Historic Ayrton Senna 1991 McLaren F1 car set for auction for 8-figure sum

The 1991 McLaren MP4/6, driven by Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna to claim his first home race victory, is set for auction at RM Sotheby's, with an estimated price of $12million-$15million.

The Brazilian driver tested the first MP4/6 chassis in February 1991 and went on to win his final drivers' championship with McLaren in the same car.

“In the closing laps I just had to leave the car in top gear,” the Brazilian racer explained after claiming his first home race victory in the MP4/6. “The rain didn’t help me, and I was really hoping they’d stop the race. In the slow corners I was pulling only 2000 rpm and the engine was nearly stalling.

“In the fast corners the car always wanted to push straight on. I saw Patrese coming and didn’t think I would make it, but I felt it was my duty to win here. I pushed the car regardless of the rain, but I was getting cramps and muscle spasms in my upper body.

“Partly that was because the safety harness was so tight, but also because of emotion! By the finish I had nothing left. God gave me this race.”

The V12-powered, manual gearbox model had been retained by McLaren for almost three decades and was repaired to race readiness by McLaren Heritage before being sold in 2020.

Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4-6 Honda, leads Nigel Mansell, Williams FW14 Renault

Photo by: Rainer Schlegelmilch / Getty Images

"The car itself was a masterpiece of engineering delivered by Chief Designer Neil Oatley under the technical direction of Gordon Murray. It featured an all-new 3.5-litre V-12 engine capable of producing 720 horsepower and spinning to a screaming 13,800 rpm, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, all housed in a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and clothed with carbon fibre bodywork," the auction listing detailed.

"Nearly 35 years later, the MP4/6 remains an analogue dream, emblematic of one of the most celebrated eras in Formula 1."