What makes the Goodwood Festival of Speed so special

Australia's only McLaren F1 listed with $37.6m price tag

Courier-Mail

17 hours ago

Courier-Mail

Australia's only McLaren F1 listed with $37.6m price tag

Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. There is only one McLaren F1 in Australia, and it is up for sale with a staggering price tag. This ultra-rare McLaren F1 was once the fastest production car in the world, and it remains one of the most coveted supercars ever built. Australia's original McLaren has a remarkable backstory. Originally owned by former Coca-Cola Amatil chief executive Dean Wills, the car was regularly exercised in secret at a private circuit north of Sydney once known as 'The Farm', now operating as '70 North'. The car is rumoured to have been crashed heavily during a test drive by a mechanic that caused more than $1 million in damage, according to a report in Wheels magazine. Now owned by Melbourne businessman Barry Fitzgerald, the model has been listed for sale. Just 106 McLaren F1s were built between 1992 and 1998, and only 64 of those are road-legal, making this of the most exclusive vehicles in the world today. This revolutionary machine, famous for rewriting the rule book on performance and design, is currently listed for sale on the JamesEdition website with an eye-watering price tag of $37,664,120. 1992 McLaren F1. Picture: ELITA 1992 McLaren F1. Picture: ELITA MORE: Tesla's 'retro-futuristic' move blows minds The McLaren F1 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds. Created by the legendary Formula 1 engineer Gordon Murray, the F1 was designed with the singular goal of becoming the greatest driver's car ever made. Leveraging McLaren's Formula One expertise, the team reimagined every aspect of supercar design by prioritising lightweight materials, driver-focused engineering, and eliminating compromises. The carbon fibre chassis alone took over 3000 hours to build. The throttle pedal was hand-assembled from six precision-finished titanium components. Even the instrument needles were hand-machined and painted. 1992 McLaren F1. Picture: ELITA MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads Every detail in this car was carefully crafted, right down to the cabin, which was individually tailored for each owner. Under the bonnet sits a 6.1-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine developed by BMW, producing 461kW and pushing the car to a record-breaking top speed of 386km/h – making it the fastest naturally aspirated production car ever built. To protect the engine from extreme heat, the bay was lined with genuine gold foil, selected for its excellent heat-reflective properties. 1992 McLaren F1. Picture: ELITA 1992 McLaren F1. Picture: ELITA MORE: 'Jet on wheels': Luxury van's insane cost It's almost impossible to damage an F1 to the point of it being a complete write-off, as McLaren is always willing to conduct repairs. This is because the stratospheric prices of F1s make any repairs justifiable, no matter how extensive. The sale is being handled by ELITA, a global expert in discreet, high-end car sales. They are known for connecting collectors with rare vehicles that are seldom made publicly available. Its listing reads: 'Owning an F1 is not about acquiring a vehicle; it's about becoming part of a legacy defined by Formula 1 DNA, Le Mans dominance, and automotive immortality.' 'Only 106 McLaren F1s were ever built; and just 64 road cars. Today, fewer still remain in the kind of condition worthy of the original vision. Most reside in private collections or museums, making availability of any example a global event. 'This isn't just the apex of the analog supercar; it's a time capsule from the golden age of performance. No turbos, no traction control: only raw, mechanical brilliance tuned to perfection.' Originally published as Australia's only 1992 McLaren F1 is up for sale

