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The 2002 Formula 1 McLaren MP4-17A, driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard to multiple podiums, is going up for auction later this month. It is the same car driven by Coulthard to his 13th and final F1 win at the 2003 Australian Grand Prix.

2007 Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Coulthard also raced the 2002 McLaren MP4-17A, achieving six podium finishes across 2002 and 2003. Coulthard was the runner-up in the F1 World Drivers’ Championship in 2001 with McLaren. Now, it can be yours (assuming you are filthy rich).

According to RM Sotheby’s, this car was originally built as an MP4-17A and upgraded to MP4-17D specification for 2003. It sports the 2002 “West” color scheme with Raikkonen’s #4 livery.

The McLaren is outfitted with an Ilmor Engineering-built 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz FO110-series V-10 engine. Unfortunately, it will need to be rebuilt before use.

Development of the MP4-17A was conducted by then-McLaren technical director Adrian Newey. Newey dramatically sculpted the lower front wishbones and updated the bodywork for 2002.

The 2002 Formula 1 McLaren MP4-17A race history

Raikkonen piloted the McLaren to third-place finishes in the 2002 European Grand Prix and 2002 United States Grand Prix. He followed that up with a second-place finish in France in 2002 and runner-up finishes in San Marino and Japan in 2003.

The car was retained by McLaren for 17 years following the 2003 Formula 1 season. The current seller acquired it in 2021.

RM Sotheby’s will hold the auction on Jan. 28. It is expected to sell for roughly $1.16 million to $1.63 million. While that is far lower than what Ayrton Senna’s historic 1991 McLaren MP4/6-1 sold for this past November, it is still an important piece of Formula 1 history that certainly will look great in someone’s garage.

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MotorBiscuit Senior Editor

Doug Sheckler

Doug Sheckler is a Senior Editor at MotorBiscuit and BroBible. He began his professional career working for an auto racing sanctioning body, and subsequently founded his own racing series, which remains in operation today. He has since spent the better part of two decades creating, editing, and writing for a variety of websites.

These days, he has a special affinity for hypercars and other exotic vehicles that he will never own. He also enjoys delving into stories about the world of criminals, the more foolish and/or clever the better, and is always up for a good conspiracy theory. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Iowa.

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