Iconic F1 title-winning Brawn GP car to be sold at auction

Jenson Button’s iconic 2009 championship-winning Brawn GP F1 car will be sold at auction at the Miami Grand Prix later this year.

The car, which is owned by Button and was gifted at the end of his memorable 2009 campaign, has been part of his personal collection.

Bonhams will be responsible for the auction in Miami.

Button’s 2009 triumph was a fairytale story, with the team founded by legendary F1 team boss Ross Brawn following Honda’s shock decision to withdraw from the sport at the end of 2008.

On a shoestring budget, Brawn GP turned up at the first race with the fastest car and finished 1-2.

The team went on to win the constructors’ championship in their only season in F1 before Mercedes took over.

Button would win the championship with one race to spare, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in the final standings.

The specific chassis up for sale is the 001/01, which Rubens Barrichello drove in the early part of the season.

Speaking of the auction, Louis Frankel of Bonhams Cars said: “This car represents the ultimate Formula 1 fairy tale – a revolutionary design that redefined what was possible.

“Chassis 001/01 is a piece of motorsport history, and its offering at auction is sure to captivate collectors worldwide.

“We are honoured to present this unrepeatable opportunity over the Miami Grand Prix, a stage befitting its legendary status.”

Most expensive F1 cars sold

It’s unlikely the Brawn GP car will get close to the record-breaking sale from earlier this year.

The Mercedes W196R was sold for £42.7m - the auction was held by RM Sotheby’s at Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart.

A distant second is another W196R, driven by F1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio.

It was sold for £19.6m in 2013.

Lewis Hamilton’s first Mercedes F1 car - the W04 - was sold for £15.1m in 2023.