A historic auction prepares the prestigious Sotheby's house in Hong Kong for this Saturday, April 1, when it offers the highest bidder the
Ferrari F1-2000 with which Michael Schumacher began to write one of the greatest chapters in the history of Formula 1
.
This is the car that was key in his campaign to win his third world championship as a driver, the first in a string of five in a row with the
Prancing Horse.
Although it started that season as a muleto vehicle, it was this chassis unit number 198 that led it to
win the Brazilian Grand Prix, in Interlagos
– the main car was out of competition in qualifying, after its undercarriage broke down. –, and with which he took pole position in Spain and, for the first and only time with Ferrari, in Monaco.
Ferrari F1-2000
As confirmed by Sotheby's – and the photos support it – the car is in excellent condition, since it was meticulously maintained throughout all these years both by the collector Kevin Crowder, who bought it directly from Ferrari and in 2005. certified it before
Ferrari Classiche
, as well as by its current owner, who is now parting with it after having had it in his possession since 2016.
Schumacher and the Ferrari at the Spanish GP.
AFP PHOTO/OLIVER MULTHAUP
Although mechanics are not necessarily the most important thing in a vehicle with such emotional value, the truth is that this Ferrari F1-2000 is still a real beast even 23 years later, thanks in large part to its 3.0-liter 90-degree V10 engine
. capable of generating 820 horsepower at 17,800 rpm
.
Schumacher and his F1-2000 at the Sao Paulo GP.
[AP Photo/Inacio Teixeira]
Designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn based on the F300 and F399 of the previous two seasons,
its chassis is built from carbon fiber
and other composites that help to lower its weight without losing strength.
Its suspension, of the pushrod type, is also highlighted, that is, a combination of shock absorbers and torsion bars that allowed the drivers to regulate the height of the car according to what each race requested.
But F1-2000 was also the
first Ferrari in Formula 1 to equip a seven-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox, a
final detail that helped the car reach acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds. , in addition to maximums above 350 km/h.
Ferrari F1-2000
The last function of the Ferrari F1-2000 number 198 in an official Formula 1 race was on July 16 of that year at the Austrian Grand Prix, but Schumacher could do little that Sunday at the A1-Ring: he started in fourth place on the grid, and upon reaching the first corner, he received a blow from the rear by the Brazilian Ricardo Zonta (BAR) that took him out of the competition.
Ferrari F1-2000
The following year, already far from the tracks, it was one of the most sought-after pieces at the Geneva Motor Show, the first in a series of events where it displayed all its style and history with a very special added detail: Schumacher himself
stamped his signature on the rear wing
, the icing on the cake that will surely make it even more coveted among the most die-hard fans of the German driver.
Ferrari F1-2000
For all this, the numbers that Sotheby's manages for this auction are not surprising: as specified on its website, it expects to lower the hammer after
a bid that takes its value between 7.5 and 9.5 million dollars
, although it would not be strange that it comfortably exceeded that threshold.
Ferrari F1-2000
It is that it is a conservative strip if one takes into account that the Ferrari with which Schumacher won the 2003 title changed owners for 14.8 million dollars, the highest amount ever paid for an F1 car.
And that it came to dethrone another Kaiser car in those golden years: the Ferrari with which he was crowned in 2001.
Ferrari F1-2000
an unforgettable year
The Ferrari F1-2000 that will go up for auction in April was
witness and part of a season that had a definition to remember
, with its highest point in the Japanese GP, where Schumacher reaped a victory that put the finishing touch to a spectacular campaign.
Schumacher and F1-2000 on the day of the consecration at the Japanese GP.
AFP PHOTO/Toshifumi KITAMURA
Although he dominated the Drivers' Championship from start to finish, the German stepped on Suzuka just eight points above his main competitor, the Finn Mika Häkkinen (McLaren).
For the third year in a row, both teams went head-to-head into the final stretch of the season, and for Ferrari it was the charm,
securing their first title since 1979.
Häkkinen got off to a perfect start on October 8, moving past Schumacher into the first corner and holding the lead for more than half a race.
But it was on lap 31, minutes after it started to rain, when the German took advantage of a pit stop from the Finn to hit the nail on the head,
secure the Constructors' Cup for Ferrari and the third Drivers' Championship for his personal harvest.
look too
The last function of the most furious: this is how the most powerful American sports car in history says goodbye
The legend of the San Juan Falcon, a rarity from 50 years ago: only one of the 12 that were built remains
A two-wheeled Testarossa: the story of the only Ferrari motorcycle that exists in the world
Ford relaunched an icon: how is the new Explorer, the SUV that was born from a project that failed in Argentina
Goodbye to a Chevrolet classic: the Camaro says goodbye, the sports car that was born to outshine the Mustang