Max Verstappen’s historic dominance since 2021 almost makes us forget Lewis Hamilton’s reign at Mercedes from 2014 to 2020. However, the Brit, crowned champion six times in seven years, found a way to make history again this weekend on the sidelines of the F1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas… winning over his Dutch rival, it should be noted.
In fact, his Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04, which he drove in the 2013 season, was sold by RM Sotheby’s for US$18.815 million (C$25.85 million), a record for a modern F1 car at auction. Its estimated value was between 10 and 15 million.
At the end of this season, however, it was not Hamilton who won the championship title, but the German Sebastian Vettel. But with this car he triumphed at the Hungarian Grand Prix and took the first of his 82 victories with Mercedes. In addition, he reached the podium four more times in 2013 and took fourth place in the final standings.
Photo: RM Sotheby’s
What you should also know is that the Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04 in question is the only Mercedes F1 car in modern history that wasn’t owned by the team, Toto Wolff or Hamilton himself. In addition, it retains its period 2.4 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine, which still works perfectly.
The previous record for a modern F1 car sold at auction was $14.9 million last year, set by Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2003-GA last year. However, Hamilton’s Mercedes W04 is still a far cry from the $29.6 million paid for Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes W196R in 2013.