Skip to main content

Sotheby’s to auction Michael Schumacher’s Grand Prix-winner Ferrari F1 race car

Sotheby's auction winner can show, stow, or race Schumacher's F1 Ferrari

Michael Schumacher 2001 Ferrari F1 race car on track. Left front three-quarter view - Trevor Thompson - Courtesy RM Sothebys.
Trevor Thompson / Courtesy RM Sotheby's

In the 2024 Monterey Car Week’s full calendar of tantalizing vehicles and events, an auction by RMS Sotheby’s on Saturday, August 17, is a headliner. A 2002 Ferrari F1 race car that seven-time World Driver Championship winner Michael Schumacher drove to win a Grand Prix will be offered to a lucky, well-heeled bidder.

Why Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari matters

Michael Shumacher 2001 Ferrari F1 race car on track. Right front three-quarter view - Trevor Thompson - Courtesy RM Sothebys.
No one has won more F1 Grand Prix World Driver Championships than Michael Schumacher. Schumacher is tied with Lewis Hamilton, who drives for Mercedes but will switch to Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.

Recommended Videos

This Ferrari’s complete history and full documentation are available. Because of its association with Schumacher but also due to its performance and sheer beauty, it is one of the most significant representatives of modern-era F! race cars.

Significant talking points of this Ferrari

Michael Shumacher 2001 Ferrari F1 race car on track Trevor Thompson - Courtesy RM Sothebys.
Once the winning bidder takes possession of Ferrari F1 chassis number 215, they will have much to talk about. This car is one of about 30 Ferrari chassis Schumacher to Grand Prix victories. It’s also one of only 12 Ferrari chassis that Schumacher drove to at least one win and at least two Grand Prix podiums.

Schumacher drove Chassis 215 to victory in the 2002 Australian Grand Prix and to a third-place finish in the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix, earning this Ferrari’s second podium.

The fortunate winner of the 2002 Ferrari can stow, show, or race the car. According to Sotheby’s, if the buyer intends to take the car on a race track, it must first go back to the Ferrari factory in Maranello for “an engine, gearbox, and clutch refresh.” Maintaining an F1 car is no small consideration, so Sotheby’s has a mechanical assessment report available for viewing.

Sotheby’s estimates the 2002 Ferrari Chassis 215 will fetch $8 million to $10 million at Saturday’s auction.

Bruce Brown
A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…
How to watch the F1 season launch event from the O2 Arena
F1 75 Live at the O2 Arena in London will showcase Formula 1's ten team principals and 20 drivers.
Promo for 2025 Season opener at the O2 Arena in London.

The first Grand Prix on the 2025 F1 schedule isn't until March 14 to 16 in Melbourne, Australia. This year, however, there's an unprecedented launch event on February 18. In celebration of F1's 75 years, the F1 75 Live at the O2 Arena in London will showcase Formula 1's ten team principals and 20 drivers.

This will be the first public showing of the new car and driver liveries for all teams. The event will also include appearances by multiple world-class entertainers,  and F1 TV commentators Laura Winter, Ariana Bravo, and Lawrence Barretto. Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall will host the celebration.

Read more
This Ferrari Daytona SP3 signed by two F1 champs may be the fastest way to ever spend $6 million
F1 champions autograph ultra rare Ferrari Daytona SP3
Ferrari SP3

As if owning an ultra-rare Ferrari isn't an extraordinary enough accomplishment, sometimes one comes along that ratchets things up to hyper-exclusivity. This mesmerizing Daytona SP3, which has less than 400 miles, is now available for purchase at the renowned F1rst Motors in Dubai.

This automotive marvel is one of just 599 examples ever crafted, boasting a unique and striking ‘BP Green’ finish that captures the light and exudes sophistication at every angle. When you lift the engine cover, you’re greeted with a breathtaking sight: the signatures of F1 champions Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, elegantly etched in gold atop its impressive 828bhp, 6.5-litre V12 engine. This powerhouse, while slightly outpaced by its Le Mans-spec F80 counterpart in sheer power, delivers astonishing performance. The SP3 accelerates from 0 to 62mph (100 km/hr) in a mere 2.8 seconds and reaches a blistering top speed of 211mph.

Read more
Netflix reveals Formula 1 Drive to Survive launch date
Drive to Survive transforms drivers and teams from names in race reporting to human beings.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen signaling his fourth F1 Drivers' Championship.

Netflix announced when viewers can begin to stream Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Season 7, which spans the 2024 F1 Grand Prix racing calendar. The season's episodes will drop on March 7, 2024, just one week before this year's racing commences.

As the excitement builds for the first race of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 14 to 16, fans can re-visit some of the key moments in what turned out to be one of the most dramatic seasons in F1's recent history.

Read more