F1 record smashed in EYE-WATERING $53 MILLION Mercedes deal

Mercedes have smashed yet another Formula 1 record this weekend as an iconic piece of history has sold for an enormous sum at auction.

The F1 team is now run by team principal Toto Wolff but holds a rich history in motorsport with the Mercedes name accustomed to breaking records, many of which were thanks to the efforts of seven-time champion and former driver, Lewis Hamilton.

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Hamilton is Mercedes' most successful F1 star, the British icon having secured six of his seven championship victories with the team before moving to Ferrari this season, where he hopes to secure an eighth.

Hamilton and Mercedes dominated both championships in F1 during their time together, becoming the most successful pairing in the sport's history after the star helped to secure eight consecutive constructors' victories between 2014 and 2021.

Now, another record has been broken even after Hamilton's exit, as the title-winning 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen has broken the record for the most expensive F1 car to ever be sold.

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Championship-winning Mercedes sells for eight-figures

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is the first of its kind to ever go under the hammer at auction for private ownership and has sold for a whopping €51,155,000 ($53,007,616.18).

The stunning silver arrow was driven by both Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss during their tenure as Mercedes drivers, with both stars of the sport remaining two of the most iconic names to ever drive for the outfit.

The gorgeous 1954 model in question was driven to victory at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix by future five-time drivers’ champion Fangio and features the number 16 across the shimmering bodywork.

The Stromlinienwagen, or 'Streamliner' chassis, was initially listed as going up for auction at around £41,500,000, but the final record-breaking price has now been confirmed via the Sotheby's website since the sale which occurred this afternoon at the Mercedes-Benz HQ in Stuttgart, Germany.

Mercedes also held the previous record after making another W196R available for auction at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it sold for £19.6m, a fraction of the sale which was completed this weekend.

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