The championship Formula 1 car will be put up for auction - Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04-04 (31 photos)
Auction house Sotheby's will put up for auction the Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04-04 car of the 2013 season in November in Las Vegas. This car was used by Lewis Hamilton for the first time to win for Mercedes-AMG Petronas. The final cost of the car is expected to be around $15 million, making it the most expensive Formula 1 car.
2013 was Lewis Hamilton's first season with the Mercedes-AMG team. He drove the car up for auction in 14 out of 19 races. The athlete won five pole positions, but won only one race during the season - the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team itself took second place in the Constructors' Championship in 2013.
The car is sold equipped with a 2.4-liter V8. After the 2013 season, Formula 1 abandoned this type of engine. Accordingly, the chassis offered for sale can be considered one of the last titled cars built according to this regulation.
In addition, as the auctioneers note, this is the only formula car in the modern history of Mercedes-AMG Petronas that is in private hands and available for purchase. The remaining chassis belong to either the team, its head Toto Wolff, or Hamilton himself. In total, RM Sotheby's calls the upcoming auction a unique chance, which leads to high price expectations.