While Schumacher and Hamilton are both considered two of the greatest drivers in F1 history, there is one area where Hamilton comes out on top.
One wealthy fan’s purchase of a Lewis Hamilton-driven Mercedes-AMG Petronas race car makes it clear who he thinks is the greatest F1 driver.
Hamilton’s decision to join Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport was a gamble that ultimately paid off in a big way. At the time, many people doubted his decision to leave McLaren, where he had already achieved great success. But with six driver’s championships and 82 wins under his belt, it’s clear that he knew what he was doing.
Hamilton’s success at Mercedes has cemented his status as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history.
The car that sold, chassis W04, was the one Hamilton drove in 14 of the 19 events in the 2013 season. He won his first race with the team in the W04 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The car still wears the livery from the 2013 season, including its colorful sponsor graphics. The 2.4-liter V-8 engine is perhaps the most fascinating feature of the car, since it was replaced by the 1.6-liter hybrid-assisted V-6 that has since become the standard for F1 cars.
RM Sotheby’s had estimated that Hamilton’s Mercedes-AMG Petronas race car would sell for between $10 million and $15 million, but it went for significantly more, reaching $18.8 million. This isn’t too surprising, since this is the only one of Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 cars that isn’t owned by Mercedes, Wolff, or Hamilton himself.
The sale of Hamilton’s car not only exceeded the auction house’s estimate, but it also surpassed the price of Schumacher’s championship-winning Ferrari by $4.2 million. This makes Hamilton’s Mercedes the most expensive modern Formula 1 car, although it is still far from the most valuable F1 car ever sold. That honor belongs to Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes W196, which was auctioned off for $29.6 million in 2013.
