A McLaren MP4-17 driven by Kimi Räikkönen during his debut season with the Woking-based team is set to go under the hammer at a Sotheby’s auction, with no reserve price attached meaning it will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of the final sum.
The car, chassis MP4-17A-06, was raced by both Räikkönen and teammate David Coulthard across the 2002 and 2003 Formula 1 seasons. Notably, it played a role in Coulthard’s final Grand Prix victory.
Designed by renowned engineer Adrian Newey, the MP4-17 featured revised bodywork, sculpted lower front wishbones and was powered by a 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz V10 engine. Introduced midway through the 2002 season, the car was initially raced by Räikkönen before being handed over to Coulthard.
The chassis returned to competition in 2003 after McLaren’s MP4-18 project was abandoned following extensive testing issues. Coulthard went on to claim victory at the Australian Grand Prix that year, finishing nearly nine seconds ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. That win marked the last of his Formula 1 career.
In total, the MP4-17A secured six podium finishes before being retired at the end of the season. McLaren retained the car for several years before it was sold to its current owner in 2021.
Now, the historic machine linked to Räikkönen’s first McLaren campaign and Coulthard’s final F1 triumph is being offered at auction without reserve, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own a significant piece of Formula 1 history.
Recent high-profile sales include Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2001, which fetched $18.5 million earlier this year, while the most expensive F1 car ever sold remains Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1955 Mercedes W196, which reached nearly $60 million.
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