McLaren lit up Abu Dhabi with one of the most audacious auctions motorsport has ever seen, selling future machinery from Formula 1, IndyCar, and the World Endurance Championship Hypercar program in a blockbuster “Triple Crown” sale run by RM Sotheby’s.
By the end of the night, the collection had drawn a staggering $19,927,500, fueling Zak Brown’s racing empire and rewriting the rulebook on what elite motorsport hardware is worth.

Indy 500 Challenger: Pato O’Ward’s DW12 Becomes the ‘Affordable’ Option at $848,750

The “entry-level” piece of McLaren’s lineup — if that term can even apply — was Pato O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Dallara DW12-Chevrolet, the very car the Mexican star will campaign at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 in search of his first win.

Hammer price: $848,750
A relative bargain in a night of motorsport excess.

The winning bidder will receive the car race-ready in early 2028, plus a mountain of extras:

• 4 VIP tickets to the Indy 500
• Full hospitality + pit and paddock access
• A tour of Arrow McLaren’s 2026 facility
• A two-seater ride around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Dinner with Team Principal Tony Kanaan and President Kevin Thimjon
• A pair of 2025 Pato O’Ward race-worn overalls, autographed

This was the “cheap” item. Things escalated quickly from here.

Future WEC Hypercar Sells for $7,598,750 — Ten Times IndyCar Price

Next up was McLaren’s incoming 2027 United AS WEC Hypercar, a Dallara-built LMDh machine destined for the full WEC calendar, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Final price: $7,598,750
Nearly ten times the cost of the IndyCar chassis.

Deliverable after the 2027 season, the Hypercar comes:

• In season livery
• Race-ready, with full running gear
• With an owner’s chassis tag engraved with the buyer’s name
• With a documented history book dedicated to the chassis
• With an autographed race suit from one of the yet-to-be-announced McLaren drivers

The privileges don’t stop there:

• 4 VIP tickets + hospitality for Le Mans 2026
• Hospitality for Monaco GP 2026 and the 2026 Indy 500
• 2 VIP tickets to every round of the 2027 WEC season
• A private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre
• Priority access to purchase future McLaren special editions

This one isn’t just a car — it’s an all-access passport to McLaren’s entire world.

The Main Attraction: McLaren’s 2026 MCL40A F1 Car Fetches $11,480,000

But the headline act was unmistakably the 2026 McLaren MCL40A-Mercedes, sold for an astonishing $11,480,000 — making it the highest-priced item of the night.
The buyer even gets to choose whether their chassis will be one raced by Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri.

And yes — this will be a running, 2026-spec Formula 1 car.

But the caveats? They’re monumental.

According to RM Sotheby’s:

• The car comes with a 2026 Mercedes HPP power unit
• Delivery occurs Q1 2028, due to F1 intellectual property protections
• A 2025 non-running show car will be provided in the meantime
• The MCL40A may only run in:
  • Designated demonstration events
  • Track days
  • Under full support by McLaren Racing engineers and Mercedes HPP technicians
  • In compliance with all FIA technical requirements

Why so strict?

Because, as Sotheby’s notes:

“Since the dawn of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, extremely few operational cars have ever made their way into private ownership… the sale of a yet-unraced MCL40A is remarkable.”

That exclusivity extends to the VIP experience attached to the sale:

• First right of refusal on future McLaren F1 cars
• Meet-and-greet with Zak Brown, Norris, and Piastri
• A private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre
• Attendance at the car’s official 2026 launch
• VIP access to two Formula 1 races, including the Monaco Grand Prix
• Premium hospitality and pit-garage access

This isn’t a purchase — it’s induction into McLaren’s inner circle.

A $19.9 Million Night That Redefined What a Racing Team Can Sell

McLaren didn’t just auction off cars.
They auctioned off access, identity, connection, and future legacy machinery from three elite racing categories.

• F1 — The rarest prize money can buy
• WEC Hypercar — A future Le Mans challenger
• IndyCar — A living, breathing campaign machine for the Indy 500

Nothing like this has ever been done by a racing team at this scale.

Zak Brown, once again, has found a way to turn McLaren into motorsport’s most aggressive commercial disruptor — and the market responded with nearly $20 million of validation.