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F1 Renault driven by the late, legendary driver Ayrton Senna, one of 10 vehicles in Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

Petersen Automotive Museum green-lights F1 car exhibit through June 2022

F1 Renault driven by the late, legendary driver Ayrton Senna, one of 10 vehicles in Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum
F1 Renault driven by the late, legendary driver Ayrton Senna, one of 10 vehicles in Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

LOS ANGELESThe Petersen Automotive Museum has unveiled its first-ever exhibit dedicated solely to Formula 1. Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection opened on July 24 and will continue until June 5, 2022. It presents a varied collection of modern F1 cars surrounded by a 180-degree immersive video conveying the energy of the races in which these cars competed.

The 10 cars on display will tell the stories of a variety of drivers and manufacturers from three decades of racing. Vehicles on display will include a 1987 Lotus 99T, a 1994 Williams FW15D, a 1995 McLaren MP4-10, a 1999 Ferrari F399, a 2005 McLaren F1 MP4-20, a 2008 McLaren F1 MP4-24, a 2011 McLaren F1 MP4-26, a 2013 Ferrari F138, a 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12 and Fernando Alonso’s boldly colored 2018 McLaren MCL33. Each comes from the collection of Juan Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board of Mission Foods, a sponsor of the McLaren F1 team and the Arrow McLaren SP INDY team.

F1 Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum
F1 Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

The exhibit will also offer opportunities to educate visitors about extreme vehicle aerodynamics as well as unusual materials, such as soft racing tire rubber and other unique facets of F1 car design and construction.

Installation shot of Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum
Installation shot of Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

“Pole Position is guaranteed to excite our guests, especially those who are avid F1 fans or gearheads,” said Petersen Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Seeing these cars up close and personal is a rare opportunity. Anyone who is fascinated by the mechanics of speed and aerodynamics will be entranced by this stunning display of sophisticated machinery.”

F1 McLaren driven by Lewis Hamilton. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum
F1 McLaren driven by Lewis Hamilton. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection is on display in the Charles Nearburg Family Gallery. For more information, please visit Petersen.org.

F1 McLaren driven by Kimi Raikkonen. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum
F1 McLaren driven by Kimi Raikkonen. Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum

About Petersen Automotive Museum

The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, California 90036. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5. p.m. For general information, call 323-930-CARS or visit Petersen.org.