A 2002 McLaren MP4-17A will go up for auction at RM Sotheby’s in Paris in 2026. Competing in 12 Grands Prix, the chassis was driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, achieving five podiums and one victory. The estimated price of the land is between 1,000,000 and 1,400,000 Euros.

The car was designed under the guidance of the legendary Adrian Newey. Although the MP4-17 initially showed inconsistent performance, it was later able to compete with the dominant Ferrari F2002 and regularly achieve podium finishes.

Chassis number 6 appeared in the middle of the 2002 season and was mainly used by Raikkonen, who replaced Mika Hakkinen in the team. The Finnish driver immediately finished third in the European Grand Prix, followed by second in France and third in the USA.

In 2003, the same chassis updated and driven by Coulthard won the season opener in Australia, marking the Scot’s 13th and final Formula One victory.

The car’s last race was at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, driven by Raikkonen, who finished second behind Rubens Barrichello, also of Ferrari. That season the championship was won by Michael Schumacher, who finished eighth in the race.

The car retains its original 2002 West livery and Räikkönen number 4 and is powered by a 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz FO110 V10 engine. A complete restoration is required for reuse on the track.

Following its racing career, the car was stored at McLaren for 17 years and was purchased by its current owner in 2021. For fans of the early 2000s, this land is a unique investment and historical value.

Peter Sauber, founder of the Sauber Formula 1 team, said that he was very close to signing a contract with Lewis Hamilton nearly 20 years ago.

At the time, the Briton was in the McLaren youth academy, but the Woking team, which regularly challenges for championship titles, planned to send Hamilton outside the peloton for a season to gain experience in Formula One.

According to the Swiss driver, his and McLaren’s vision of the situation did not align. While Peter Sauber was counting on long-term cooperation, the British team was only considering the option of hiring pilots on a temporary basis. Due to different terms and conditions, the deal ultimately did not happen.

“Almost no one knows that Lewis Hamilton planned to race for Sauber nearly 20 years ago.”

“He was part of the McLaren team and they wanted to send him to Hinwil for training. That’s why the McLaren delegation met with Lewis and his father Anthony, me and our lawyer Monisha Kaltenborn at Kloten Airport.”

“In the end the deal didn’t work out because McClaren only wanted to loan him for one season and we insisted on a two-year loan.”

As a result, Lewis Hamilton remained with McLaren and entered the title fight in his first season in Formula 1. The Briton lost the championship largely due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, but he immediately showed the top level. Lewis currently has 7 championships.

Former Ferrari engineer Javi Marcos is returning to Formula 1 with a new key role in the Cadillac project.

The Spaniard was previously working as Charles Leclerc’s race engineer at Ferrari, but was replaced by Brian Bozzi ahead of the 2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. After that, Marcos decided to leave the Italian team and join Cadillac.

Last year, Marcos worked in the American manufacturer’s WEC and IMSA programs and was also officially appointed technical director of Cadillac’s LMDh project.

However, it is now known that he will focus on Formula 1 again. According to sources, Marcos has been appointed chief racing engineer of the future Cadillac team, which will enter the championship in 2026.

Cadillac will join the peloton as its 11th Formula 1 team. The American team, which will use Ferrari power plants in the first seasons, will switch to its own engines in partnership with General Motors from 2028.

The team had previously confirmed that Carlo Pasetti and John Howard would serve as race engineers for Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez respectively. Marcos will serve in a position above them and will coordinate the work of the engineering staff.