• Chassis 21A-03 made its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2006.
  • After being used in three races, the car was tested by Hamilton before he joined the F1 grid.
  • The car retains its original Mercedes 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 revving to 19,000 rpm.

A 2006 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-21 Formula 1 car driven by Juan Pablo Montoya and Lewis Hamilton is tipped to sell for as much as $3.5 million when it goes up for auction on August 16.

The MP4-21 was designed by F1 legend Adrian Newey and was his final McLaren before departing for Red Bull Racing. This example is chassis 21A-03, which was driven by Montoya during the Bahrain Grand Prix, Malaysian Grand Prix, and Australian Grand Prix. While it didn’t claim any victories and was retired after being used as a reserve car for that year’s Monaco Grand Prix, it does have some interesting history.

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RM Sotheby’s claims Hamilton tested this very car at Elvington and Jerez before he was signed by the McLaren F1 squad in November 2006. The car was later moved into storage and restored by McLaren Racing Heritage in 2019. The listing doesn’t mention when it left McLaren’s in-house collection but notes it was one of the very first F1 cars that Hamilton ever drove. It’s also one of an “extremely few” F1 cars driven by Hamilton that is not part of a collection.

Unlike many other old F1 cars, chassis 21A-03 retains its original powertrain. That means it has a screaming 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 sourced from Mercedes-Benz that pumps out 750 hp and revs to 19,000 rpm. Mated to this engine is a seven-speed transmission from McLaren that drives the rear wheels.

McLaren competed in the 2006 F1 season with Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya. However, Montoya left the team after the tenth round to pursue an opportunity in NASCAR and was replaced by Pedro de la Rosa. The British outfit finished third in the constructors’ championship that season.

McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million
McLaren F1 Car Raced By Montoya And Driven By Hamilton Could Fetch $3.5 Million

Neil Fraser/RM Sotheby’s