We do not know the name of its purchaser, nor its nationality and even less its activity.
But we just know that since last Saturday, the F300 passed between the gloves of Michael Schumacher, has a new owner and it has paid 6.2 million dollars.
The price to pay to afford this jewel of the history of motorsport entrusted more than two decades ago to one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers.
To discover
Formula 1: the calendar for the 2022 season
Formula 1: manufacturers' classification
Formula 1: drivers classification
The F300 by Michael Schumacher Sothebys
The F300, part for an auction by RM-Sotheby's at Monterey Motor Week in California, is not a single-seater quite like the others since on board, the seven-time world champion of Formula 1 remained undefeated.
In 1998, "Schumi" had let the world title escape him after a showdown with Mika Hakkinen and his McLaren.
But the single-seater (and this chassis badged n°187) won the four races in which it was entered: the Grands Prix of Canada, France, Great Britain and Italy.
These trophies make the F300 the only invincible car in Formula 1 history with at least three races on the clock!
These successes were not enough for Michael Schumacher to win his duel against the Finn, titled with 100 points and eight victories (against 86 and six victories).
Regarding the state of the car which had been staged from every angle in the streets of Paris, Sotheby's had assured that it had been "
remarkably preserved
".
The F300 had been kept by Scuderia Ferrari until September 1999 when it was first sold to a collector.
In 23 years, the latter had not made any modifications to the car compared to its racing condition.
A treasure of history which had remained hidden from the public eye since its acquisition.
But the F300 is not the most expensive Formula 1 car in history.
The record was set in 2021 with another Ferrari, also driven by Michael Schumacher and dating from 2001. It was sold for $7,504,000 last year.
The Ferrari 410 queen of the auction
The Ferrari 410 Sport Spider sold for $22 million Sothebys
The queen of this auction weekend was not the F300 of “Schumi” but another legendary prancing horse car: a 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider driven by circuit legend Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1000 km of Buenos Aires but also by Carroll Shelby (in 1957 and 1958), played by Matt Damon in the film Le Mans 66. Shelby wrote on the tank: "
Mr Ferrari told me it was the most beautiful Ferrari ever built
”.
Only two copies had left the Italian manufacturing workshops (with the V12 4.9 l specification with 24 candles of 400 hp).
A rarity that raised the auction to $22 million.
This myth of car racing is to be seen and especially to be heard roaring with ears wide open with the video below.
Dedication of Carroll Shelby Sothebys
