The McLaren MP4/6 chassis ― which the late multiple F1 champion and legend Ayrton Senna drove his heart out to win the 1991 F1 season and in his first home victory at the Interlagos Grand Prix circuit — is going on auction on December 2-5.
Chassis MP4/6/1 was delivered by chief designer Neil Oatley and featured an all-new 3.5l V-12 engine developing 530kW at 13,800 rpm and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. It has eight Grand Prix and concurrent Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships wins.
Many McLarens have been built but this one starred in perhaps the most memorable moment for the team.
A victory at his Interlagos home race had eluded the F1 legend in seven attempts and on the pole-position start of what would be his eighth try, on March 24 1991, a drizzle threatened to put a spanner in the works.
The Brazilian had a good start leading the race and tussling with chief rival Nigel Mansell in a Williams for most of the race, with the British racer determined to deny Senna his first home win. Luck shined on Senna when the pursuing Mansell suffered a slow pit stop on lap 25 and then, on lap 50, experienced a race-ending cut to the right rear tyre.
With 10 laps to go, Senna’s McLaren lost fourth gear and he struggled with fifth and sixth as the earlier trickle turned into a downpour. As another home defeat beckoned, Senna’s talent in the wet gave him a lifeline as he did battle with Italian racer and Mansell teammate Riccardo Patrese behind.
By the final lap, the 20 second cushion had become just four thanks to his wounded car. The memory of the Brazilian great frantically fighting both a broken machine and the elements is forever etched in the minds of those who watched the nail-biting final stages of that race.
By the time the chequered flag fell, Senna had finally won in front of his home crowd of 70,000 fans and was so exhausted he had to be helped from his car by medical personnel. He barely had the energy to lift the trophy.
McLaren won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in the 1991 season, handing Senna his third and final Drivers’ title. Ayrton Senna died three years later on May 1 1994 after a high-speed crash during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy.
The historic win at Interlagos would remain the only race outing for the car, though, with the car retired from racing and sent back to the McLaren factory, where it would remain for almost 30 years.
Offered directly from its sole private owner, chassis MP4/6-1 has a starting bid price of $12m (R208m.) More information on the auction can be found here.
