Latest news with #BrawnBGP001
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Brawn GP's 2009 title-winning F1 car sold for a staggering $3.8 million at Miami Grand Prix
The Brawn GP 2009 F1 car sold for $3.8 million at the Miami Grand Prix, marking an iconic auction moment. (Credit: Bonhams) Brawn GP's 2009 F1 fairy tale comes full circle with $3.8M auction at Miami Grand Prix One of Formula 1's most iconic underdog machines – the Brawn BGP 001 chassis 001/01 – went under the hammer for a staggering $3.8 million during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix . Sold by Bonhams|Cars in collaboration with South Florida Motorsports, this rare machine was displayed and auctioned right at the heart of the action: the Miami podium at Hard Rock during Brawn GP's single, unforgettable 2009 season, Chassis 001/01 is one of just three ever built, and notably, the only one to have been made available for public sale. It embodies the essence of one of F1's most improbable triumphs — a story born out of Honda's sudden withdrawal from the sport in 2008. Ross Brawn and Nick Fry bought the team for a symbolic £1, forged a new partnership with Mercedes-Benz, and turned the ashes of a crisis into a world championship double.'This car represents the ultimate Formula 1 fairy tale – a revolutionary design that redefined what was possible,' said Louis Frankel, Miami's head of sales for Bonhams|Cars, ahead of the auction. '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.'Driven by Rubens Barrichello in most races during the 2009 season, the car was later handed to Jenson Button as a championship-winning token. Initially offered a replica, Button pushed back, and after legal wrangling, was rightfully awarded the original Chassis 001/01. While Button drove chassis 002 in races, this particular car holds deep sentimental and historic value — especially as the first and only Brawn GP car publicly the car retains its 2.4-liter Mercedes-Benz FO108W V8 power unit capable of delivering a ferocious 750bhp at 18,000rpm, though the lack of gearbox internals prevents it from being track-ready. Fitted with Bridgestone slicks, it looks every bit the beast that dominated the 2009 the impressive $3.8 million sale, the final bid did fall short of its projected estimate of $4.5–6.5 million.'We are excited to continue our partnership with Bonhams|Cars and bring even more success to this year's event,' said Tyler Epp, president of the Miami Grand Prix. 'There is a strong car culture in South Florida… to own one of the items in this special lot will add further appeal to a busy weekend of on-track action at this year's race.'Indeed, few machines represent such a perfect fusion of racing excellence and emotional Read: Oliver Oakes resigns as Alpine F1 team boss, Flavio Briatore to take charge
Forbes
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Brawn GP's 2009 Championship-Winning F1 Car Sold For $3.8 Million At Miami Grand Prix
The 2009 championship-winning Brawn GP Formula 1 car was sold this weekend at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. The Brawn BGP001 chassis 001/01 is one of the only three cars ever built by the team that year and is the only Brawn vehicle to be sold publicly, fetching $3.8 million. The auction was hosted by Bonhams in collaboration with South Florida Motorsports, the organizers of the Miami Grand Prix, and it took place on Saturday evening right in front of the Miami podium at Hard Rock Stadium. 'This car represents the ultimate Formula 1 fairy tale – a revolutionary design that redefined what was possible,' said Louis Frankel, Miami's head of sales for Bonham|Cars, ahead of the auction. '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.' Chassis 001/01 was used by Rubens Barrichello in all but seven races in 2009 and it was then gifted to world champion Jenson Button at the end of the season. It is currently equipped with period-correct Bridgestone slick tires and has its race-used 2.4-liter Mercedes-Benz V8 engine but lacks gearbox internals. Brawn GP has one of the most incredible stories in the history of the sport. It's the only team to have won both the constructors' and drivers' championships in its debut season, having secured both titles in its only year in F1 in 2009 with a minuscule budget compared with its rivals. A year earlier, in 2008, Honda made a decision to pull the plug on its F1 team which had been running since 2006. The global financial crisis and the lack of much success on the track forced the Japanese marque's hand. But the struggling team was lucky to have Ross Brawn on board during this tough time. He was brought in by senior manager Nick Fry to serve as the team's technical director. Brawn was already a big name in motorsport, having led TWR-Jaguar to victory in the Sports Car World Championship in 1991. He then moved to Benetton where he oversaw Michael Schumacher's first two world titles before joining the German legend at Ferrari