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Top 10 Most expensive F1 cars sold in auction/ (Source: X)
F1 fan's desire to drive a Formula 1 car is only possible when they have the money to buy an F1 car. Some rich fans can afford to buy millions of dollars worth of racing cars and collect them as antique pieces. Manufacturers like Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren were the most preferred cars at auctions. The Pinnacle of Motorsport is earning millions off the track too.
Formula 1 has been happening since 1950 and over the years it has grown into an international-level racing competition. Drivers like Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Juan Manuel Fangio were the most popular drivers and fans wanted to own some of their cars at any cost. Let us look at the top 10 most expensive cars sold in auctions.
Here are the top 10 most expensive F1 cars sold at auction
No |
Formula 1 car and team |
Driver Name |
Auction Price |
1 | 1954 Mercedes W196 R | Juan Manuel Fangio | 51 million euros |
2 | 1954 Mercedes W196 R | Juan Manuel Fangio | 19.6 million euros |
3 | 2013 Mercedes W04 | Lewis Hamilton | 15.1 million euros |
4 | 2003 Ferrari F2003 | Michael Schumacher | 10.7 million euros |
5 | 2001 Ferrari F2001 | Michael Schumacher | 5.7 million euros |
6 | 1998 Ferrari F300 | Michael Schumacher | 5.3 million euros |
7 | 2002 Ferrari F2002 | Michael Schumacher | 5 million euros |
8 | 2010 McLaren MP4-25A | Lewis Hamilton | 4.8 million euros |
9 | 1993 McLaren MP4/8A | Ayrton Senna | 3.6 million euros |
10 | 1992 Williams FW14B | Nigel Mansell | 2.7 million euros |
10. 1992 Williams FW14B (Nigel Mansell)
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The British racing legends' first and only title was with the Williams F1 team. The Blue/yellow liveried iconic F1 car was designed by Formula One’s best design guru Adrian Newey. Williams F1 team partnered with Renault for power units. They won the first five races and eventually won the world championship. The car was sold for 2.7 Million euros in 2019.
9. 1993 McLaren MP4/8A (Ayrton Senna)
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The great Ayrton Senna’s final full season at McLaren was with this iconic car. He then moved to Williams Racing where he had a tragic accident at the Imola circuit and died. Senna’s final McLaren car was this MP4/8A that has a special Marlboro cigarettes Red and white livery. Senna won five races with this car but lost the title to his biggest rival Alain Prost. The car was sold in 2018 for a price of 3.6 million euros.
8. 2010 McLaren MP4-25A (Lewis Hamilton)
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Who could forget McLaren’s complete chrome-themed livery of the 2010s? This is the only McLaren car driven by two world champions, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. McLaren went with a Vodafone-inspired red and chrome livery. Hamilton went for the title fight but lost to Sebastian vettel. This car was sold for 4.8 million euros in 2021.
7. 2002 Ferrari F2002 (Michael Schumacher)
The 2002 Ferrari car was the most dominant one in that season. Schumacher won 15 out of 19 races and had set 15 fastest laps with this car. He equalled F1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio’s Five world title record with this car. It was sold in 2019 for 5 million euros.
6.1998 Ferrari F300 (Michael Schumacher)
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Though this is not a championship-winning car, it was iconic as it fought with Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren in the 1998 season. Michael Schumacher finished second, losing to his childhood friend and rival Hakkinen. After Prost and Senna, Schumacher-Hakkinen's battle was the biggest in F1. This car went through all of those and was sold at auction for 5.3 million euros in 2022.
5. 2001 Ferrari F2001 (Michael Schumacher)
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The Ferrari team's iconic and most successful driver, Michael Schumacher, drove this car during the 2001 season. He is the greatest driver of all time and with this car, he clinched his fourth Formula 1 championship and second for Ferrari. This car was sold in 2017 for 5.5 million euros.
4.2003 Ferrari F2003 (Michael Schumacher)
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In November 2022, Schumacher’s 2003 Ferrari car was sold for 10.7 million euros. This car helped him win his sixth world title and with this chassis 229, Schumacher won seven races in the 2003 F1 season. He went on to win one more F1 championship in 2004 before losing out to Fernando Alonso in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
3. 2013 Mercedes W04 (Lewis Hamilton)
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The Lewis Hamilton era’s first ever Mercedes car was the 2013 W04 Mercedes. After replacing 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Hamilton gave the first race win for Mercedes in Hungary with this car. Though it was not a championship-winning car, it was the last Mercedes car from the V8 era that added more value. It was sold for 15.1 million euros in 2023.
2. 1954 Mercedes W196 R (Juan Manuel Fangio)
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The most iconic and sexy car in Formula 1 is definitely Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes W196R. It was the only car with closed wheels during that time and was the most powerful one. Only two were made and this was the first to be sold in an auction for 19.6 million euros in 2013.
1.1954 Mercedes W196 R (Juan Manuel Fangio)
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The second-rarest antique piece of Mercedes was sold recently for a whopping 51 million euros on February 1, 2025. Called the ‘Streamliner’, this Mercedes W196 R was driven by Fangio and his teammate Stirling Moss. This is a championship-winning car and the second most expensive car sold in an auction. Number 1 is also a Mercedes 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which sold for a humongous 142 million. The car collectors are crazy.
Also Read: Ranking F1 Drivers from Worst to Best