The first Scuderia Ferrari F1 car driven by the most successful F1 World Champion, Michael Schumacher
Driven by Michael Schumacher at Fiorano and Estoril
Podium finisher with Jean Alesi
412 T2 – Ferraris last V12-powered Grand Prix car
Ferrari Classiche Certified
SOLD
Chassis no. 157
1995 – A turning point for Formula 1
The 1995 Formula One
season saw Michael Schumacher claim a second World Championship whilst driving
for Benetton. Fierce battles with Scuderia Ferrari throughout the 1995 season
convinced Schumacher that for the 1996 season he should wear rosso and take home
a cheque for $60,000,000 over two seasons! Over a stunning eleven-year career
as the number one driver for the Scuderia, Schumacher built a dream team of
engineers and technicians, firmly restoring Ferrari as the team to beat in
Formula 1. In eleven seasons, Ferrari scored six consecutive Manufacturers
World Championships, and Michael Schumacher a record-breaking five World
Drivers Championships!
Ferrari boss Luca di
Montezemolo was building the Ferrari brand well in the marketplace in the early
1990’s, but he wanted to have a Formula One Championship-winning team. He
recruited top F1 car designer, John Barnard, in August 1992, then hired Jean
Todt to be Sporting Director in July 1993 before luring top engine men to the
Scuderia, including former Honda designer Osamo Goto and Minardi chassis
designer, Gustav Brunner. McLaren’s top race engineer, Giorgio Ascaelli and
Benetton’s aerodynamicist Willem Toet soon followed, slowly creating a team and
car capable of competing for the Formula One World Championship.
Ferrari entered the
1995 Formula 1 season with the carbon-fibre 412 T2, designed by F1 chassis gurus,
John Barnard and Gustav Brunner, and powered by the all-new and final V12 Ferrari
F1 engine, the 3.0-litre, Tipo 044. The V12 engine was positioned further
forward thanks to a smaller 140-litre fuel cell under new regulations and
mounted to a transverse six-speed semi-automatic Ferrari gearbox.
Time would show that
this was the final Formula One car to be powered with a V12 engine and would
the last V12 Formula 1 car to win a Grand Prix, at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix
with Jean Alesi driving.
The first Scuderia Ferrari F1 driven by Michael Schumacher
The Ferrari
412 T2 offered here, chassis 157 is the first Scuderia Ferrari Formula One car
driven by the most successful Formula One driver, Michael Schumacher.
Before
Schumacher slid behind the wheel of 157, the car was used by Scuderia Ferrari
in the 1995 Formula 1 World Championship. Chassis 157 is the second 412 T2
built by the Maranello team and was used at the season-opening Brazilian Grand
Prix, held at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos.
At the
Brazilian Grand Prix, Jean Alesi was assigned chassis 157, wearing the famed number
27 for Scuderia Ferrari. In practise, Alesi qualified sixth. Having worked his
way up to fourth overall in the race, Alesi and 157 crossed the line in Sao
Paolo to finish fifth overall after seventy laps. After round one, Ferrari led
the Constructors Championship ahead of the McLaren Mercedes team.
The second
round of the 1995 Formula One World Championship was the Gran Premio de
Argentina, held over seventy-two laps of the Buenos Aires circuit. Alesi was
assigned chassis 157 as his spare ‘T’ car. After qualifying sixth on the grid
again, Alesi entered the first corner on the inside of the sister Ferrari,
braked late and ended up spinning the car with several other cars spinning and
crashing to avoid contact with the stricken Ferrari. This incident caused a red
flag and a restart, with Jean Alesi running back to the pits to take the restart
in his T-car, this car, chassis 157.
For the
restart of the 1995 Argentinian Grand Prix, Jean Alesi took the start in
chassis 157. On lap 18, Alesi led the race with chassis 157 before pitting, and
spent the final forty-five laps chasing down the Williams FW17 of Damon Hill,
to finish second, but perhaps more impressively, nearly thirty seconds ahead of
the Benetton of Michael Schumacher!
In 1995, Italy
hosted two Grand Prix, one at Imola in April, and one at Monza in September.