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

Herald Sun

a day ago

Herald Sun

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Liam Lawson says he wasn't given time to prove himself at Red Bull Racing before his brutal sacking just two rounds into the season. Lawson was drafted up from Racing Bulls to replace the out-of-favour Sergio Pérez this season, but dire results at the opening Australian and Chinese grands prix convinced Red Bull Racing management to make an emergency change, sending him back to Faenza in exchange for Yuki Tsunoda. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. It was a ruthlessly early move on the Kiwi, who had started just 13 races when he was dropped ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Speaking to the F1 website at the halfway mark of the season, Lawson argued that while he accepted his results were poor, he was never given a chance to prove his underperformance was down to insufficient preparation rather than skill. Liam Lawson has spoken out about his demotion. (Photo by) 'I was well aware that those results weren't good enough, but I was just focused on improving, fixing and learning, basically,' he said. 'I was in the same mindset as I have been since I came into F1. 'I think that was the biggest thing going into a team like that, in a car like that it was going to take a bit of time to adjust and learn. 'With no proper testing, the issues in testing, the issues in Melbourne through practice, it wasn't smooth and clean. 'I needed time, and I wasn't given it.' Tsunoda's struggles in his seat have cast Lawson's difficulties in a new light. While the Kiwi's results were considerably poorer, the well-regarded Japanese driver has yet to make a breakthrough with the difficult RB21. Yuki Tsunoda has had his own issues in the top team. (Photo by) On average his results have been similar to those that had Pérez sent packing with two years to run on his contract at the end of last year. But the fact Tsunoda has been unable to perform — despite having been in sizzling form at Racing Bulls in 2024 and the first two rounds of 2025 — has finally forced the team to reckon with a more deeply seated problem than just its second driver. For years the design department has developed an increasingly niche car. Max Verstappen, his abilities preternatural, has been able to master it, but the mere mortal drivers partnered with him have endured greater and greater difficulties behind the wheel. This year even Verstappen has been unable to deliver consistent performances in the car, completing the team's rapid descent from dominant title winner in 2023 to also-ran just two years later. Tsunoda will be given at least until the end of the season, after which the prevalent assumption is he'll be moved on, though a fresh tack under new principal Laurent Mekies could yet change the game. A series of drivers have struggled to partner Max Verstappen. (Photo by) The subsequent events reframed Lawson's struggles — and not just his; Pérez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly could all claim some credit back here — in less harsh terms. It's cold comfort for the Kiwi, however, whose career flipped from dazzlingly ascendant to alarmingly precarious less than a fortnight into the season. With Red Bull's next young gun, Arvid Lindblad, in line for promotion to Formula 1 next season, what should have been a dream season could yet turn into a nightmare. Despite Christian Horner, the then Red Bull Racing principal, having claimed Lawson's demotion was an exercise in its 'duty of care to protect and develop Liam', his results remained stubbornly unimpressive upon his return to Racing Bulls. There are several elements that have gone into making him look more ordinary than expected. Former boss Christian Horner (right) and the team fell on much harder times in recent years. (Photo by) One is the acclimatisation process. Being thrown from one car to another in the middle of the season is always difficult, and after having struggled with an interrupted pre-season program at Red Bull Racing, having no pre-season at all with Racing Bulls made that challenge steeper. The other is that his teammate, Isack Hadjar, is arguably the standout rookie of the season. The Frenchman has been especially impressive in qualifying, and given the tightness of the midfield, that's made his Sunday results more impressive too. It's been easy to conclude a third reason — that Lawson, after being chewed up and spat out by one of F1's grandees in just two grands prix – had his confidence shattered. Pérez, after all, looked like a broken man in his final months at Red Bull Racing. Lawson, however, denies that psychology has played a role. 'I haven't really talked much about it because I think for a big part of this year I've just ignored everything that happened and I've just focused on trying to drive the car, but I know there was a lot of stuff that went out that was speculation about how I was feeling,' he said. 'My confidence hasn't changed since the start of the year to now. 'One thing to be clear about is that between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed. 'It's been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year I felt the same as I always have. 'I think in two races, on tracks I'd never been to, it's not really enough for my confidence [to suffer]. 'Maybe six months into a season if I'm still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I'd be feeling something, maybe my confidence would be taking a hit.' Lawson may not have got the time he deserved at Red Bull Racing to make an impression, but he has 12 more grands prix to state his case in a car capable of occasional big results. The pressure's on, but it's up to him to prove he's equal to the challenge. Originally published as Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion

