Kimi Raikkonen’s iconic McLaren MP4-21 to be auctioned off in Saudi Arabia

The car will be put up for bidding at the On The Grid auction, the official auction partner of Formula one paddock club.

Kimi Raikkonen’s iconic McLaren MP4-21 to be auctioned off in Saudi Arabia

Kimi Raikkonen going to his yacht in Monaco (Credits: Reddit) and the Mp4-21 (FastestLaps.com)

Kimi Raikkonen is one of the most iconic figures in F1 history. Known for his blunt personality, he was given the moniker Ice Man’. Recently, Bonhams Cars announced the auctioning off of Raikkonen’s iconic MP4-21, the car he abandoned in Monaco in 2006 after its heat shield caught fire, after which he was spotted not in the team garage but on his private yacht enjoying a beer.

Even though he had a win-less run in 2006 with McLaren, the iconic moments associated with the MP4-21 have put the car’s estimated value between $2.5m to $3.5m, making it one of the most expensive F1 cars to be sold. The car has a Mercedes V8 engine with a 2.4-liter capacity and can be revved up to 19000 rpm. The auction is set to take place during the closing race of the 2023 season in Abu Dhabi on 25th November.

Raikkonen had finished fifth in the WDC standings that year, with six DNFs and six podiums. He left McLaren to join Ferrari after 2006, which led him to win the 2007 championship by leading second-place Lewis Hamilton by just one point.

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Mario Andretti’s 1978 championship winner to be sold in Saudi Arabia as well

John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79
John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79 (Credits: Top Gear)

While Formula One cars don’t provide many features except for their racing ability, they are still worth millions of dollars due to the hi-tech technology used in them and the iconic moments they hold. Mario Andretti’s John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79, with which he won the 1978 F1 season, will be the headlining car in the auction in Saudi Arabia alongside Raikkonen’s MP4-21.

Andretti had been on seven podiums with the car in 1978, which involved six victories. While the car’s technology may have become obsolete, the fact that it has been a championship-winning car has shot up its estimated price to between $6.5 million to $9.5 million. For context, the second most expensive F1 car was sold for $13.2 million in 2022.

The Lotus Type 79 was also the first car to introduce ground effects for increased downforce. It was banned in 1983 due to the increase in accidents due to the fast pace of cars. Ground Effects then officially returned to F1 after nearly 40 years in 2022.

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