- The E21 was driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, securing six podium finishes.
- RM Sotheby’s is offering the car in its original 2013 livery directly from Alpine F1 Team.
It’s not every day that a modern Formula 1 car pops up at a public auction. And when one does, it’s usually a championship-winning example with a price tag that soars well beyond $10 million. But come February, a 2013 Lotus E21 F1 car will cross the auction block and is expected to sell for between $375,000 and $475,000, roughly on par with a well-specced Ferrari 296 GTB.
This particular Lotus has a solid pedigree, having been driven by both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean during the 2013 Formula 1 season. While it doesn’t have a race win under its belt, this car claimed six podium finishes and played a pivotal role in the outfit finishing an impressive 4th place in the constructors’ championship that year.
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Chassis E21-04 saw plenty of action that season. Raikkonen piloted the car, notably finishing second at both the German and Hungarian Grands Prix. He also brought it home in fifth at Silverstone and managed an 11th-place finish at Monza.
From September onwards, the Lotus was handed over to Grosjean, who squeezed even more success out of it. Highlights of his stint include a trio of third-place finishes in Korea, Japan, and India, plus a fourth-place result in Abu Dhabi. Grosjean even came close to a win, finishing second at the United States Grand Prix. So, while this specific car doesn’t have any race wins, it did have quite a successful season.
RM Sotheby’s has been tasked with selling. The car is being offered directly from the BWT Alpine F1 Team and looks just like it did during the 2013 season. The listing notes the car is “presented in static, non-running condition,” but doesn’t specify if the original 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated Renault V8 has been removed or if it simply needs some work to run again. If the V8 has been taken out, then that certainly detracts from some of the racer’s appeal.
Nevertheless, for those collectors out there tired of adding yet another mid-engined supercar to their garages, having the chance to own an F1 car might be too tempting to pass up.
