You wait ages for an iconic F1 car to come up for sale...
Like the proverbial buses, two F1 cars driven by world champions have suddenly appeared for sale, although the fare to ride these historic racers is, as you would expect, steep. The 7 Up-liveried Jordan 191 used by Michael Schumacher in practice at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix – his F1 debut – is on sale at Speedmaster Cars with a price tag of £1.25m. Then aged 22, Schumacher caught the attention of rival teams by qualifying seventh in this 191, ahead of team-mate Andrea de Cesaris (11th). In the GP itself, de Cesaris raced in the car but retired with three laps remaining, having at one point been second.
The 191 might have oodles of F1 romance and also be astoundingly good-looking but it stands in the shadow of a 2010 race-winning, Lewis Hamilton-driven McLaren MP4-25, which will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in a single-lot sale on Saturday afternoon at the British Grand Prix ( July 17). Hamilton steered Chassis 1 to victory in the 2010 Turkish GP. During the bidding, the car will be (carefully) driven at high speed around the Silverstone circuit. Its estimate is upwards of £3.5m. This is the first time a Hamilton F1 car has ever been offered for public sale.