Chassis 157 was again driven by Alesi at the 1995 Gran Premio di San Marino,
held at the famed Imola circuit. Ferraris home race is always special, and this
was no exception. Alesi and Berger proved the car to suit the Imola circuit,
qualifying fifth and second. Race day saw Alesi drive one of the best races of
his life. Thanks to a three-stop strategy and steadily climbing the order. Alesi
passed Gerhard Berger and David Coulthard to finish second at the most
important Grand Prix for Ferrari, who importantly retained the lead of the
Constructors Championship.
Michael
Schumacher’s Scuderia Ferrari debut
As the
season passed, Schumacher asserted his authority in the Benetton, and claimed a
back-to-back second Wold Championship, as well as signing for Scuderia Ferrari
for the 1996 and 1997 season. In November, Schumacher was released from his
Benetton obligations and quickly arrived at Ferrari’s home in Maranello for a
test in the 1995 Ferrari 412 T2 at the team’s private test track, Fiorano.
The very
first Scuderia Ferrari F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher was this, chassis
157, at the private Ferrari test track, Fiorano, on November 16th 1995.
Wearing a
white race suit and his iconic helmet, Schumacher had his first taste of the
412 T2 at a damp and cold Fiorano. Ferrari testing sheets, which accompany this
Ferrari Classiche Certified 412 T2, confirm that chassis 157 was driven by
Michael Schumacher over seventeen laps at Fiorano. This test was huge news for
both Italy, and Formula One, with more than 2,000 people cramming up against
the fences to watch the 26-year old German drive a Ferrari Formula One car for
the first time. Magazines including Autosprint in Italy, and Autosport in
England covered the days testing activities.
Michael
Schumacher and this Ferrari 412 T2 test at Estoril
Five days
later, Scuderia Ferrari and Michael Schumacher travelled to Estoril in Portugal
to test chassis 157 once again. On the 21st November, Schumacher covered
twenty-eight laps of the Portuguese circuit, and set a best lap time of 1m
21.20, an impressive 0.7s faster than the best Ferrari (Gerhard Berger) had
managed in qualifying for Septembers Portuguese Grand Prix! As with the test at
Fiorano, these laps are documented with copies of the original Ferrari test
sheets accompanying chassis 157.
Michael Schumacher
and Ferrari testing was a high-profile event with many of the world’s leading
motorsport magazines featuring Schumacher testing chassis 157 under the
Portuguese sun.
Post-Scuderia
Ferrari and Schumacher
Having
joined Scuderia Ferrari, Schumacher set about building the ‘Dream Team’ as they
would become known and would claim Ferraris first of six-consecutive
Constructors World Championships in 1999. During this era of Scuderia
domination, Schumacher also claimed five consecutive World Drivers Championships
and seventy-two Grand Prix victories.
After its
life in the spotlight, this Ferrari 412 T2 was bought by German collector,
Peter Fandel who acquired the car directly, dealing with Jean Todt, Scuderia
Ferrari Team Manager. In late 2000, this car was bought by enthusiastic and
accomplished racer, Klaas Zwart. The car was raced at several events and
demonstrated at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix before being bought by its
current owner in 2013.
Under its
current ownership, this ex-Schumacher Scuderia Ferrari 412 T2 has been
inspected and certified by Ferrari Classiche. In 2018, this Ferrari was
returned to its birthplace in Maranello, Italy where it was meticulously
rebuilt and is now presented in a track-ready condition.
At the time
of print, Michael Schumacher is the most successful Formula One driver in
history, currently holding no fewer than twenty-five records, seven
Championship titles and ninety-one Grand Prix victories.
Scuderia
Ferrari S.p.A is the most successful Formula One Constructor in history,
currently holding thirteen records, sixteen Constructors’ Championships and two
hundred and thirty-eight Grand Prix victories.
This Ferrari 412 T2, chassis 157, is the first Scuderia Ferrari Formula One car driven by legend, Michael Schumacher. Even more fitting is that his first taste of the Italian machinery came at Ferrari’s private test track in its hometown of Maranello, Circuito di Fiorano. Imagine the excitement he experienced as he pressed his right foot to the floor for the first time in a Ferrari F1 car, well, this is your opportunity to experience that same sensation. This track-ready, Ferrari Classiche Certified, ex-Michael Schumacher and podium-finishing Scuderia Ferrari 412 T2 can be yours!
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