Courier-Mail

a day ago

Courier-Mail

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Liam Lawson says he wasn't given time to prove himself at Red Bull Racing before his brutal sacking just two rounds into the season. Lawson was drafted up from Racing Bulls to replace the out-of-favour Sergio Pérez this season, but dire results at the opening Australian and Chinese grands prix convinced Red Bull Racing management to make an emergency change, sending him back to Faenza in exchange for Yuki Tsunoda. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. It was a ruthlessly early move on the Kiwi, who had started just 13 races when he was dropped ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Speaking to the F1 website at the halfway mark of the season, Lawson argued that while he accepted his results were poor, he was never given a chance to prove his underperformance was down to insufficient preparation rather than skill. Liam Lawson has spoken out about his demotion. (Photo by) 'I was well aware that those results weren't good enough, but I was just focused on improving, fixing and learning, basically,' he said. 'I was in the same mindset as I have been since I came into F1. 'I think that was the biggest thing going into a team like that, in a car like that it was going to take a bit of time to adjust and learn. 'With no proper testing, the issues in testing, the issues in Melbourne through practice, it wasn't smooth and clean. 'I needed time, and I wasn't given it.' Tsunoda's struggles in his seat have cast Lawson's difficulties in a new light. While the Kiwi's results were considerably poorer, the well-regarded Japanese driver has yet to make a breakthrough with the difficult RB21. Yuki Tsunoda has had his own issues in the top team. (Photo by) On average his results have been similar to those that had Pérez sent packing with two years to run on his contract at the end of last year. But the fact Tsunoda has been unable to perform — despite having been in sizzling form at Racing Bulls in 2024 and the first two rounds of 2025 — has finally forced the team to reckon with a more deeply seated problem than just its second driver. For years the design department has developed an increasingly niche car. Max Verstappen, his abilities preternatural, has been able to master it, but the mere mortal drivers partnered with him have endured greater and greater difficulties behind the wheel. This year even Verstappen has been unable to deliver consistent performances in the car, completing the team's rapid descent from dominant title winner in 2023 to also-ran just two years later. Tsunoda will be given at least until the end of the season, after which the prevalent assumption is he'll be moved on, though a fresh tack under new principal Laurent Mekies could yet change the game. A series of drivers have struggled to partner Max Verstappen. (Photo by) The subsequent events reframed Lawson's struggles — and not just his; Pérez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly could all claim some credit back here — in less harsh terms. It's cold comfort for the Kiwi, however, whose career flipped from dazzlingly ascendant to alarmingly precarious less than a fortnight into the season. With Red Bull's next young gun, Arvid Lindblad, in line for promotion to Formula 1 next season, what should have been a dream season could yet turn into a nightmare. Despite Christian Horner, the then Red Bull Racing principal, having claimed Lawson's demotion was an exercise in its 'duty of care to protect and develop Liam', his results remained stubbornly unimpressive upon his return to Racing Bulls. There are several elements that have gone into making him look more ordinary than expected. Former boss Christian Horner (right) and the team fell on much harder times in recent years. (Photo by) One is the acclimatisation process. Being thrown from one car to another in the middle of the season is always difficult, and after having struggled with an interrupted pre-season program at Red Bull Racing, having no pre-season at all with Racing Bulls made that challenge steeper. The other is that his teammate, Isack Hadjar, is arguably the standout rookie of the season. The Frenchman has been especially impressive in qualifying, and given the tightness of the midfield, that's made his Sunday results more impressive too. It's been easy to conclude a third reason — that Lawson, after being chewed up and spat out by one of F1's grandees in just two grands prix – had his confidence shattered. Pérez, after all, looked like a broken man in his final months at Red Bull Racing. Lawson, however, denies that psychology has played a role. 'I haven't really talked much about it because I think for a big part of this year I've just ignored everything that happened and I've just focused on trying to drive the car, but I know there was a lot of stuff that went out that was speculation about how I was feeling,' he said. 'My confidence hasn't changed since the start of the year to now. 'One thing to be clear about is that between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed. 'It's been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year I felt the same as I always have. 'I think in two races, on tracks I'd never been to, it's not really enough for my confidence [to suffer]. 'Maybe six months into a season if I'm still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I'd be feeling something, maybe my confidence would be taking a hit.' Lawson may not have got the time he deserved at Red Bull Racing to make an impression, but he has 12 more grands prix to state his case in a car capable of occasional big results. The pressure's on, but it's up to him to prove he's equal to the challenge. Originally published as Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion

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Australia's only McLaren F1 listed with $37.6m price tag

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

What makes the Goodwood Festival of Speed so special

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Australia's only McLaren F1 listed with $37.6m price tag

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

F1 Liam Lawson tries to set the record straight after brutal Red Bull demotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

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