The Price of Speed: How Much Does an F1 Car Really Cost? (And Can You Buy One in Malaysia?)

A Formula 1 car is the absolute apex of motorsport technology. Crafted by some of the brightest engineering minds on the planet, these machines are designed for one thing: peak performance. Race after race, they are modified and refined in a relentless pursuit of speed. They are as rare as they are coveted, with only 20 drivers (and thus 20 cars) on the grid at any given time. By the end of the year, even the winning car is considered "outdated" and replaced by a newer model.

But for the wealthy enthusiasts in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or Johor who dream of owning a piece of this prestige, the question remains: What is the cost of a brand-new F1 car, and could you actually buy one?

Let’s delve into the world of the F1 car market, converted for our Malaysian audience.

1. How much does a new Formula One car cost?

Estimated Cost: At least RM 75 Million (€15 million)

Putting a precise price tag on a current 2026 F1 car like Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB22 is difficult. Why? Because the technology is top-secret, and more importantly, they are not for sale.

However, we can do some rough maths based on the FIA’s financial regulations. The cost cap for the 2026 season is set at $215 million USD (approx. RM 980 million). This budget covers everything: salaries, factory operations, global logistics, garages, and personnel. It explicitly excludes driver salaries and marketing costs.

If we break it down:

• The Steering Wheel: It’s essentially a supercomputer. Cost: ~RM 240,000 (€50,000).

• The Wings: A set of front and rear wings: ~RM 960,000 (€200,000).

• The Chassis: Made from custom 3D-printed carbon fibre, baked in an autoclave. Expensive, but not the most costly part.

• The Power Unit & Transmission: This is where the money burns. Each power unit allowed per season costs roughly RM 57 million (€12 million).

So, if you could magically buy a brand-new RB22 or Ferrari off the peg, which you can’t, it would set you back at least RM 75 million. And that’s before you hire a team of engineers to keep it running!

2. What about an old F1 "Show Car"?

Estimated Cost: From RM 550,000 (€115,000) upwards

If you don’t need it to go 300km/h, you have options. Teams like Oracle Red Bull Racing maintain fleets of historic cars for demonstration runs. But for private buyers, platforms like F1 Authentics offer display models, show cars, and heritage shells.

For around RM 550,000, you might pick up a chassis that was once displayed in a sponsor’s office.

• The Catch: These cars usually come without engines or transmissions.

• The Reality: It’s essentially a very expensive, very well-made sculpture. You can park it in your garage in Damansara Heights, hang it on the wall of your penthouse, or get your friends to push it around your driveway. Think of it as the ultimate "soapbox" racer for adults.

3. One Careful Owner: A Used, Historic F1 Car

Estimated Cost: RM 4.8 Million to RM 240 Million+

If you want a functioning F1 car with genuine racing history, prepare to open your wallet wide. The price skyrockets if the car was driven by a legend.

• The Legends: Want a McLaren driven by Ayrton Senna or a Ferrari from the Michael Schumacher era? Don’t bother looking unless you have at least RM 24 million (€5 million) to spare.

• The Record Breaker: The most expensive F1 car ever sold at auction was the Mercedes W196R Streamliner, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. It sold last year for a staggering €51.1 million (approx. RM 240 million!).

• The "Affordable" Option: Jean Alesi, the former Ferrari driver and current President of Circuit Paul Ricard, sold his own Ferrari F92A. He had kept it in his villa for 30 years. It sold for €2.9 million (approx. RM 13.8 million).

"The car had been serviced, I did two laps of the track at Fiorano and then came back into the pits... Since then, it hasn’t moved," Alesi recalled. For Malaysian collectors, importing such a vehicle would also involve significant logistics and preservation costs to handle our tropical humidity!

4. The RB17: An F1 Car for the Road (That You Can Actually Drive)

Estimated Cost: North of RM 33 Million (€7 million)

Maybe you don’t want a museum piece that can’t start, or a historic racer that requires an army of mechanics. Enter the Red Bull RB17 Hypercar.

Created by Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT) and envisioned by F1’s most successful designer, Adrian Newey, the RB17 is a track-focused hypercar built on the same campus in Milton Keynes as the F1 team.

• The Specs: A two-seater carbon monocoque powered by a 1,200bhp Cosworth V8 twin-turbo hybrid engine.

• The Tech: It uses the same ground-effect technology as the dominant RB19 F1 car, plus a fan system that generates 1,700kg of downforce at 150mph.

• The Experience: It’s basically an F1 car with license plates (well, almost). It’s built for the track but legal enough for the road in certain jurisdictions.

While you wait for your RB17 to be built, you can hone your skills at home. You can purchase an official Oracle Red Bull Racing or VCARB simulator, engineered by Memento Exclusives. These aren’t your average gaming setups; they are professional-grade tools available for RM 490,000 (€103,179).

The Verdict for Malaysian Enthusiasts

Owning an F1 car is less about transportation and more about possessing a piece of engineering art. Whether it’s a RM 550,000 show car for your showroom or a RM 33 million RB17 for the track day at Sepang International Circuit, the barrier to entry is high. But for those with the means, it represents the ultimate connection to the sport that captivates millions of Malaysians every weekend.