Iconic Brawn GP F1 car to be auctioned at Miami GP this year

Rubens Barrichello, drove this particular example throughout the season and secured nine top-ten finishes with it

The Brawn GP success story has been nothing short of a fairy tale in Formula 1. The team existed only for a single season in 2009, but won both, the driver’s and constructors championships that year. Jenson Button won his first and only championship title with the team. Now, one of only 3 Brawn F1 cars built is going up for auction at the Miami Grand Prix on 3rd May this year.

The team came into being after Honda decided to quit F1 at the end of the 2008 season. Ross Brawn didn’t want to see the demise of the team so he quickly picked it up and secured an engine deal with Mercedes-Benz. The car was then ready in time for the season opener in Australia that year.

When the team was still known as Honda, it had largely given up on developing its 2008 car and instead shifted its focus to 2009. This gave the team a massive advantage over the competition. It immediately proved to be the quickest car on the grid when it made its racing debut. Jenson Button won six of the first seven races that season.

Bonhams Auctions has been given the task of selling chassis no. 001/01 of the three Brawn GP F1 cars built. The team gave it to Button as a gift after his championship win. His teammate, Rubens Barrichello, drove this particular example throughout the season and secured nine top-ten finishes with it, with four podiums that included second place at the Australian, Spanish, and Monaco Grand Prix.

This is the only Brawn F1 car that has ever been offered for public sale. The listing says that the car retains the original naturally-aspirated Mercedes V8 engine. It is not known if the car is still in running condition, and there are no hints on the starting price either. Given its rarity and history, there is no doubt that the car will go for a very high price.

Brawn GP went on to become the Mercedes-Benz works team, and the rest, as we all know, is history.

The auction preview listing can be checked out here.

Source: Bonhams Auctions