Lewis Hamilton’s Former Mercedes Sets Record as Most Expensive Modern-Day F1 Car
In a historic auction at RM Sotheby’s in Las Vegas over the weekend, Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes F1 car made headlines by becoming the most expensive modern-day Formula One car ever sold. The iconic speedster fetched an impressive £15 million, surpassing the previous record held by Michael Schumacher’s 2003 Ferrari F2003.
While Hamilton’s Mercedes claimed the title of the priciest modern F1 car, it still falls short of the overall record. The honor of the most expensive Formula One car of all time goes to the 1954 Mercedes W196R, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, which was sold by Bonhams in 2013 for a staggering £19.6 million.
Hamilton’s connection to the record-breaking car is noteworthy; he finished fourth in the F1 championship while driving it, with Sebastian Vettel claiming the overall victory. However, Hamilton did secure a significant win in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 by clinching the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, making him the first Brit to triumph in a Mercedes since Sterling Moss’s victory in the 1955 British Grand Prix.
This 234mph F1 machine served as Hamilton’s primary car for the season, boasting a V8 engine and an impressive 0-60mph time of just 3.6 seconds. Notably, it is the only one of its kind ever sold outside of the Mercedes stable.
The historic auction in Las Vegas coincided with the inaugural Grand Prix in the city, and Hamilton, a fan of the event, witnessed his former car make history in the collector’s market.
He said of the race: “I’m really, really happy to have had a positive race and I’m really grateful the race was so good.
“I really wasn’t expecting the track to be so great but the more and more laps you did I just really loved racing it.
“Lots of great overtaking opportunities and I think for all those who were so negative about the weekend, saying it was all about show blah blah blah, I think Vegas proved them wrong.”
Michael Schumacher’s 2003 Ferrari was previously the most expensive modern F1 car
The 1954 Mercedes W196R is the most expensive F1 car ever at £19.6million
