For Sale: F1 champion’s McLaren P1 with rare Easter egg

JENSON Button is having a garage sale and his loss could be your gain. Naturally, the contents of a Formula 1 world champion’s garage are a little more exotic than your average.

The 2009 titleholder is making some space in his shed by parting ways with his one-off McLaren P1.

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Button’s hypercar is being sold through a company called Steve Hurn Cars, which is asking £1.6 million for it, or just less than $3 million in Aussie currency. What’s more, the unique hypercar has a special Easter egg in its software.

Like every other P1, Button’s ride has a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 paired with an electric motor for a total power output of 674kW and 980Nm, which allows it to crack 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

What makes the car special is its bespoke specification, which is unlike any other P1. Button’s McLaren is painted in Grauschwartz Grey, with the Stealth Pack and MSO grey/black alcantara interior.

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But the real difference is the fitment of ‘Track Mode 2’, which is a McLaren Special Operations (MSO) modification that gives the car a road-legal version of the ‘Race’ driving mode. It’s a rather fitting addition for an F1 champion to have on his hypercar, and according to Steve Hurn Cars, this is the only P1 fitted with the option.

Track Mode 2 was a £20,000 option (A$36,650) when the car was new, and puts the drivetrain into track mode, without dropping the suspension to the track-only ride height.

Other notable specification additions include lightweight forged wheels, yellow-painted brake calipers, yellow contrast stitching, and a Meridian sound system.

Button purchased the P1 while he was driving for the McLaren factory Formula 1 team, but the car hasn’t seen much road use – the odometer reads just 886km. Although, Button did give the car one final blast with a road trip to Silverstone for the World Endurance Championship event he was driving in.

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"It’s a tough decision but living in America I don’t really get the chance to drive this beauty," Button stated on Instagram regarding his reason for selling.

Just 375 P1s were built between 2013 and 2015, with roughly three quarters of original owners opting for some level of unique customisation from MSO.

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Now might be the perfect time for an Australian to buy the multi-million dollar hypercar, with left-hook limited-run cars to become legal on Aussie roads from 2019 thanks to a review of the Motor Vehicles Standards Act.

Button won’t be left without wheels after parting ways with his P1, as the former Bugatti Veyron owner has 14 other cars in his collection according to a 2016 interview.

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This includes a Ferrari F40 and 1956 VW campervan, a Ferrari 550 and 1957 Chevrolet Corvette that belonged to his father John, a 1970 Pontiac GTO that was Button’s wedding car, a Ferrari 355, and a Ferrari 275 GTS Cabriolet.