The F2001b, yet another Ferrari once piloted by Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, will soon be hitting the auction block.
Sporting chassis 215, this iconic track rocket, which won the 2002 season’s opening race in Albert Park (Australian Grand Prix), effectively provided the foundations for Schumacher’s fifth successful championship campaign — placing him on equal footing with the equally-legendary Juan Manuel Fangio.
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Two weeks later, this very same chassis would capture Scuderia Ferrari’s 150th pole position in Formula 1 at the Malaysian Grand Prix, leading to the epic moment in which Schumacher earned a podium finish from P21.
“Its public offering presents a vanishingly rare opportunity to acquire a racing car of true historic significance,” reads the Sotheby’s listing.
“One that not only carried Schumacher to a famous victory but which played a pivotal role in securing his historic fifth Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship.”
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But what makes this specific set of high-powered wheels isn’t just its pedigree or its victory. It’s the pristine condition, considering Schumi wasn’t required to put it to the paces for an entire season.
By the time Michael Schumacher had reached the third calendar event of 2002, the Ferrari F2001b would be replaced by the F2002 — a car that is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s most dominant in history, rivalling that of Max Verstappen‘s current Red Bull Racing rig. From that point onwards, the F2001b served as a spare car.
Schumacher’s Ferrari 2001b is scheduled to auction during Sotheby’s Sealed’s Monterey Car Week sales event (August 16-19). While no estimate has been provided thus far, for context, his F2003 sold for over $20 million last year.
