An incredible piece of Ayrton Senna history is tipped to fetch $15million when it is sold at auction next month.

The McLaren driven by Senna to victory in the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix, the car that propelled him towards his final world championship, is poised to go under the hammer.

Ayrton Senna race-winning McLaren set for auction

Senna’s win in Interlagos at the 1991 Brazilian GP was a famous one as he overcame an ailing car to seal his first victory on home soil.

At the wheel of a McLaren MP4/6, Senna opened what would prove to be his final championship-winning campaign in legendary fashion.

Having won on the streets of Phoenix to start the season, F1 headed to Interlagos, in Senna’s home town of Sao Paulo, for the first time since 1980.

After qualifying on pole, the local favourite was passed by Nigel Mansell midway through the 71-lap encounter before a slow stop dropped the Brit down the order.

That left Senna out front, going on to build a comfortable advantage before the gearbox of his Honda-powered machine began to fail.

With 10 laps remaining, he held a 20-second advantage over Williams’ Riccardo Patrese, as he desperately fished to find a gear, any gear, before finally plucking sixth. He dared not change it again.

Despite his ailing car, Senna refusing to concede and battled on, with only top gear and without engine braking. He had to slip the clutch in the slow-speed corners to prevent his V12 engine from stalling.

He haemorrhaged time and started the final lap just four seconds clear of Patrese as light rain began to fall.

But the brilliant Brazilian clung on to take the flag and win by 2.991 seconds. Exhausted, Senna needed help to climb from the car while, on the podium, he struggled to lift the trophy and wave the Brazilian flag in front of his adoring fans.

It was a defining moment in the Brazilian’s career; a win he considered not his best, but the hardest-fought.

“I noticed Patrese getting closer and actually thought I wasn’t going to win,” Senna admitted.

“However, I thought I had an obligation to win in Brazil, and I was able to control the car despite the rain at the end of the race.

“I also had muscle spasms and cramps in my shoulders and neck, because the seatbelt was too tight, but also because of all the emotion.

“I only came back to reality when I saw the chequered flag,” he added.

“Then, it felt really good to be alive, to be at Interlagos, in my land, seeing my people so happy.

“It wasn’t the greatest win in my life, but it was the hardest-fought one.”

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Fans of the three-time world champion can now own a high-profile part of his legacy, with the very car he drove to victory in Interlagos up for sale.

Chassis MP4/6/1 was driven by Senna, having been tested by teammate Gerhard Berger in Estoril in February 1991. It was among the fleet of machines that delivered Senna his third and final world championship.

It was designed by Neil Oatley and boasted an all-new V12 Honda engine capable of producing 720bhp at 13,800rpm.

Until it was sold privately in 2020, the car remained at McLaren, part of the team’s extensive heritage collection. Ahead of that sale, it was returned to race-ready condition and is how it remains.

Now poised to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s next month, it’s estimated to fetch as much as $15 million, marking it out as one of the most expensive F1 cars of all time.

Earlier this year, an F2001 piloted by Michael Schumacher to his first world title with Ferrari fetched $18.5 million at auction.

The most expensive F1 car of all time remains the Juan Manuel Fangio-driven 1955 Mercedes W196, which sold for almost $60 million in February.

A collection of 69 cars previously belonging to Bernie Ecclestone also changed hands earlier this year, for a reported $650 million.

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