Filed under: Motorsports, Supercars, Earnings/Financials, UK, Celebrities, Special/Limited Editions
The Fine Print: Hamilton will get his McLaren F1 LM after 3 titles
Click above for hi-res gallery of the McLaren F1 LM
Now that Lewis Hamilton has secured the Formula One championship, supercar fans around the world are asking when he'll get his hands on that rare McLaren F1 LM. The incredibly valuable supercar – initially reported at $4 million but now apparently worth closer to 8 – was promised to the budding young driver if he won the title. However, the condition was that he win both the drivers title and, together with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, lock up the constructors' title for the team, as well. Although he won the drivers' championship, the constructors' crown went to arch-rivals Ferrari, but since McLaren chief Ron Dennis is such a good sport, he's renegotiated the terms.
If Hamilton manages to repeat his title victory with a hat-trick – that is, take another two championships – he'll get his hands on the bright orange supercar. That's quite a challenge, but Dennis called it a "small price to pay for three world championships." Indeed, but by then McLaren will have a whole slew of supercars on the market for Lewis to choose from. In the meantime, he'd better keep his head down and focus on the prize.
Gallery: McLaren F1 LM
[Source: F1-Live]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TJ 9:43AM (11/05/2008)
and what a prize it is....
:drool:
Best. Car. Ever. Built.
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Tim 9:46AM (11/05/2008)
BIG +1
zamafir 11:04AM (11/05/2008)
+2!
Will 9:50AM (11/05/2008)
Why doesn't he just buy his own? By the time he wins three titles he'll have at least four years of Formula One superstar paychecks in the kitty. $8 mil should be chump change.
And I agree with the above stated. Phenomenal car. Solves the only two major problems with the "base" F1-- lack of rear grip, and wheels not worthy of a 240-mph supercar.
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Neil 10:06AM (11/05/2008)
Clearly you can't imagine what it was like to be a young boy walking into McLaren's building and seeing that car. Hamilton has stated that was a special moment for him...as for buying it, I think there were only something like 3 or 4 made.
TJ 10:08AM (11/05/2008)
As for buying it... he has to find an owner willing to part with it.
Besides. Vehicles won are always better than vehicles bought.
Eddie 9:54AM (11/05/2008)
I think the LM is the finest post-war supercar.
I love the story that the Sultan of Brunei wanted all 5 LMs but Gordon Murray would not allow him to own all 5 examples.
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BoxerFanatic 10:12AM (11/05/2008)
Good for Murray.
That is just greedy, no ways around it. He probably would drive one or two of them on one occaision each, and then store them, and let them corrode for decades, like he does with most of the cars that family buys.
Neil 10:02AM (11/05/2008)
Kinda shows a lack of faith in Kovalainen...
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Richard 10:40AM (11/05/2008)
It doesn't show a lack of faith in Kovalainen at all.
It is part of the commitment to keep in as a #2 driver to Hamilton. Kovalainen was fueled heaver than Hamilton in EVERY Q3 session this year. He hasn't a chance to do more than be #2 any more than Alonso had no chance to be WDC last year, when HE was Hamilton's team mate.
Neil 10:49AM (11/05/2008)
Richard, what are you talking about dude? It doesn't matter how much fuel he runs, as long as he is able to add significant points to the team's total, which he wasn't able to do.
For a team to win the manufactures championship they need both cars to be productive and constantly out scoring the competition. If that had happened, McLaren would have won the championship and Lewis would have been awarded the car.
Clearly they don't see Kovalainen being able to do that consistently and as such they put the weight of winning the car all on Lewis.
f650 10:12AM (11/05/2008)
It's sad but this is the first thing I thought of when I heard he won the title.
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Stumpy 10:13AM (11/05/2008)
It is like winning a car FOR REAL in Gran Turismo!
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latterlon 10:36AM (11/05/2008)
Greatest car ever.
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Jvijil 10:43AM (11/05/2008)
lucky bastard!
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Mobius_1 10:44AM (11/05/2008)
Wow, what a great way to keep him at McLaren! I wouldn't move for 10 Enzos if I were him.
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Pat 11:08AM (11/05/2008)
In other news, Flavio Briatorre has promised Fernando Alonso a Renault Clio if he brings the team a third victory LOL
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Mobius_1 8:00AM (11/06/2008)
And Force India boss promised the team the Taj Mahal if they can do the impossible and win the championship.
Nick 12:51PM (11/05/2008)
I would have held out for an F1 GT. Even rarer (only 3 made, 1 of which is held by McLaren themselves), and better, at least in my eyes. Longtail bodywork, no wing, simply beautiful and the ultimate iteration of the F1 for my tastes.
http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/mclaren/mclaren_f1_gt_01.jpg
Silly Hamilton, go for the gold next time!
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John R 3:24PM (11/05/2008)
If I were Hamilton I'd just buy the damn thing. He's got enough loot, right?
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