Sotheby's to Auction Lewis Hamilton's First Race-Winning Mercedes-Benz F1 Car

Sotheby’s is highlighting its next auction with the legendary Mercedes F1 W04 driven by Lewis Hamilton in 2013 in his inaugural victory year for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team. This marks the first and only time a Hamilton-driven Mercedes F1 car was made available for public purchase.

Since joining F1 in 2007, Lewis Hamilton has become a household name and has become one of the most decorated drivers in the sport. In 2013, Hamilton signed the then under-performing team. The 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 is the automotive machine that delivered Hamilton’s inaugural victory for Mercedes in his first year in the seat. It marked the beginning of his dynasty, transforming the sport and Mercedes as a whole. Shelby Myers, Global Head of Private Sales, RM Sotheby’s said, “In the world of automotive greatness, few marques match the allure of the Mercedes Silver Arrows. The Mercedes W196, which sold for $29.6 million, remains the most valuable Formula 1 car ever sold. However, it’s the Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupé that fetched $142 million, cementing the Silver Arrows’ place in history books as one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands. Now, adding to the legacy of the Silver Arrows, we introduce the W04—a car whose significance cannot be overstated.”

The car is a significant point in F1 and Mercedes history. It kicked off the now decade-long Hamilton-Mercedes partnership and era that “can only be compared to Jordan and the Bulls, Brady and the Patriots, or Messi and Argentina.” There is no denying that Hamilton’s presence in F1 has elevated the sport as fewer have risen to become global cultural icons like himself. The 2013 Mercedes F1 W04 driven by Hamilton is set for the Official Auction of the LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX in collaboration with Wynn Las Vegas on November 17 at the rsort’s Awakening Theater. The car is expected to auction between $10 to $15 million USD.

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