Photo: RM Sotheby's
The most successful Formula 1 driver in the history of the series, Michael Schumacher’s talent on the racetrack couldn’t shine through if it weren’t for a well-developed car. During his tenure at Ferrari, one of the most acclaimed cars the Maranello-based racing team designed was the F2001.
The F2001 comes courtesy of technical director Ross Brawn, chassis designer Rory Byrne, and engine department director Paolo Martinelli. From its racing debut in Australia in 2001 until the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix, the iconic single-seater grabbed 26 podiums, claimed 10 victories, and started from pole position 13 times. It was the most dominant Formula 1 car of the period, at least until the bite-the-back-of-your-hand pretty F2002 launched in 2002.
Chassis 211 was raced by Michael Schumacher at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, where the seven-time world champion secured the first step of the podium. That very F2001 was estimated to sell for anything between $4 and $5.5 million, but as it happens, bidding got a lot wilder than RM Sotheby’s expected. In fact, the winning bidder paid a whopping $7.5 million for it!
This, in turn, made RM Sotheby’s label F2001 #211 as the most expensive modern F1 car. The auction house, however, didn’t offer any explanation on what “modern” actually means in this circumstance. In any case, $7.5 million is a lot of money. On the upside, chassis number 211 is equipped with a recently rebuilt 3.0-liter V10 engine that revs to 18,500 rpm and is ready to storm the racing circuit at a moment’s notice if the owner wishes so.
An undisclosed percentage of the winning bid will go to the Keep Fighting foundation, whose causes are road and head safety. Founded in 2016, the foundation’s other purpose is spreading the message to never give up.
On a related note, Schumacher has yet to recover from the unfortunate skiing accident that left the F1 legend with a brain injury. Wife Corinna Betsch released an official statement on November 14, which reads: “The decision to protect his privacy from the public has been taken in Michael's interest.”
Chassis 211 was raced by Michael Schumacher at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, where the seven-time world champion secured the first step of the podium. That very F2001 was estimated to sell for anything between $4 and $5.5 million, but as it happens, bidding got a lot wilder than RM Sotheby’s expected. In fact, the winning bidder paid a whopping $7.5 million for it!
This, in turn, made RM Sotheby’s label F2001 #211 as the most expensive modern F1 car. The auction house, however, didn’t offer any explanation on what “modern” actually means in this circumstance. In any case, $7.5 million is a lot of money. On the upside, chassis number 211 is equipped with a recently rebuilt 3.0-liter V10 engine that revs to 18,500 rpm and is ready to storm the racing circuit at a moment’s notice if the owner wishes so.
An undisclosed percentage of the winning bid will go to the Keep Fighting foundation, whose causes are road and head safety. Founded in 2016, the foundation’s other purpose is spreading the message to never give up.
On a related note, Schumacher has yet to recover from the unfortunate skiing accident that left the F1 legend with a brain injury. Wife Corinna Betsch released an official statement on November 14, which reads: “The decision to protect his privacy from the public has been taken in Michael's interest.”
#SOLD! #Ferrari #F2001 sells for $7.5m @Sothebys shattering its estimate! World record for a modern era #F1 car at auction #teammichael #SothebysContemporary pic.twitter.com/Uh42NgjauI
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) November 17, 2017
Google News