(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Lotus 98T with the iconic John Player Special livery is among the most famous Formula 1 racing cars in history. Ayrton Senna raced it to his Grand Prix victories in Spain and the USA during the 1986 season. Now, the legendary car is going under the hammer at the RM Sotheby’s auction house.
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The chassis being auctioned is one of only four examples ever built. Accordingly, the expected sale price is high: the value of the Lotus 98T, with which Senna also achieved five pole positions and three further podium finishes in the 1986 season, is currently estimated to be between 9.5 and 12 million US dollars.
“In that season, 1986, we changed the turbochargers after every qualifying session because they were under such heavy strain that they were finished after just one lap,” reveals Steve Hallam, Senna’s chief engineer at the time. “The turbos were glowing red.”
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“The mechanics wore these extremely thick asbestos gloves to touch them and loosen the bolts. And as they cooled down, they clicked and cracked. When you took the bodywork off, the air around them literally sparked because they were so hot. The guys were sweating, and you could hear the hiss as the moisture dripped onto the turbo.”
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The last Formula 1 car in John Player design
The Lotus 98T, designed by Gerard Ducarouge and Martin Ogilvie, was driven during the 1986 season by Senna and Scottish driver Johnny Dumfries. It was the last Formula 1 car with the legendary John Player Special livery.
The cigarette brand withdrew its support before the 1987 season because it wanted a British driver in the team. However, Lotus had agreed to a partnership with Honda for 1987 and, as part of the deal, signed Honda test driver Satoru Nakajima as Senna’s teammate.
John Player was subsequently replaced as a sponsor by Camel. The auction for Ayrton Senna’s Lotus 98T begins on March 4, 2026. So there are still a few days left to scrape together the necessary change …
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