Senna’s McLaren MP4/6: The Car That Won in Brazil and Defined His Third and Final Drivers’ Championship

RM Sotheby’s will offer Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix–winning McLaren MP4/6, chassis MP4/6/1, one of the most significant Formula 1 cars ever built, through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform with bidding from December 8 to 11, 2025 and an estimate of $12–$15 million USD.

• RM Sotheby’s will offer Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix–winning McLaren MP4/6, chassis MP4/6/1, the car that delivered his emotional first home victory and helped secure his third and final Formula 1 World Championship.
• Constructed as the prototype MP4/6 and powered by Honda’s V-12 engine, this chassis remains one of only a handful of Formula 1 cars with a perfect 100% Grand Prix win record.
• Driven by Senna, Gerhard Berger, and McLaren factory drivers throughout 1991, the car was retained by McLaren for nearly 30 years before being recommissioned by McLaren Heritage upon the sale to its current and only private owner.
• Representing the V-12, six-speed manual car to win a Formula 1 World Championship, MP4/6/1 stands as one of the most significant Senna-driven machines ever offered at auction and a defining piece of McLaren and motorsport history.
• The MP4/6 will be offered through Sealed, with bidding opening on December 8 and closing on December 11, with a pre-sale estimate of $12,000,000 to $15,000,000 USD.
• It can be seen on display at RM Sotheby’s upcoming auctions in London and Abu Dhabi.
• For photos, click here.

BLENHEIM, ONTARIO, CANADA – November 1, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – RM Sotheby’s announces the upcoming sale of one of the most significant Formula 1 cars ever offered: Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix–winning McLaren MP4/6, chassis number MP4/6/1. This exact car delivered one of Senna’s most iconic victories, his emotional first home win in São Paulo, and stands as a cornerstone of McLaren and Formula 1 history. The car will be offered exclusively through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform, with bidding opening on December 8 and closing on December 11. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $12,000,000 to $15,000,000 USD.

“Few figures in motorsport have captured the world’s imagination like Ayrton Senna,” said Nick  Wiles, RM Sotheby’s Car Specialist. “Anything connected to him, a helmet, a suit, even something he once touched, has become sacred to collectors. Senna transcended the role of driver long before his tragic passing; he became an icon. But even within that realm, there are levels, and this car sits at the very top. The McLaren MP4/6 that carried him to victory at his home Grand Prix in Brazil, in what Senna himself called the ‘hardest-fought race of his life,’ represents the pinnacle of Formula 1 collecting. It’s difficult to imagine anything more significant or more desirable to a collector.”

Constructed as the prototype for McLaren’s 1991 campaign, MP4/6/1 marked Senna’s first experience with the new Honda V-12-powered machine that would carry him to his third and final World Championship. Of just 11 MP4/6 chassis built, this example is uniquely distinguished as first built and arguably the most singularly memorable, maintaining a perfect 100 percent win record from its sole Grand Prix start.

Driven to victory in Brazil despite being stuck in sixth gear for the final laps, Senna’s mastery over this car became the stuff of motorsport mythology. “It wasn’t the greatest win of my life,” Senna said afterward, “but it was the hardest-fought one.”

Throughout the season, both before and after its historic race, MP4/6/1 served as a factory development and test car for Senna, Gerhard Berger, and official McLaren test drivers. Following its retirement from testing in October 1991, it remained in McLaren’s possession for nearly 30 years before being recommissioned by McLaren Heritage upon the acquisition by its sole private owner in 2020.

The MP4/6 represents the end of an era, the last manually shifted car to win a Formula 1 World Championship, and the final triumph of the legendary McLaren Honda partnership. Its impact endures as a symbol of Senna’s brilliance, McLaren’s engineering dominance, and the raw, mechanical purity of early 1990s Formula 1.

MP4/6/1 offers a rare chance to own the machine that encapsulates Senna’s genius and McLaren’s golden age. Considered by many to be one of the most significant Formula 1 cars in existence, it would surely be welcomed with open arms to any top-tier automotive event, and would make a significant addition to any collection worldwide.

About RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s is the world’s largest collector car auction house by total sales. With over 45 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live, online, and Sealed) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.

Source: RM Sotheny’s

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