Photo by Efrem Efre via PPexels
You couldn’t script it better. In the heart of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix weekend — a setting already bursting with glitz, history, and horsepower — a piece of Formula 1 history changed hands in the most unforgettable way. Michael Schumacher’s 2001 Monaco-winning Ferrari F2001, chassis #211, went under the hammer and fetched a staggering €15.98 million (roughly £13.43 million). That makes it the most expensive car ever sold that Schumacher actually raced — and won in.
But it wasn’t just the sale price that turned heads.
The First Auction of Its Kind — Literally at the Track
For the first time ever, an F1 car auction happened during a Grand Prix weekend — right there in Monaco. Just hours before Saturday’s qualifying session, as engines were warming up in the paddock, RM Sotheby’s dropped the gavel on one of Ferrari’s most iconic machines. The timing? Genius. The buzz? Off the charts.
Selling a Formula 1 car while actual F1 cars are racing just down the road? It was a blend of theater, nostalgia, and sheer spectacle. And the result? A hammer price that instantly etched this Ferrari into motorsport history.
Why This F2001 Isn’t “Just Another” Race Car
Let’s be clear — this isn’t some museum piece collecting dust. Chassis #211 was the very car Schumacher piloted to victory at Monaco in 2001. It was his fifth — and final — triumph on those twisty streets, a crucial win on the path to his fourth World Championship title (and his second with Ferrari). Also in 2001, Ferrari also won their constructors title championship.
This car of 2001 was a symbol of an era that Michael dominated.
Big Money, Big Names, Big Moment
RM Sotheby’s knew what they were doing. Holding the sale during the Monaco GP brought both casual fans and collectors into the moment. There was real electricity in the air. When bidding finally stopped just shy of €16 million, the F2001 became the fourth most expensive F1 car ever sold — sitting behind giants like the Moss/Fangio Mercedes that shattered records earlier this year with its £42.75 million tag.
Ferrari’s Golden Era car
2000 season was really tough but in 2001, michael took 9 wins during the season,, with 123 points, he just dominated the season. And this machine, with its screaming 3.0-liter V10 pushing around 900 horsepower, was the scalpel in his hands.
It wasn’t just fast — it was dependable, elegant, and deadly efficient. Under the strategic genius of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Rory Byrne, Ferrari built a car that felt invincible. And Schumacher made sure it was.
Meanwhile, On the Streets of Monaco…
As the past echoed through the auction house, the 2025 race brought its own drama. Lando Norris took his first-ever win at Monaco, giving McLaren their first victory on the principality’s streets since Hamilton back in 2008. Starting from pole, Norris was flawless — while Charles Leclerc, fresh off his 2024 win, couldn’t repeat the feat.
It was one of those weekends where everything just seemed to align: fresh history being made on track, while one of Ferrari’s greatest weapons found a new home off it.
