Schumacher's World Champion Ferrari auctioned for record sum: "Ready to drive, if you dare"

Created: 11/11/2022 8:28 am

By: Marcus Giebel

Michael Schumacher has set another record.

Or better: one of his Ferraris from the successful era.

At an auction, the vehicle clearly exceeded expectations.

Munich - Racing cars deliver impressive numbers.

Not only when looking at the speed and other data when the material is pushed to the limit.

The value of the bolide is enormous - especially when it was a faithful companion of a superstar.

About Michael Schumacher, not only record world champion in Formula 1, but also a favorite of the masses.

Now the vehicle came under the hammer, in whose cockpit he won his sixth of seven titles in the premier class of motorsport and thus temporarily rose to record champion.

The F2003-GA, chassis number 229, was sold at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva for 14.6 million Swiss francs after taxes and fees were added.

That's the equivalent of 14.7 million euros.

The final offer was therefore 13 million Swiss francs, which corresponds to 13.1 million euros.

According to the traditional auction house, this is a "world record price for a modern Formula 1 car".

Schumacher-Ferrari auctioned: record world champion won five out of nine races in 2003

In the 2003 F1 season, Schumacher won six of the 16 championship rounds, fewer than in any other title year.

However, according to Sotheby's, the Ferrari star only drove nine races that year in the chassis that has now been auctioned off and celebrated five of his six victories.

This makes it one of only four chassis from the successful Schumacher-Ferrari era to have won at least five races.

A true guarantee of success on four wheels, without which the 2003 title might have gone to Finland.

It was only in a dramatic World Championship finale by Suzuka that the man from Kerpen finally fended off the attack of up-and-coming McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen and saved a two-point lead to the finish.

Sotheby's auctions Schumacher vehicle: F2003-GA clearly exceeds expectations at auction

An extremely tight affair.

With regard to the auction price, however, the almost 20-year-old racer clearly took the lead.

Because here he trumped the F2001 from the 2001 season, which was also piloted by Schumi and which brought in 6.35 million euros for the then owner in 2017.

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This value has now been doubled.

The final price for the F2003-GA, bid by an unidentified phone company in a round lasting more than 40 minutes, significantly exceeded expectations.

Because in advance the world champion Ferrari had been estimated at a value of 7.5 to 9.5 million Swiss francs - i.e. between 7.6 and 9.6 million euros.

That would have been a record too.

Record price for a winning car: In the F2003-GA with chassis number 229, Michael Schumacher won five out of nine races and clinched his sixth Formula 1 World Championship title. © IMAGO / Thomas Melzer

Schumacher world champion car under the hammer: "It's ready to drive if you dare"

Apparently Sotheby's drummed successfully in advance.

According to this, the chassis was completely overhauled in the Maranello factory this year, and the 3-liter V10 engine has only clocked up 148 miles - i.e. 238 kilometers - since then.

An auctioneer added: "It's roadworthy if you dare and if you fit in."

However, the new owner should know where they are allowed to pilot their vehicle.

Not long ago, a Ferrari F1 car caused a sensation as it roared down a freeway in the middle of traffic.

Speaking of headlines with red racers: Only in August did Schumacher's F300 from 1998 - i.e. not a world champion car - bring in 6.22 million US dollars, at that time the equivalent of 6.2 million euros, at an auction by RM Sotheby's.

The Canada-based auction house specializes in cars, is partly owned by Sotheby's and was now also involved in the record auction in Geneva.