Ayrton Senna's Lotus F1 JPS goes on sale for around 10 million

In short: One of the Lotus F1 cars with John Player Special livery driven by Ayrton Senna in 1986 is up for sale for around $10 million.

Quick context: This is one of the most iconic single-seaters of F1's turbo era, the car with which Senna secured pole positions, podium finishes, and cemented his legendary status. The car, in 98T specification, is being offered through Girardo & Co. and represents a rare opportunity to own a Senna F1 with a racing history.

The classic racing car market is experiencing a period of staggering figures, but few cars justify an eight-figure price tag like this Lotus 98T. It's not just a show car: it's a single-seater that competed in the 1986 Formula 1 World Championship, with Ayrton Senna at the wheel in several Grands Prix, and it sports the iconic black and gold John Player Special livery.

The car is being offered for around $10 million, according to The Drive, via specialist Girardo & Co. Beyond the price tag, what's at stake is a piece of turbocharged F1 history, a symbol of Senna's career and the era when Lotus was still fighting at the top of the grid.

What happened?

Girardo & Co. has put a 1986 Lotus 98T with a direct connection to Ayrton Senna up for sale. The car is pictured in the iconic black and gold John Player Special livery, one of the most recognizable color schemes in Formula 1. According to the listing, the asking price is around $10 million.

This 98T is not a show car or a test chassis without pedigree. It's a single-seater that participated in points-scoring Grands Prix and was driven by Senna in several races during the 1986 season. That detail, combined with the JPS livery and the historical context of the driver and the team, explains the price point and the interest it's generating.

The car: Lotus 98T in detail

The Lotus 98T was the British marque's weapon of choice for the 1986 Formula 1 season, at the height of the extreme turbo era. The car was powered by a turbocharged Renault V6 engine, with power outputs that, in qualifying configuration, could easily exceed 1,000 hp, although the exact figures varied depending on the specification and boost level used. The chassis was a carbon fiber and Kevlar monocoque, following the technological trends of the time.

The car for sale retains its mid-1980s F1 configuration, with low-downforce aerodynamics compared to today's cars, period-correct slick tires, and the distinctive sharp profile of the 98T. The Drive describes it as a piece of aesthetic perfection, with the JPS livery applied with a level of detail that makes it look ready to hit the grid in 1986.

Senna, Lotus and the 1986 season

The 1986 season was Ayrton Senna's second with Lotus. Although the title was decided between Williams and McLaren, Senna was one of the key figures in the races, battling for speed in changing conditions. Driving the 98T, the Brazilian achieved pole positions, podium finishes, and performances that cemented his reputation as one of the fastest drivers in history.

The car now for sale was part of that racing program. The Drive notes that this chassis was driven by Senna in several Grands Prix in 1986, placing it squarely at the heart of his career with Lotus. The article doesn't detail all the specific races or the exact results for this chassis, but it does emphasize its status as a "Senna-driven" car, meaning it has Grand Prix kilometers logged by the Brazilian.

Market, price and positioning

The asking price of around $10 million places this Lotus 98T in the upper echelons of the historic Formula 1 market. It doesn't reach the stratospheric figures of some Ferrari F1 cars with world titles, but it's clearly above many cars from the 80s and 90s without a direct link to great champions. The Senna factor and the JPS livery are, in this case, decisive.

In today's market, the F1 cars driven by Senna are extremely rare and highly sought after. Most are in private collections or museums and rarely come up for sale. For one to appear on the open market, with an approximate asking price, is an event in itself. The Drive highlights precisely this combination of rarity, aesthetics, and racing pedigree as the core of this car's appeal.

Historical context and symbolic value

The turbo era and the JPS myth

The Lotus 98T belongs to an era of Formula 1 where raw power and turbochargers dominated the regulations. These were challenging cars, with violent power delivery and a level of risk far exceeding today's standards. Owning a car from that generation, with its old-school turbocharged engine, is to possess a piece of engineering that will never be replicated.

The John Player Special livery, with its glossy black and gold pinstriping, adds an extra layer of symbolic value. It's a design associated with elegance and Lotus's golden age, as well as with figures like Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, and, of course, Ayrton Senna. In the collective imagination, a black and gold Lotus is practically synonymous with classic Formula 1.

Senna as a value multiplier

The name Ayrton Senna acts as a multiplier for any car he raced. His sporting and personal legacy, his driving style, and the way he died have turned everything related to him into an object of veneration. A helmet, a racing suit, a steering wheel… and, above all, a single-seater he raced in Grands Prix, have an emotional value that transcends the purely material.

In this case, the car combines three layers of narrative: the turbo era, the JPS aesthetic, and the direct link to Senna. It's difficult to find another F1 on the market that brings together all three of these elements. Hence, The Drive presents it as a piece of "perfection" for the right collector.

What is known and what is not known

The Drive doesn't provide exhaustive details about the chassis's complete history: it doesn't list all the races it participated in or the specific results. It also doesn't mention whether the car is delivered fully functional for track use or if it requires a thorough overhaul before driving. These are matters that will presumably be addressed directly with Girardo & Co. and the interested buyer.

The article also lacks information on previous restorations, prior owners, or associated historical FIA documentation. What is clear, however, is that the car is presented as an authentic 98T, with a Grand Prix history and driven by Senna, and that the approximate price of $10 million reflects precisely that combination of factors.

Key data

• Model: Lotus 98T Formula 1 car.
• Year of competition: 1986 F1 season.
• Associate driver: Ayrton Senna, with participation in several Grand Prix events.
• Decoration: John Player Special black and gold livery.
• Engine: Renault V6 turbocharged (it was a turbo from the 80s).
• Chassis: carbon fiber and kevlar monocoque.
• Condition: racing car with Grand Prix history, not a static show car according to the source.
• Approximate price: around $10 million, according to The Drive.
• Seller: Girardo & Co., specialist in classic racing cars.

The important thing

• An authentic Lotus 98T appears on the market, driven by Senna and with JPS livery, something very unusual.
• It combines turbo era, iconic aesthetics and a direct link to one of the greatest myths of F1.
• Detailed chassis history, exact mechanical condition and final terms of sale.

As a collector's item, this Lotus 98T JPS driven by Senna is almost the perfect embodiment of what many understand as classic F1: brutal, beautiful, and steeped in history. If the market is willing to pay the asking price of $10 million, it will, in part, be a barometer of the current extent of the Senna cult following and the turbo era. Would you pay that amount to have this car in your garage, even if only to admire it?