Talk about a weekend to remember! Right in the middle of the glitz and glamour of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, a massive piece of Formula 1 history changed hands. Michael Schumacher’s actual 2001 Monaco-winning Ferrari, the F2001 (chassis #211), sold for a jaw-dropping €15.98 million (around £13.43 million). That’s not just a lot of money – it officially makes this the most expensive Schumacher-driven car ever sold.
What made this auction extra special? It was the first time ever an F1 car went under the hammer live during a Grand Prix weekend itself. Imagine the buzz! Right before Saturday qualifying kicked off in Monaco, the auction house dropped the gavel, adding a huge dose of nostalgia to an already electric atmosphere.
Why This Ferrari is Pure Gold (Literally!)
This isn’t just any old race car gathering dust. The F2001, chassis #211, is a symbol of total dominance. Think about it: Schumi behind the wheel, the dream team of Todt, Brawn, and Byrne calling the shots at Ferrari. This machine was practically untouchable.
Its claim to fame? Conquering the tricky streets of Monte Carlo in 2001. That win was Schumacher’s fifth (and final) Monaco victory and was crucial in sealing his fourth World Championship title – his second with the Scuderia. It also helped Ferrari lock down another Constructors’ crown. Fun fact: it was also the last Ferrari to win Monaco during a championship year for the team… until Charles Leclerc finally broke that streak in 2024!
Auction Drama During Race Weekend
RM Sotheby’s, the big players in classic car auctions, handled the sale. The genius move? Timing it smack dab in the middle of the 2025 Monaco GP weekend. Selling a multi-million-euro F1 legend while the modern cars are screaming past just down the road? Pure theatre.
The final hammer price of nearly €16 million instantly rocketed this Ferrari into the history books. It’s now officially the fourth most expensive F1 car ever sold, trailing only behind legends like that record-breaking Mercedes driven by Moss and Fangio (which went for a mind-boggling £42.75 million earlier this year).
More Than Just Metal and Money
Sure, owning any F1 car is incredibly rare. But owning this one? That’s like owning a physical piece of Ferrari’s absolute peak and Schumacher’s genius.
The F2001 era marked Ferrari’s transformation from plucky challengers in the 90s to the unstoppable force of the early 2000s. That year? 9 wins for Schumi and a crushing 123 points on his way to the title. Pure, relentless brilliance.
And the car itself? A masterpiece. That screaming 3.0-litre V10 (pumping out roughly 900 horsepower!), wrapped in Ferrari’s slippery aero, and famously reliable – it was the perfect weapon for Schumacher’s pinpoint driving.
Monaco 2025: Echoes of the Past, Thrills of the Present
While everyone was buzzing about the auction, the track action was making its own history. Lando Norris grabbed his first-ever Monaco win for McLaren – their first there since Lewis Hamilton way back in 2008. He dominated from pole, while Leclerc, hoping for back-to-back wins after 2024, couldn’t quite pull it off.
It felt poetic, didn’t it? On the same weekend Norris wrote a new chapter for McLaren, a symbol of Ferrari’s past glory was making waves off-track. Classic Monaco – always mixing past and present, glamour and grit.
The Bottom Line
This sale isn’t just about the eye-watering price tag. It’s a massive tribute to F1’s enduring magic and the incredible legacy of Michael Schumacher. That it happened at Monaco, the sport’s most iconic and tradition-steeped stage, just feels right.
For anyone who loves F1 – fans, collectors, history buffs – this F2001 will forever stand as a shining beacon of Ferrari’s glory days, the sport’s technical brilliance, and the sheer dominance of Michael Schumacher. What a car. What a story.
