Hamilton’s first race-winning Merc estimated to fetch £8-12m at Vegas auction
Hamilton’s W04 - which he drove to score his first victory for Mercedes at the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix - will go under the hammer in Las Vegas on the Saturday of the F1 weekend.
It will be the first Hamilton-driven Mercedes car to be offered for public sale and is estimated to reach an eye-watering figure between £8.2-12.4 million.
In comparison, Hamilton’s 2010 Turkish GP-winning McLaren MP4-25A collected ‘just' £4.8m in 2021.
"In the world of automotive greatness, few marques match the allure of the Mercedes Silver Arrows,” said RM Sotheby’s global head of private sales Shelby Myers.
"The Mercedes W196, which sold for $29.6million, remains the most valuable Formula 1 car ever sold. However, it's the Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupe that fetched $ 142 million, cementing the Silver Arrows' place in history books as one of the world's most valuable and recognisable brands.
"Now, adding to the legacy of the Silver Arrows, we introduce the W04 – a car whose significance cannot be overstated.
"Driven by Formula 1's most successful driver and sporting icon, Lewis Hamilton, this car delivered his very first win in a Mercedes F1 car, signalling the beginning of the marque's most dominant period: the Hamilton-Mercedes dynasty.
"This pairing can only be compared to Jordan and the Bulls, Brady and the Patriots, or Messi and Argentina.
"Given the unparalleled lineage and being the sole example outside of Mercedes' origination publicly available, the pairing of Lewis and the W04 elevates it beyond just a Formula 1 car.
"This undeniable piece could emerge as one of the most coveted collectibles in the foreseeable future."
Hamilton’s 2013 Hungarian GP triumph marked his first of an incredible 82 wins for Mercedes.
At the time, it was just Hamilton’s 22nd grand prix victory.
The 38-year-old is now a seven-time world champion after racking up six further world titles with the German manufacturer since making the switch from McLaren at the end of 2012.
