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SCHUMACHER’S 2002 FERRARI F2001B F1 CAR UP FOR GRABS CAR IN SEALED AUCTION STARTING 16 AUGUST

Published: 2023-08-13 13:11:51 Last Updated: 2023-08-13 15:20:13

This is one for the serious Ferrari fan, but one of the few that has the disposable income equivalent to a small country’s national income. The car that will no doubt become the crowning jewel of any collection it finds its way to is the Ferrari F2001b Formula One car driven by Michael Schumacher in the 2001/2 Grand Prix season. This is Chassis 215, and it took the top podium spot in the 2002 season opener in Australia. A couple of weeks later Schumacher clinched the 3rd podium spot at the Malaysian Grand Prix after a hard-fought battle that saw the maestro carve through the field from down in 21st position. Not only did he make it to the podium after falling from pole, but the race also signalled the Italian automaker’s 150th pole position. The 2002 season also saw the Schumacher/F2001b duo win Schumacher’s 5th Drivers’ World Championship after only 11 races, and they also secured Ferrari’s 4th consecutive and 12th overall Constructors’ World Championships. To add the proverbial cherry on the top, Chassis 215 also lays claim to a 100 % record of podium finishes during its competition career. All of this makes the car one of the most desirable modern Grand Prix cars of the modern Formula One era. The car retired from competition by April of 2002, and from there it went back to the Maranello home base where it was used for it was used mainly for tyre testing. This 5-day test session saw Chassis 215 rack up another 384 laps before being permanently retired from Formula One exploits. In 2003, the car found its way into the hands of a Swiss car collector who actually used the car in select events.

And now it’s up for sale in an RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction that opens up online on the 16th of August. There is no estimate for how much money Chassis 215 will fetch, but it is guaranteed to pull in lots and lots of money. Just last year the same auction house sold off Schumacher’s 2003 campaign car, the F2003-GA and when the hammer dropped it went to a private collector for a whopping $14 900 000 (or roughly R282 400 000 in our Monopoly money). Those in the know reckon this car will surpass that figure, which was a record in itself for a modern Formula One car. Chassis 215 is fitted with the Ferrari Tipo 050 powerplant, a normally-aspirated V10 cranking out 615 kW at an ear-shattering 17 300 rpm, and it’s mated to a 7-speed semi-automatic sequential transmission. To say it’s fast is an understatement. It is recommended that whoever buys the car returns it to the Maranello factory for a complete overhaul of the engine, transmission and clutch refresh before taking it out on track again. Well, that’s only if the new owner plans on driving it instead of just displaying it. There is an up-to-date assessment of the car’s current mechanical condition and mechanical components on file that will accompany the car. The Sotheby’s Sealed auction allows collectors from around the world to place bids and monitor the auction in the safety of their ivory towers, but we mere mortals will also keep checking on the auction to see just how much money will be handed over to secure the car.

Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off one of the most iconic Formula One cars to come out of the Ferrari stable, Schumacher's F2001b. The car has a rich racing CV and has a few records set in it. One of the coolest things about the car is that it still wears the dirt and battle scars from the last time it was used in competition. Hopefully, the super-wealthy Ferrari fanatic that will shell out massive amounts of money for the car will keep it like that and not polish it up to make for a better display. Or at least polish it up and dirty it all over again, using the car as it was intended to be used. There's something awesome about seeing the cracks, chips and rubber on a racecar, it's like it gives the thing a little bit more credibility - not that the car needs it: Michael Schumacher’s 2002 Australian Grand Prix-Winning F2001b | RM Sotheby's

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Article Tags: Ferrari F1 Formula One Formula 1 SXdrv Michael Schumacher Schumacher RM Sotheby's Auction Sotheby's Sealed News