The 2013 Mercedes F1 W04 in which Lewis Hamilton won his first Formula 1 Grand Prix for Mercedes is on sale at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 auction.
The 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04-04, driven by Lewis Hamilton in 14 out of 19 Grand Prix races in 2013 is headlining the special RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 sale during the Forumula 1 Las Vegas 2023 race weekend. Hamilton achieved his first victory for Mercedes-AMG Petronas in this car but perhaps more significantly, this is the first time ever that a Mercedes F1 car driven by Hamilton is offered for sale in a public auction. The car has a whopping estimate of $10–$15 million.
RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
RM Sotheby’s: special auction in the Wynn Las Vegas on 17 November 2023 during the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The auction will be headlined by Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04, driven to his inaugural victory for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The auction will also feature football superstar Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey from his final NFL game.
2013 Mercedes F1 W04 at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
A 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04-04, driven by Lewis Hamilton will be on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 sale. The car has an estimate of $10–$15 million — if realized it should be the most or second most expensive modern Formula 1 car ever.
What makes this Formula 1 car THAT special? Several things:
- Although Nice Rosberg took the first two Formula 1 victories for Mercedes in the modern era (Monaco and the British Grand Prix in 2013), this was the car in which Lewis Hamilton won his first race for Mercedes (Hungarian GP 2013).
- This Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04-04 was driven by Lewis Hamilton at 14 out of 19 races in the 2013 Formula 1 season.
- This is the first time ever that a Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team car is available in a public auction.
- Only one other Hamilton F1 victory car has ever been sold at auction (and that was a McLaren).
“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,” said Shelby Myers, Global Head of Private Sales, at RM Sotheby’s.
Just a few days before the Las Vegas sale, the 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO, chassis 3765, estimate “In excess of $60 million”, will be offered in New York on 13 November 2023 during Sotheby’s marquee sales of Modern and Contemporary Art — if sold, it should be the second most expensive car ever.
Record Formula 1 Car Prices at Public Auction
The most expensive Formula 1 single-seater racing car ever sold at public auction was a 1954 Mercedes Benz W196R that achieved $29,650,000 at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013 sale.
The five most expensive (nominal) modern Formula 1 cars were all race winners sold by RM Sotheby’s:
- The 2003 Ferrari F2003-GA F1 racing car in which Michael Schumacher secured his sixth championship (and won five Grand Prix races) sold for an astonishing CHF 14,630,000 (US$ 14,880,000) at Sotheby’s Geneva Luxury Week sale in 2022.
- The previous record car was Michael Schumacher’s Grand Prix-winning Ferrari F2001 sold in Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction in November 2017 for $7,504,000.
- The third most expensive modern Formula 1 car is the Lewis Hamilton-driven 2010 McLaren MP4-25A at £4,836,000 / $6,741,384 in 2021 — the only Hamilton car ever sold in a public auction.
- The fourth most expensive Formula 1 racer is the Michael Schumacher’s 2002 Ferrari F2002 F1 Car, chassis #219, sold for $6,643,750 in Abu Dhabi 2019.
- The fifth most expensive Formula 1 car is also a Michael Schumacher race winner — the 1998 Ferrari F300 driven to four victories in a non-championship-winning year sold for $6,220,000 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022.