and witnessing the team secure six titles in a row. As the clock was ticking down and the new season was fast approaching without an owner in sight, Brawn and Fry decided to take a huge gamble to rescue the team, purchasing Honda's F1 operation for a dirt-cheap price of £1 and rebranding it Brawn GP. Even though they purchased it for nothing, they still needed funding and deals to get the team back on its feet. They managed to secure a last-minute deal with Mercedes-Benz for engines and signed on a few brave sponsors willing to take such a big risk. Brawn was able to retain Button and Barrichello's services, and while they had hardly any time to test the cars before the 2009 season began, they put their faith in Brawn and his newly formed squad. Fortune then smiled upon them when engineer Saneyuki Managawa found a loophole in the 2009 regulations that allowed them to build a double diffuser. They soon knew that they created a beast of a car when they later took the BGP01 chassis 001 - the one sold at auction - to the track to be tested by Button. In the 2009 season opener in Melbourne, Brawn GP stunned everyone with a one-two finish headed by Button. It wasn't a stroke of luck however as the Brit went on to clinch his second victory of the season in a rain-shortened race in Malaysia, finishing 22.722 seconds ahead of Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber. After securing third in the following round in China, Button brought home four straight wins from Bahrain to Turkey. And while those were his last wins of the season with ten races still to go, Barrichello netted two more victories for the team. Thanks to 15 podium finishes throughout the season, the outfit claimed its sole constructors' championship with 172 points, beating Red Bull by 18.5 points. Button took home his and the team's first and only drivers' title with 95 points - 11 points clear of Sebastian Vettel. Brawn GP, the team that was born from the ashes of Honda and achieved the unthinkable, was then sold to Mercedes at the end of the 2009 season.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Brawn GP F1 Car That Jenson Button Sued For Is Going To Auction
Winning the FIA Formula One World Championship would be the zenith of any racing driver's career. Occasionally, an F1 team will gift a car used during the title-winning season to its champion as a gesture of thanks. The Brawn BGP 001, given to Jenson Button after his 2009 championship, is going up for auction at the Miami Grand Prix this May. Besides the unlikely Cinderella title run, the British driver had to sue the team for his contractually obligated gift. Bonhams is auctioning off Chassis 001/01 during the South Florida F1 event. During the 2009 season, Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello drove the car to four podium finishes but never won a race before swapping to Chassis 001/03. For those unfamiliar, Brawn GP sprouted from the ashes of Honda's shuttered factory F1 team. The Japanese manufacturer sold the team to technical director Ross Brawn and team CEO Nick Fry for a single British pound coin in 2008. Before Honda's withdrawal, the team effectively threw away the season to develop its 2009 challenger. Brawn entered the next season with a paradigm-shifting chassis and a competitive customer Mercedes engine fitted under the cover. Button would go on to win six of the first seven races, but he wouldn't win again in 2009. The FIA declared Brawn's controversial and game-breaking double-diffuser legal, and the other front-running teams mirrored the design. Brawn, with minimal resources, just couldn't keep pace in the development race. However, the points lead was large enough for Brawn and Button to hold off an ascending Red Bull Racing and wunderkind Sebastian Vettel. Louis Frankel, Bonhams Miami Head of Sale, 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 honored to present this unrepeatable opportunity over the Miami Grand Prix, a stage befitting its legendary status.' The fairy tale ended quickly, with Mercedes purchasing the team and Button departing for McLaren ahead of the 2010 season. Button had to file a lawsuit against the team to get his gift car, according to Autocar. Despite it being explicitly stated in Button's contract, Brawn didn't want to hand any chassis over to the world champion. The team stated that it could afford to do so because of the limited number of cars built for the title campaign. Once Mercedes took over, the German automaker offered to build a BGP 001 replica for Button. He rejected the offer, desiring a chassis he raced. The Barrichello-driven car was a compromise that both sides accepted. Button held on to the Brawn BGP 001 until last year, when it was sold to a private owner, according to Motor Sport. Despite the rocky epilogue, Brawn GP will be forever known for the against-all-odds championship victory that Formula 1 actively works to prevent. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
