Senna's Monaco-winning McLaren: sold to Bernie!

©Bonhams

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Bernie Ecclestone forked out a hefty €4,197,500 to become the proud owner of Ayrton Senna's 1993 Monaco-winning McLaren-Ford MP4/8-6 at a Bonham's auction in Monte-Carlo on Friday.

The sale was the highlight of yesterday's auction, held on the eve of the Historic Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

Given the McLaren's winning pedigree and the fact that it was this specific car the Brazilian drove to his fifth and last Monaco triumph, it was always going to go to a well-heeled individual but its sale to Ecclestone keeps it in the F1 family.

Hamilton brushes off Ecclestone 'not the racer he was' dig

Unbeknownst to many, the former F1 supremo amassed a massive collection of cars - both classic and racing - over the course of his exhilarating life.

For starters, Ecclestone kept the majority of the Brabhams raced under his tenure as the team's owner, but he also acquired dozens of other cars over the years, many of which are stored at Biggin Hill, out of the public view unfortunately.

A second Senna car went under the hammer Friday evening, with the Brazilian's 1984 Toleman-Hart TG184 fetching €1,610,000. Not too bad either!

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.