Lewis Hamilton’s Formula Mercedes has been auctioned for almost 19 million dollars

Last weekend, when the much-discussed Formula 1 race took place on the streets of Las Vegas, the 2013 Formula Mercedes that driver Lewis Hamilton won for the team was auctioned off.

It is quite an impressive sum that exceeded expectations, and also exceeded the auction value of the 2003 Michael Schumacher formula. Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W04 formula was sold for 18.8 million dollars. The result exceeded the forecast of the auction house RM Sotheby’s, which was in the range of 10 to 15 million dollars.

The specific Mercedes formula model has retained the original look and tires, especially highlighting the front end and where the air enters the formula. Various sponsor logos are also visible. The particular model is one of those still equipped with a 2.4-liter V8 engine, as they were replaced by 1.6-liter V6 hybrid engines already the following season. Those formulas still work.

With this formula, Hamilton won his first victory for Mercedes at the Hungarian Grand Prix, as well as four more podiums that season. This is the second most expensive formula auctioned, as the record belongs to the 1956 Formula Ferrari driven by driver Fangio. The auction value was 29.6 million dollars.