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The single-seater driven by Raikkonen and Coulthard, auctioned for a colossal sum

Article by Sebastian Vasile – Published Wednesday, December 24, 2025 2:38 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, December 24, 2025 4:08 p.m.

The McLaren MP4-17A from the 2002 Formula 1 season will be auctioned by RM Sotheby's in Paris next year. The chassis, which participated in 12 races in the World Championship, was used by Kimi Raikkonen (46 years old) and David Coulthard (54 years old), who achieved five podiums and one victory with it.

  • RM Sotheby's is a collector car auction company

Designed under the guidance of the legendary Adrian Newey, the MP4-17 had a slower start to the season but eventually became a worthy rival to the Ferrari F2002, with the McLaren drivers recording a number of podium finishes.

The single-seater driven by Raikkonen and Coulthard, auctioned for 1 million euros

The 06 chassis was assembled midway through the 2002 season and was predominantly used by Raikkonen, who replaced Mika Hakkinen in the team. At his very debut, in the European Grand Prix, Raikkonen finished in third place.

The Finn subsequently achieved a second place in the French Grand Prix and a third place in the United States Grand Prix.

It is estimated that the car will reach a price between 1,000,000 and 1,400,000 euros.

In 2003, however, the same car, this time with improvements and driven by Coulthard, won the first stage of the season in Australia. This was the 13th and final victory of the driver's career.

The last single-seater race was the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, where Raikkonen was again at the wheel. The Finn finished second behind Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello. The championship, however, went to Michael Schumacher, who finished eighth in the race and won his sixth world title.

The single-seater was kept by McLaren for 17 years

The car is being sold in its original 2002 West livery and Räikkönen's race number 4. It is equipped with a 3 liter Mercedes-Benz FO110 V10 engine. As expected, it will require a complete overhaul before being used on the track again.

The car was retained by McLaren for 17 years before being acquired by its current owner in 2021.



Ashley Davis

I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.

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