$18,815,000
A 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas team car was sold at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas Grand Prix auction last weekend. This car helped seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton win his first victory for this team. The new owner of the car was a man who paid $18,815,000 for it. This is a record for Formula 1 cars.
The car sold at auction remained in working condition, it is equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 engine producing about 750 horsepower, combined with a seven-speed Xtrac gearbox. This W04-04 chassis was one of the last of the eight-cylinder engines, as Formula 1 switched to V6 hybrids from the 2014 season. In addition, this is the only car put up for public auction, as the others are stored at the Mercedes-Benz Museum or at the team’s factory.
The Formula 1 car was sold for a record amount – it earned much more than expected
The final bid for this historic car reached $17.1 million, exceeding the expected price by more than $2 million. The final price included additional fees. The previous record of $15 million belonged to the Ferrari F2003-GA chassis, in which Michael Schumacher spent one of his most successful seasons.
