The Mercedes-AMG was driven to victory by Lewis Hamilton at the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix
RM Sotheby’s
The first-ever Mercedes F1 car to secure a win for seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton will be available for auction in November. This highly sought-after vehicle will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Las Vegas on November 17, coinciding with the city’s eagerly anticipated Formula One Grand Prix. It is worth noting that this publicly accessible ex-Hamilton Mercedes F1 car is the only one not owned by the German race team, their principal Toto Wolff, or Hamilton himself.
Identified by chassis number 04, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 competed in the 2013 F1 World Championship and was skillfully maneuvered by Hamilton to claim victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking his initial triumph with the team. Astoundingly, Hamilton also qualified in pole position for the same race using this very chassis.
With an estimated value of $10 million to $15 million, this specific car was utilized by Hamilton in 14 out of the 19 events during the 2013 F1 season. Sotheby’s describes it as a “key contributor” to the Mercedes-AMG team’s achievement of second place in the Constructors’ Championship that year.
Although Hamilton did not clinch the World Championship title in 2013, this car signifies the conclusion of Formula One’s 2.4-liter, V8 era. The subsequent season ushered in the era of V6 hybrid engines, which launched Mercedes-AMG and Hamilton into a run of dominance, with the British driver securing six out of the next seven F1 World Championships.
Hamilton’s decision to shift from McLaren to Mercedes-AMG for the 2013 season was viewed as a significant gamble at that time. Hamilton had signed with McLaren as a young racer, made his F1 debut with the British team in 2007, and earned his first World Championship with them the following year. During his six-year tenure at McLaren, he also achieved a second-place championship finish in his debut season and a remarkable total of 21 race wins. Mercedes-AMG, on the other hand, had experienced limited success in the three seasons since their return to the sport in 2010 after a 55-year absence.
This dynamic shifted in 2013 with the emergence of this car. From 2014 to 2021, Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG dominated Formula One in a manner reminiscent of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s era of dominance.
Shelby Myers, Global Head of Private Sales at RM Sotheby’s, compares Hamilton’s success with the Mercedes-AMG team to the iconic duos of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and Lionel Messi and Argentina. Myers states, “Given the unparalleled lineage and being the sole example outside of Mercedes’ origination publicly available, the pairing of Lewis and the W04 elevates it beyond just a Formula One car. This undeniable piece could emerge as one of the most coveted collectibles in the foreseeable future.”
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