Michael Schumacher's 2003 Ferrari F1 sold at auction

By: Unique Cars magazine

Date: 09.12.2022

A pair of special Ferraris recently went under the hammer at separate auctions; Michael Schumacher’s 2003 Ferrari F1 car and an F40 supercar

Auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Geneva for a record price of $23.1 million was Michael Schumacher’s F2003-GA (chassis 229). This was a car he drove to his sixth Formula One championship, surpassing the previous record of five titles held by Juan-Manuel Fangio. The GA initials of the chassis honouring the late Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli.

In clinching the 2003 championship Schumacher won six grands prix, five in this car. The German great debuted the F2003-GA, one of six built, at the Spanish Grand Prix enjoying a perfect weekend putting it on pole position then winning the race.

Next was the Austrian Grand Prix with Schumacher having another successful weekend with pole and another win, despite a small fire erupting mid-race when refuelling in a pitstop.

At the end of the championship-winning 2003 campaign, the car was retired.

Chassis 229 is one of Ferrari’s most significant F1 cars and underwent a meticulous overhaul in 2022 at the Maranello factory.

Since the refurbishment its screaming 3-litre V-10 engine has been run for just 148 miles, mostly by Mick Schumacher – Michael’s son, also an F1 driver RM Sotheby’s stated the opportunity to own a Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix car of any generation is rare.

Also up for grabs the same week on the Collecting Cars UK website was a 1990 Ferrari F40 supercar that sold for a hefty $3.83 million.

Built to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary the model was designed by Pininfarina and built mainly of carbon fibre and Kevlar tipping the scales at 1100kg (dry). Power was from a mid-mounted 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 351kW with drive to the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox Top speed was 324km/h and zero to 100km/h took 4.1 seconds. Speedline 17-inch split rim wheels are standard.

The F40 significance is further elevated, being the last car presentation attended by Enzo Ferrari before his death in August 1988. A total of 1311 were produced.

From Unique Cars #473, Dec 2022

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