At RM Sotheby’s public sale throughout the F1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas on 18 November 2023, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 pushed by Lewis Hamilton within the 2013 season offered for a document quantity, turning into the second costliest F1 automobile in historical past.
On the event of the F1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Sotheby’s auctioned the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04, anticipated to promote for between $10 and $15 million. Surprisingly, the automobile offered for a a lot larger worth. One purchaser paid $18.815 million (17.2 million euros), and it turned the second costliest F1 automobile in historical past. The worth may be very excessive as a result of this mannequin didn’t win the world title.
2013 was the final 12 months during which the rules allowed using 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engines. The two.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine developed 750 PS plus one other 80 PS because of a intelligent vitality restoration system (KERS), whereas the crimson zone began at 18,000 rpm.
Hamilton used the auctioned W04-04 chassis in 14 of the 19 races of the 2013 season, profitable the Hungarian MP on the Hungaroring and taking third place within the Malaysian, Chinese language, and Belgian MPs. Hamilton completed the 2013 season in fourth place and took 5 pole positions.
In 2014, the naturally aspirated V8 engines have been changed by the brand new V6 turbo hybrid engines. From that second on, Mercedes’ F1 supremacy started, with Hamilton profitable two world titles in 2014 and 2015 and his teammate Rosberg in 2016. In 2016, Rosberg ended his profession, and Hamilton’s new teammate was Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton gained 4 extra world titles, and Mercedes gained eight Constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021.
Because of its sale worth of USD 18.815 million, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 is the second costliest F1 automobile ever offered at public sale. In first place is Juan Manuel Fangio’s automobile, which he gained his second world championship title in 1954, offered in 2013 on the Goodwood Pageant of Velocity for round $23.99 million (22 million euros).
Third place is occupied by the Ferrari F2003-GA, with which Michael Schumacher gained his sixth world title in 2003. With chassis 229, Michael Schumacher has 5 victories. The automobile offered at a Sotheby’s public sale in November 2022 for $14.28 million (13.1 million euros)
By the way, three automobiles pushed by Schumacher, during which he gained the world title, are within the high 5 costliest F1 fashions offered at public sale. In fourth place is the Ferrari F2001, offered for $7.5 million (6.87 million euros) at a Sotheby’s public sale in New York in 2017, and in fifth place is the Ferrari F2002, offered in 2019 for $6.6 million (6.05 million euros).
