Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix–winning McLaren MP4/6 – the car that delivered his first home victory and helped secure his third and final World Championship – will be offered by RM Sotheby’s through its Sealed platform from 8-11 December 2025.
Constructed as the prototype MP4/6, this was the first of 11 examples built for McLaren’s 1991 campaign and one of the few Formula 1 chassis to maintain a perfect 100 per cent race-winning record. Powered by Honda’s 3.5-litre V12 and paired to a six-speed manual gearbox, the MP4/6 was the last manual car to claim a World Championship title – and the final championship success for the McLaren-Honda partnership that dominated the late 1980s.
Senna’s victory at Interlagos remains one of Formula 1’s defining moments. Having led from the start, his gearbox jammed in sixth with laps remaining. Through sheer physical and mental effort, he wrestled the car home to an emotional victory in front of his home crowd. Exhausted, he needed assistance to lift the winner’s trophy, later calling it the hardest race of his life.
Following its victory, MP4/6/1 was used as a development and test car by Senna, Gerhard Berger and McLaren’s factory drivers before being retired at the end of 1991. Retained by McLaren for nearly three decades, it was recommissioned by McLaren Heritage when sold to its current and only private owner in 2020.
Beyond its technical significance, the car represents the culmination of Senna’s skill and McLaren’s early-1990s dominance – an era of mechanical purity before electronic aids reshaped the sport.
MP4/6/1 was previewed at RM Sotheby’s London auction this weekend and will also appear at its Abu Dhabi sale before the online bidding opens in December. Ranking among the most historically significant Formula 1 cars ever built, chassis MP4/6/1 is estimated to make $12-15 million.
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