Earlier than switching to Mercedes in 2013 and turning into one of the profitable drivers in System 1 historical past, Lewis Hamilton kicked off his F1 profession with McLaren the place he gained his first world title and, apparently, helped finesse the corporate’s street vehicles.
Hamilton joined the Woking-based crew in 2007 and gained his first F1 race with Mclaren later that yr. The next season, he went on to assert his first world title by only a single level, however his time on the crew wasn’t all racing and simulator work. Hamilton additionally had a task helping McLaren’s street automotive division, particularly on the event of the MP4-12C supercar.
The 12C marked the model’s return to constructing supercars for the primary time for the reason that Nineteen Nineties and was in growth at McLaren from the mid-2000s. When it lastly went on sale in 2011, the automotive aimed to convey F1 engineering to the street, which meant that the supercar had carbon fibre at its coronary heart and a bespoke dual-clutch gearbox to hurry up shifts.
It therefor made sense that McLaren would seek the advice of with its F1 drivers on the completed automotive. Hamilton reportedly provided suggestions on the steering enter and shifters, asking for the automotive’s wheel to be slimmed down and requesting changes to the paddle shifters which can be used to vary gear. The modifications have been taken onboard and made it into manufacturing fashions offered by McLaren.
In return for his consultancy work, Hamilton was gifted one of many first MP4-12Cs off the manufacturing line. The automotive he collected was a vibrant crimson color, possibly alluding to his dream of someday racing in crimson, and got here with a roaring 592hp, twin-turbocharged V8 engine on the rear. It stayed in his assortment for a number of years, and racked up nearly 5,000 miles over its 12 years on the street.
Now, nevertheless, the automotive is searching for a brand new house and also you, or your richest good friend, may snap it up. Hamilton’s previous automotive is being offered by public sale home Broad Arrow throughout its Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este public sale subsequent month. The automotive is estimated to promote for as a lot as £190,000 when it goes beneath the hammer on the sale in Italy.
In the course of the sale, Hamilton’s McLaren shall be joined by a MP4-12C that was owned by his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button. That automotive, completed in white, is projected to promote for round £125,000.
On this article
Owen Bellwood
System 1
Lewis Hamilton
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