Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes F1 fetches $18.8 Million at Las Vegas GP auction

Lewis Hamilton’s victorious 2013 Mercedes Formula 1 car, which marked his debut win for the team, surpassed expectations at the Las Vegas Grand Prix auction, fetching an impressive $18.8 million.

The Mercedes W04 chassis #4, used by Hamilton in 14 of the 19 races during the 2013 season, notably secured a win at the Hungarian GP and contributed to three additional podium finishes, ultimately propelling him to fourth place in the F1 Drivers’ Championship.

This sale marked the first time a Mercedes F1 car driven by Hamilton was made available to the public. RM Sotheby’s, the renowned auction house, facilitated the transaction, with the final bid exceeding the pre-sale estimate of $10-15 million. The auction, hosted by TV presenter James Corden, took place at the Wynn’s Awakening Theatre and featured a relatively small collection of 39 lots.

Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes has sold for over $17 million at auction.

Making it the most expensive modern F1 car ever 😯💰 pic.twitter.com/SvFYg7QNRi

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 19, 2023

Among the items auctioned, a Ferrari race suit believed to have been worn by Michael Schumacher during his 2003 Italian GP victory fetched $102,000. However, a 1990 Ferrari F40 GT, originally owned by Mugello circuit designer Pierre Alexander Popoff and campaigned in the Italian GT series, did not meet its reserve and remained unsold.

A highlight was the sale of a Lando Norris replica, which raised $10,800 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

In 2013, the record price for an F1 car was set at $29.6 million for the 1954 Mercedes W196R driven by Juan Manuel Fangio.

Mercedes achieved another milestone when an unraced 300SLR ‘Uhlenahut Coupe’ sportscar prototype, brokered by RM Sotheby’s in a private deal, became the most expensive competition car ever sold, reaching a staggering $143 million. The funds raised were directed toward establishing a global educational and research scholarship program focusing on environmental science and decarbonisation for young people.

Looking ahead, the auction scene continues with Bonhams set to auction the 1978 championship-winning Lotus 79 (chassis #4), driven by Mario Andretti, at the Abu Dhabi season finale. The Lotus 79 is anticipated to command as much as $9.5 million.

Additionally, Kimi Raikkonen’s 2006 McLaren MP4/21 and a 2001 Ferrari show car are among the leading lots up for grabs in upcoming auctions.

Image credit: Morio