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via Reuters

via Reuters

It’s difficult to imagine a time in recent Formula 1 history when Mercedes wasn’t dominating. Well, apart from the current ear of Red Bull domination, obviously. Before Red Bull took over the reins of F1, it was Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton leading the pack. For almost the entirety of eight seasons—from 2014 to 2021—F1 was their playground. It was their world, and every other team was just living in it. But there was a time before Mercedes became the formidable force it was and a tangible reminder of that time just made the news.

The team from Brackley joined F1 in 2010, right when the Red Bull domination with Sebastian Vettel started. While Hamilton was with McLaren at the time, he jumped ship to Mercedes in 2013. And it wasn’t particularly a season to remember. The W04 was no match for its competitors that season. And for a driver who had gotten used to winning, the Brit’s first season with Mercedes was nothing to write home about. Well, apart from that win in Hungary. 

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As per an Instagram post by @bloombergbusiness, “The car Lewis Hamilton drove to his first Formula One win for Mercedes will hit the block on Nov. 17 at an RM Sotheby’s auction in Las Vegas. Named for its chassis, W04, the car won the Hungarian Grand Prix with Hamilton in the cockpit in 2013. It’s the only Mercedes F1 vehicle from the modern era not owned by Mercedes, by team principal and CEO Toto Wolff, or by Hamilton himself, according to the auction house. RM Sotheby’s estimates its value to be $10 million to $15 million.

Read More: Enthralling Story Behind Rare $15 Million Supercar Owned By Lewis Hamilton

A scam or a legitimate thing? That’s what every fan thought of when they saw the post. They didn’t waste any time before flooding the comments with their perspectives.

Not even Lewis Hamilton wants the W04

Formula 1 cars aren’t road-legal. What would compel a fan enough to buy a car they won’t be able to drive for an exorbitant price of $15 million? Not to mention that of all the cars Mercedes has built during its time in F1, the W04 will most certainly be toward the bottom of the list. The only cars that could probably rival it would be the W13 and the original W14. Oh, and the best part? Bloomberg didn’t even spell Mercedes right. As per the post, “Lewis Hamilton’s Mercerdes F1 car could be yours for $15 million.” That probably sealed the debate for fans, but here’s what they had to say.

via Getty

When an organization like Bloomberg couldn’t spell Mercedes right, one user flat-out called the entire thing a “Scam lol.” Well, you might not be wrong there.

Considering only a limited number of people in the world know how to drive an F1 car and the fact that they aren’t legal on roads, another user called it “Basically a worthless vehicle.” We might agree with you there.

The W04, as mentioned earlier, wasn’t the best car. In the entirety of the 2013 season, it could only manage two wins—one to Hamilton and the other to Nico Rosberg. To put it simply, one fan wrote, “Why would someone buy that trash?”

Most users couldn’t get past the fact that they spelled Mercedes wrong. Here’s what they said:

“Wow a real Mercerdes … even better than a Lambordirni 😂”

“Who wants this Mercerdes?😂”

“Maybe they should learn how to spell “Mercedes” first 😂”

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What’s another way to express that the post is scamming you by making a copy of the real W04? That’s right. A “@mercedesbenz Knockoff”

Oh, an $15 million?! For a knockoff?! That’s just absurd, isn’t it? A user took a sarcastic dig by writing, “nah that’s too cheap, talk to me when they price it higher smh🤭”

And all of this led to this: “not even lewis wants it.”

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Whether or not Lewis Hamilton wants it, do you want a $15 million-worth F1 car as a showpiece?

Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton’s Car Collection