If the value of a Formula 1 driver’s legacy is reflected in the price tag of one of his former race cars, Lewis Hamilton takes the lead over Michael Schumacher, yet still trails far behind the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio.
During the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes No. 4, the car in which he secured his first Grand Prix victory, fetched an impressive $18.8 million (approx. R350 million) at an RM Sotheby’s auction. This surpassed the amount achieved by Schumacher’s 2003-season Ferrari at a similar auction the previous year.
The winning bid, placed by an undisclosed buyer, well exceeded the auction house’s estimated price range for the car, which was initially set between $10 million and $15 million. The car, identified as chassis W04, retains the iconic livery from the 2013 season, featuring a silver and green design adorned with sponsor graphics. Powered by a 2.4-liter V8 engine, it predates the subsequent switch to hybrid-assisted 1.6-liter V6 engines mandated by regulations the following year, which continue to power current F1 cars.
Hamilton’s victory in the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix marked a significant moment in his inaugural year with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. Following this triumph, the same car contributed to four additional podium finishes in the same season.
While Hamilton secured only a fourth-place finish in the drivers’ championship in 2013, he later went on to clinch six drivers’ championship titles with Mercedes, bringing his total to seven (including one with McLaren), tying him with Schumacher.
Schumacher’s 2003-season Ferrari F2003, which sold for $14.9 million last year, pales in comparison to the staggering bid for Fangio’s silver Mercedes-Benz W196. This iconic car, victorious in nine out of twelve races in the mid-1950s and earning two world championships, set an unforgettable benchmark when it sold for a remarkable $29.6 million in 2013.
