One to Buy: ex-Michael Schumacher Brazilian Grand Prix-winning 2000 Ferrari F1-2000
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Following a stunningly successful period at Benetton between 1991 and 1995 that yielded 19 Grand Prix wins and two Drivers’ titles, Michael Schumacher signed a $30m per year deal with Scuderia Ferrari for the 1996 season.
A year later, technical director Ross Brawn and designer Rory Byrne followed Schumacher to Italy and the framework was in place to turn the ailing team’s fortunes around.
Having placed third in the 1996 Drivers’ Championship with three wins, Schumacher scored five wins in 1997 and would have claimed second in the standings but was disqualified after he deliberately rammed Jacques Villeneuve’s Williams in the final race of the year.
Six wins in 1998 yielded second in that year’s standings and Schumacher then made good start to the 1999 campaign with two wins from the opening seven races. However, an accident at that year’s British Grand Prix resulted in a broken leg and Schumacher missed the next six races but did return to help Ferrari win their first Constructors’ title since 1983.
The 2000 campaign proved a watershed for Ferrari and Schumacher as they went on to score the first of five consecutive Driver and Constructor Championships.
After winning the first three races of the year and five of the opening eight rounds, a mid-season reliability slump enabled Mika Hakkinen to assume a points advantage. Nevertheless, Schumacher stormed back to win the last four races to claim his third Drivers’ title with 108 points to Hakkinen’s 89.
Set to go under the hammer via a sealed bid process during RM Sotheby’s Luxury Week in Hong Kong between April 1st and 5th is the Ferrari F1-2000 that Michael Schumacher drove to victory in that year’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Chassis 198 was also used by Schumacher to take pole position at both the Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix.
It is offered in superb original condition with Ferrari Classiche certification and is of course eligible for the exclusive Corse Clienti programme.
