5 genuine F1 cars you can buy at May’s Monaco auctions

Including three classics driven by Schumacher and Senna

For most people, the dream of owning a stable of Formula 1 cars ends with four full lanes on a Scalextric track.

Exhilarating as a screaming pack of slot cars might be, though, there’s nothing like the real thing – which is exactly what’s up for grabs in Monaco this week.

With both RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams auction houses hosting sales in Monte Carlo, a feast of Formula 1 machinery is set to go under the hammer.

From Senna’s Monaco-winning McLaren to a Schumacher-raced Benetton, here are the five wagons up for grabs – no controller necessary.

Not-so-mellow yellow

First up is this Jordan, driven by Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the 1999 Formula 1 season. Replete with Benson & Hedges branding and that ubiquitous yellow Jordan colour scheme, chassis 003 was piloted to a second place finish in the Australian season-opener, immediately followed by third place at Brazil before assuming spare car duties.

Three’s a charm

With two podium finishes in two races, chassis 003 set the tone for Jordan’s most successful season in Formula 1: the team would go on to finish third in the 1999 Constructors’ Championship.

The machine itself remains in highly authentic condition, going to auction at RM Sotheby’s 12 May sale complete with its original Mugen-Honda motor.

Product of a powerful partnership

Prefer something earlier? Your next lot is this Benetton B192 – a race-proven runner from the 1992 season.

The brainchild of Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn, it was instrumental in securing Benetton’s third place finish in that year’s Constructors’ Championship, not to mention laying the foundations for the cars that would take Schumacher to his 1994 and 1995 Championship wins.

First time second

Debuting at the Spanish Grand Prix as B192-01 – the very machine up for auction with RM Sotheby’s – the Benetton might have been outclassed by Nigel Mansell’s more advanced Williams, but it was still good enough in the hands of Michael Schumacher to qualify and finish the 1992 race in second place.

Spared as a spare

Following this high point, it was relegated to spare car duties in San Marino and Monaco, before retiring from racing altogether.

This limited running explains why it’s in such exceptional condition today, complete with original Camel livery and Ford HB engine. The best bit? There’s no reserve set for its sale in Monaco.

Senna’s first

Another Rory Byrne-designed number, this third lot is truly fitting for a Monte Carlo sale.

The turbocharged Toleman-Hart TG184 was the machine that gave racing legend Ayrton Senna his debut season in Formula 1, which ought to be enough to make this lot worthy of attention – and probably does plenty to explain its upper estimate of €1,000,000 (£870,000).

Monaco magic

But it’s much more than that. This particular TG184 – chassis no. 02 – was the machine that first allowed Senna to demonstrate his prowess in the wet, while simultaneously and infamously showing up what James Hunt termed “French timing.”

Starting 13th in a rain-drenched and borderline unraceable 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, Senna carved up the field to end up right on the tail of the leading McLaren of Alain Prost.

Something untoward

Alas, Prost and Senna couldn’t help but court controversy: the race was stopped just as Ayrton was about to slice past the Frenchman, denying him victory and outraging scores of fans – except the locals, of course.

And now the Candy-branded Toleman that illustrated Senna’s mastery of a wet track and initiated a rivalry for the ages is set to sell, appropriately, at Bonhams’ Monaco auction on 11 May.

Good to go again

Fourth of the lots is this Ferrari, originally raced by Michele Alboreto in the 1987 Formula 1 season.

After competing at Austria, Hungary, Italy and Portugal (races in which it suffered a string of retirements), it became one of five machines made up to 87/88C spec in order to meet new regulations for the 1988 season – principle among which was a smaller fuel capacity.

Thirsty stallion

That reduction constituted the bane of the 87/88C’s year, as the car repeatedly proved too thirsty for its tank – most notably at the British Grand Prix, where pole man Gerhard Berger ran out of gas.

Still, while unable to break McLaren’s grip on the sport at the end of the turbo era, the team of Berger and Alboreto piloted their 87/88Cs to fifth and third respectively in the Drivers’ Championship.

In need of tweaks

This particular machine – chassis no. 100 – served as a reserve car for Berger in 1988. Last driven in 1989, it was consigned to storage for some 26 years before being sold in 2015 – making it a remarkably original slice of late-’80s F1 machinery.

Admittedly, it does need a rebuild in order to be track ready, but if you’re prepared to drop €700,000 (£610,000) on a piece of Prancing Horse history, that shouldn’t be too much trouble.

Two for luck

Thought one Monaco-winning Senna wagon was enough? Bonhams has other ideas. Senna’s McLaren MP4/8A – chassis no. 6 – is also set to go under the hammer on 11 May and it’s not going to be cheap: estimates for this iconic motor sit somewhere around the €5m (£4.35m) mark.

Record breaker

Why so pricey? Because, besides being Senna’s steed for some eight races in the 1993 Formula 1 season, this was the car in which the brilliant Brazilian claimed his remarkable sixth victory in Monaco. 

Edging out Damon Hill and Jean Alesi to take the win on the streets of Monte Carlo, Senna simultaneously established a record that still stands unrivalled to this day.

Ultimate partnership

It’s also a machine from Senna’s last season with the Woking team, in which he would take the Marlboro-branded McLaren to second in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships – and, tragically, his last full racing year in Formula 1 before his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Red, white and ready to race

Going to auction in Monaco, it remains in remarkably good condition, particularly for a machine that competed in anger in several races.

It ran at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed with Bruno Senna at the wheel and reportedly remains in “running order” today, making it truly one to watch when bidding starts at its spiritual home of Monte Carlo.