When Lewis Hamilton’s First Mercedes Car Got Sold for $18.8 Million

RM Sotheby's auction at the Wynn Las Vegas resort on 17 November 2023. The car for sale, Hamilton s 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04, won him his inaugural Grand Prix victory for the team

After 12 glorious years with the Mercedes F1 team, Lewis Hamilton is all set to depart and start a fresh chapter with Ferrari in 2025. After six titles and 84 Grand Prix wins with the Silver Arrows, it is hard to point out the most exclusive piece of memorabilia from his time with them. That said, last year, one lucky motorsport enthusiast got the chance to possess arguably the origins of a legend.

Earlier this year, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was announced. But in what was probably a foreshadowing of this impending news, the Briton’s first-ever Mercedes car was auctioned in Las Vegas the year before.

Hamilton joined the Brackley-based squad from McLaren in 2013. His first Silver Arrows chassis was the W04. Last year, the car was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s. When the car went under the hammer, it was sold for a staggering $18.8 million.

Comparing and contrasting 2013 with 2024, it must be said that his Mercedes departure is getting very bittersweet. Despite all the success he has shared and enjoyed with the team over the years, the final leg of Hamilton’s Mercedes career has been mired in disappointment.

Hamilton will leave Mercedes disillusioned by their failures

The #44 driver’s final season with the Silver Arrows has been an inconsistent outing for sure. He has won two races this season and still, the seven-time world champion will not be looking at 2024 with fondness anytime soon. He’s been struggling with the handling of the W15 once again since the end of the summer break.

It all came to a head at the Sao Paulo GP where it seemed like Hamilton had finally given up on the car and his team. A lack of faith or maybe diverging opinions between Hamilton and Toto Wolff have also been confirmed in a latest book titled ‘Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fastlane‘.

Wolff can be quoted as saying, “We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important and I believe everyone has a shelf life,” as he discusses only offering Hamilton a 1+1 year deal [in 2023] and his eventual move to Ferrari.

But if you were to ask Hamilton, he’d say he was going to leave anyway.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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