This is far from the first time a Ferrari F1 car raced by the great Michael Schumacher has come up for sale, but such was the impact made by the German seven-time champion in the sport that we can’t help but get swept up in the wave of hype every time it happens.
Besides, this one’s particularly special because it’s recently been given a thorough overhaul at the Ferrari factory and is being sold in fully driveable condition.
Ferrari F2001 – front
Even for a Schumacher Ferrari, it’s this one’s noteworthy. It’s an F2001 which, if the name didn’t give it away, was Maranello’s 2001 F1 challenger. F1 aficionados will immediately recognise it as hailing from the era of the 3.0-litre V10, when F1 cars wailed their way to an ear-piercing redline of over 17,000rpm, with no turbochargers in sight to mute that baleful howl.
2001 was also right at the height of the dominance of the Schumacher-Ferrari partnership. That season had 17 races, and apart from the two he retired from, Schumi finished no lower than fourth and won nine times. He claimed the World Championship, as if that wasn’t obvious.
Ferrari F2001 – detail
This particular car is chassis 211, which Schumacher drove at the Monaco Grand Prix, which he won, and the Hungarian Grand Prix, which – quelle surprise – he won. In fact, it was the win in Hungary that secured both the World Drivers’ Championship for him and the World Constructors’ Championship for Ferrari.
A significant car, then, which is why we imagine it’s going to fetch an eye-watering price when it’s auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s during (appropriately enough) the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, just ahead of qualifying on 24 May.
Ferrari F2001 – rear
The fact that, unlike lots of historic F1 car sales, it’s ready to be driven will probably push that price up even further. Across the span of last year and the beginning of this year, chassis 211 was brought back to full running and driving condition by the Ferrari factory.
Before you get too excited about showing up at your next track day with a bona fide ex-Schumacher Ferrari, though, it’ll likely only be driveable at certain events organised by Ferrari’s Corsa Clienti customer racing and track day programme. Besides, we think a 17,000rpm F1 V10 might not pass the decibel test at an MSV track day at Cadwell Park.
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