Ayrton Senna’s victory at the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix remains one of the most emotional and defining moments of his Formula 1 career. Now, the car that carried him to that unforgettable win is going up for auction.
After seven failed attempts to win his home race, the three-time world champion finally triumphed at Interlagos, crossing the line nearly three seconds ahead of Riccardo Patrese. The win was more than just another success; it was deeply personal.
But the victory almost slipped away. In the final laps, Senna’s McLaren MP4/6 began to fail mechanically, leaving him stuck in sixth gear. Against all odds, he wrestled the car to the finish line through sheer determination and physical endurance. When the race ended, his muscles went into violent spasms, and he had to be helped out of the cockpit.
“It wasn’t the greatest win of my life, but it was the hardest fought,” Senna said afterwards. The performance instantly became part of Formula 1 legend.
The very car that carried him to that famous victory, McLaren MP4/6 chassis MP4/6/1, will be offered by RM Sotheby’s through a sealed-bid auction from 8 to 11 December. The auction house expects bids between $12 million (£9.2 million) and $15 million (£11.5 million).
“Few figures in motorsport have captured the world’s imagination like Ayrton Senna,” said RM Sotheby’s specialist Nick Wiles. “Anything connected to him — a helmet, a suit, even something he once touched — is sacred to collectors. But this car sits above everything else. It represents the pinnacle of Formula 1 collecting.”
A car that made history
Chassis MP4/6/1 was Senna’s first experience with McLaren’s Honda V12-powered car, the machine that would deliver his third and final world championship. Of the 11 MP4/6 chassis built, this was the first, and it uniquely holds a 100 percent win record, having raced only once in São Paulo.
Senna led from start to finish, though not without drama. Heavy rain early in the race made conditions treacherous, and by lap 60 of 71, his gearbox had lost fourth gear. Two laps later, fifth and third gears also failed, forcing him to drive in sixth gear even through the slowest corners, with the car close to stalling.
When he finally crossed the line, team radio captured Senna’s screams of relief and exhaustion. The physical strain left him barely able to move. On the podium, visibly in pain, he struggled to lift the trophy, creating one of the most iconic images in F1 history.
After the race, MP4/6/1 was used as a factory development car by Senna, teammate Gerhard Berger, and McLaren’s test drivers before being retired later that year. It remained in McLaren’s possession for almost three decades before being recommissioned by McLaren Heritage and sold to its only private owner in 2020.
According to RM Sotheby’s, the car represents the end of an era: the last manually shifted machine to win a Formula 1 World Championship and the final triumph of the legendary McLaren-Honda partnership.
Senna’s enduring legacy
Earlier this year, the last Honda V10 engine Senna ever raced sold for $254,500 (£195,250). That engine powered his McLaren in the 1990 Japanese and Australian Grands Prix, including the famous Suzuka race where he collided with rival Alain Prost to secure his second world title.
Even if Senna’s McLaren reaches the top of its estimate next month, it will still fall short of the record for the most expensive F1 car ever sold. That title belongs to the 1954 Mercedes W196R driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, which sold for €51 million (£42.75 million) in 2023.
Few machines, however, carry the same emotional and cultural weight as Senna’s McLaren MP4/6/1. It remains a symbol of the driver’s brilliance, McLaren’s engineering dominance, and the enduring power of one of Formula 1’s greatest stories.
