Before switching to Mercedes in 2013 and becoming one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history, Lewis Hamilton kicked off his F1 career with McLaren where he won his first world title and, apparently, helped finesse the company’s road cars.
Hamilton joined the Woking-based team in 2007 and won his first F1 race with Mclaren later that year. The following season, he went on to claim his first world title by just a single point, but his time at the team wasn’t all racing and simulator work. Hamilton also had a role assisting McLaren’s road car division, specifically on the development of the MP4-12C supercar.
The 12C marked the brand’s return to building supercars for the first time since the 1990s and was in development at McLaren from the mid-2000s. When it finally went on sale in 2011, the car aimed to bring F1 engineering to the road, which meant that the supercar had carbon fibre at its heart and a bespoke dual-clutch gearbox to speed up shifts.
It therefor made sense that McLaren would consult with its F1 drivers on the finished car. Hamilton reportedly offered feedback on the steering input and shifters, asking for the car’s wheel to be slimmed down and requesting adjustments to the paddle shifters that are used to change gear. The modifications were taken onboard and made it into production models sold by McLaren.
In return for his consultancy work, Hamilton was gifted one of the first MP4-12Cs off the production line. The car he collected was a vibrant red colour, maybe alluding to his dream of one day racing in red, and came with a roaring 592hp, twin-turbocharged V8 engine at the rear. It stayed in his collection for several years, and racked up almost 5,000 miles over its 12 years on the road.
Now, however, the car is looking for a new home and you, or your richest friend, could snap it up. Hamilton’s old car is being sold by auction house Broad Arrow during its Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este auction next month. The car is estimated to sell for as much as £190,000 when it goes under the hammer at the sale in Italy.
During the sale, Hamilton’s McLaren will be joined by a MP4-12C that was owned by his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button. That car, finished in white, is projected to sell for around £125,000.
