2026 McLaren F1 car to go under the hammer at Abu Dhabi GP among others

McLaren Racing has announced that it will auction off three future competition cars during the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in collaboration with RM Sotheby's.

McLaren has set its sights on the coveted triple crown, which involves winning the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The Woking outfit is the only team to have clinched the prestigious achievement previously, after winning the Monaco Grand Prix in 1984 with Alain Prost, the Indy 500 in 1976 with Johnny Rutherford, and the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1995 with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya.

To mark the goal, deep-pocketed fans will have the opportunity to bid on three cars, which will all be available separately. The first will be either Lando Norris's or Oscar Piastri's 2026 F1 car, the second is the 2026 Indy 500 car, and the 2027 World Endurance Championship car, which is the last chassis available of six made.

“This auction is an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of racing history and bid for a car that has competed on track before its official launch," Brown explained in a press release. "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.”

The American gave more insight into his own journey of becoming a motorsport fan and collector during the live announcement.

"My first race was the 1981 Long Beach Grand Prix - I remember it like it was yesterday," he explained. "I remember the experience. I remember the first racing driver I met, the first car I saw, and then I started collecting the 1:43s. And then as business grew, I could move up to the 1:18s, and then finally, I’ve been fortunate enough to get some of the full-size versions.

Zak Brown, McLaren CEO

Photo by: Erik Junius

"So when I look at the McLaren fans, it’s everything from me as the 10-year-old who then wants the 1:43 diecast to play Hot Wheels, etc., up to adults that have substantial means and want to have the big version sitting in their garage. We have great fans around the world of all ages, genders, and demographics, and so obviously this is right at the peak of what you can do to be part of the McLaren Papaya Club, if you’d like. We think it’s a really cool opportunity.

"And we’re going to do track cars of our World Endurance cars, so those won’t have the racing heritage that these three cars have, but will also be a great experience. It’s something we want to do more of."