Feeling some kind of way about the Iceman’s second – and ostensibly final – retirement from Formula 1? Wipe those tears away, because Sotheby’s is giving you the opportunity to cop the very McLaren MP4-17 driven by Kimi Raikkonen (and David Coulthard).
The mother of all consolation prizes debuted at the European Grand Prix (Nurburgring) and raced 12 times during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Piloted by Raikkonen, it would secure an impressive total of three 2nd place finishes. With Coulthard behind the wheel, however, it managed to win the 2003 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park.
“Featuring a chassis designed by the experienced team of Adrian Newey, Mike Coughlan, Neil Oatley, and Peter Prodromou… the race team turned to Mario Illien of Ilmore Engineering to create a bespoke and honed version of the newly launched 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz FO110M V10 engine,” reads Sotheby’s auction listing.
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“This engine was first run on the dyno on 21 November 2001, and it produced an eye-watering 845 horsepower at 18,500 RPM.”
“The aerodynamics of the car were developed at McLaren’s new, state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility that had recently been completed in Woking, England. Newey altered the front wing on the MP4-17, making it thinner on the downside to draw air under the monocoque.”
The Mercedes-Benz engine is mated to a seven-speed longitudinal automatic sequential gearbox designed by McLaren with the MP4-17’s electronics produced by TAG Electronic Systems. Additionally, the front and rear suspension are fitted with double wishbones, inboard torsion bar, and damper system, both of which are pushrod and bell crank-activated.
What Sotheby’s hasn’t mentioned – given how the McLaren MP4-17 was constructed during the golden era of F1 engine sounds, it roars + purs like nothing else. And if you have no idea what we’re talking about, the video above should rectify that real quick.
“This Formula 1 car has an excellent race history at the hands of two storied drivers and highlights the competitive nature of McLaren’s engineering prowess.”
The McLaren MP4-17 driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard is currently expected to fetch anything between CHF2,000,000 to CHF2,500,000 (AU$2.97 million to AU$3.7 million) at Sotheby’s auction to be hosted at St Moritz, Switzerland tomorrow.
