do a one-stop,' said Norris. McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates on the podium with a trophy after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix in Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. Reuters 'But it was the only option to get back into things and it was tough. Oscar was pushing all the way.' Piastri said he had done all he could to triumph. 'It was great racing,' he said. 'Lando did a great job.' His drive brought McLaren their fourth consecutive 1-2 finish. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso came home fifth for Aston Martin ahead of Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin, rookie Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and frustrated four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli was 10th ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton 12th in the second Ferrari, 24 hours after declaring himself undeserving of their race seat. Heavy overnight rain had 're-set' the track on a breezy afternoon in front of a big crowd at the Hungaroring. The track temperature was only 31 degrees, encouraging thoughts of a one-stop race as tyre-wear decreased and Leclerc controlled the pace ahead of Piastri, Russell and Norris. Piastri pitted on lap 18, seeking an undercut. He returned in fifth as Leclerc responded to stay ahead. Norris inherited the lead and had a 10-second advantage, as the Monegasque regained second, with Piastri third. Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix race. AP He then chose to stay out until pitting, in just 1.9 seconds, for hards on lap 31, rejoining fourth and facing a long run home. At the front, Leclerc responded to an apparent 'bluff' call from McLaren and pitted, falling to fourth and gifting Piastri the lead ahead of a rapid Norris as the race dissolved into a strategy and tyre-management contest between the two McLarens. Norris revelled in his delayed one-stop tactic as Piastri made a second pit on lap 45, the Briton leading with a frustrated Ferrari second, Leclerc blaming his team for bungling his plan before being passed by Piastri around Turn One on lap 51. This left Norris, on ageing tyres, leading his team-mate in a classic scrap to the flag, negotiating traffic and separated by half a second over the final laps. On lap 68, the Australian went close to passing in Turn One and on lap 69, he locked up. 'Remember how we go racing,' Piastri's engineer Tom Stallard reminded him. For Leclerc, soon left a distant third by the two McLarens, it was another pole wasted - the 15th time he failed to convert pole into a win in 16 attempts - and it grew worse when Russell, after two attempts, passed him on lap 63. Agence France-Presse
