Having the opportunity to own a Formula 1 car with a racing pedigree is something only a handful of people in the world will ever have. They are eye-wateringly expensive and exceptionally rare, so when detailing expert Larry Kosilla from Ammo NYC got a call to help detail a McLaren MP4-19B, he immediately got to work.

We’ve shared Ammo NYC videos in the past, including one where Kosilla detailed a McLaren F1 GTR Longtail. He is an absolute expert at what he does and has garnered a huge following on social media. It’s therefore little surprise that the owner of this racer chose him.

The car in question was driven by David Coulthard in 2004 and is said to be the only privately-owned McLaren Formula 1 car in the United States.

It is no secret that teams try to save as much weight as possible in each and every area, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that most F1 cars have very thin paint. After all, excess paint means excess weight. With this in mind, Kosilla started off his detailing with delicate microfiber pads before working up the confidence to actually start polishing with more serious tools.

Detailing a vehicle like a Formula 1 car is made extra difficult due to the various air intakes, ducts and wings. In the world of car detailing, we imagine working on an F1 car is like polishing a fighter jet – only a little more difficult, as the smallest imperfection shows up immediately and, unlike jets, no blemishes are tolerated.