• This rare McLaren F1 was first delivered to Brunei’s Sultan.
  • The F1 was rebuilt by McLaren with the High Downforce Kit.
  • McLaren also sold a future F1 car and WEC Hypercar project.

One of just 64 road-legal McLaren F1s ever produced has just changed hands for a staggering $25,317,500, setting a new benchmark at auction over the weekend in Abu Dhabi. In a market increasingly drawn to rarity and pedigree, this is yet another reminder of the F1’s standing as perhaps the most coveted performance car of the last three decades.

The car in question is chassis #14, originally delivered to the Sultan of Brunei. It left the factory finished in Titanium Yellow, matched with a black leather and Alcantara interior.

Read: A Mystery Buyer Just Snapped Up A Fleet Of Ultra-Rare McLarens Worth Tens Of Millions

Unlike many of the other rare machines left to gather dust in the Sultan’s vast collection, this particular F1 managed to avoid long-term storage limbo. Instead, it was exported to the UK and granted a more active second chapter in life.

Back home, the F1 eventually landed in the private collection of McLaren Cars’ former director. From there, it made its way across the Atlantic, spending time in New York and California before changing hands again in 2007. Under that ownership, it was sent back to McLaren headquarters for a full rebuild.

The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless

Sam Chick/RM Sotheby’s

Gone is the yellow paint and instead the F1 is painted in Ibis White with the rare High Downforce Kit, which includes a fixed rear wing and parts inspired by the F1 GTR and F1 LM. The interior was also refreshed to LM specification, including a new driver’s seat and more exposed carbon fiber.

The conversion reportedly cost more than $500,000, and no doubt played a significant role in pushing the car to its record-breaking sale price.

Adding to its already significant provenance, the car also carries a subtle nod to racing royalty. One of the side sills bears the signature of Michael Schumacher, signed back when the car was still under the Sultan’s ownership. Images from that period capture the detail.

The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless

Other McLaren Sales

RM Sotheby’s recent sale in Abu Dhabi also delivered some other exceptional results. The McLaren Formula 1 team auctioned off its 2026 F1 car, known as the MCL40A, for $11.48 million. The winning bidder will receive the car at the end of the first quarter of 2028.

The McLaren team also sold a future example of its 2027 WEC Hypercar, which will also be delivered once it is retired from racing after the 2027 season. It fetched $7.59 million.

The Sultan’s F1 Was Built For Royalty But What McLaren Did Next Made It Priceless
Sam Chick/RM Sotheby’s