In what was the first ever car auction to take place at GRAND PRIX DE MONACO in partnership with F1 Paddock Club, one of the most significant F1 cars ever to come to market, the 2001 Ferrari F2001 Chassis 211, sold for €15,980,000 ($18,165,673.90 US Dollars) establishing a new record for a Ferrari Formula 1 car, and the second most valuable modern era Formula 1 car to sell at auction. The result firmly reinforces RM Sotheby’s as the preeminent auction house for Formula 1 cars of all eras, having posted remarkable results in the market over the past decade.
Shelby Myers, Global Head at RM Sotheby’s: “I’d like to thank our consignor for working with us on the project. Like many collectors of fine cars, he appreciates the fact that we are constantly pushing the boundaries for new ways to bring these exciting cars to market, and this is one of the most accomplished projects our team at RM has had the chance to work on. Our thanks go to the team at F1 Paddock Club™ who helped make this remarkable auction in Monaco a reality, and we pride ourselves in furthering our reputation as the leading auction house for the finest modern era Formula 1 cars.”
Chassis 211 carried Schumacher to a historic victory at the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2001 and was the car to secure the 2001 Formula 1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships with a spectacular win in Hungary just 12 weeks later. It is also the only Ferrari chassis in which Michael Schumacher won the Monaco Grand Prix and Formula 1 World Championship in the same season.
The car made a historic return to Monaco at this year’s FORMULA 1 TAG HEUER MONACO GRAND PRIX and took pride of place as the centrepiece of the exclusive F1 Paddock Club hospitality, overlooking Monaco harbour. The auction commenced at 3.15 pm on Saturday, 24 May, just prior to qualifying, in front of a packed room. With bidders in the room and on the telephones, fierce competition saw the price rise rapidly, with the hammer finally falling at a total price of €15,980,000 – a remarkable new world record. The price firmly reinforces the magic combination of 7-time World-Champion, Michael Schumacher, and that of Scuderia Ferrari, as the preeminent desirable combination for serious collectors of modern era F1 machinery. A charitable donation will be made from the proceeds to the Keep Fighting Foundation. For more information, please visit http://www.keepfightingfoundation.org/.
