A 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04 Formula 1 car driven by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton sold for $18.815 million at a recent RM Sotheby's auction in Las Vegas. That beat the pre-auction estimate of $10-$15 million. It also beat the previous modern F1 car record of $14.9 million for an ex-Michael Schumacher 2003 Ferrari F1 set last year.
Hamilton and Mercedes have been one of the winningest combinations in F1 history, as the Brit won six of his driver's championships with the team. It all started in 2013, when Hamilton switched from McLaren to Mercedes—a team then on the rise.
2013 Mercedes-Benz AMG W04 Formula 1 car driven by Lewis Hamilton - Photo credit: RM Sotheby's
After years of supplying engines, Mercedes stepped up and bought what had been the Brawn GP team (and prior to that Honda), transforming it into a factory team for the 2010 season. Even with the legendary Michael Schumacher partnering with the promising Nico Rosberg, the team required several years of rebuilding to become competitive again. Hamilton replaced Schumacher for the 2013 season, just as that rebuilding period was bearing fruit.
The car sold at auction is chassis F1W04-04, which Hamilton drove in 14 of the 19 races in the 2013 season, including a win at that season's Hungarian Grand Prix and third-place finishes in Malaysia, China, and Belgium. The Hungarian Grand Prix win was Hamilton's first in a Mercedes F1 car.
2013 Mercedes-Benz AMG W04 Formula 1 car driven by Lewis Hamilton - Photo credit: RM Sotheby's
This was also the last season for F1's naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V-8 engines. The W04's engine boasts an 18,000-rpm redline and produces 750 hp, with an additional 80 hp available in short bursts from a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS). For 2014, F1 switched to its current turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 hybrid powertrain format. Mercedes was initially well ahead of rivals in both power and reliability, setting the team up for years of dominance.
That dominance has receded faster than an F1 car being overtaken on a long straight. Hamilton won his last driver's championship in 2020, and Mercedes took an additional constructor's championship in 2021. But since then Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been the combination to beat. Chassis F1W04-04 is a reminder of when Hamilton's greatest period of success was still in the future.
