While we all hope for progress in Micheal Schumacher's recovery, his legend never fades. Schumacher's F1 records had lasting effects, although Lewis Hamilton has since surpassed his 91 wins back in 2020. Among the most desirable F1 cars available are still Schumacher's F1 Ferraris, and one of the greats from the 1998 season is up for sale at RM Sotheby's in Monterey this August.
The Ferrari F300 race car may have less horsepower than a current Ferrari SF90 Stradale; this F1 racer was one of nine built and holds the distinguished title of being undefeated. The fact that this Ferrari F300 chassis #187 has an untarnished win record with zero losses or DNFs makes it the most successful Ferrari F1 racer and even more valuable. Considering that a Schumacher Ferrari F1 car of lesser importance sold for $7.5 million, this one will likely fetch even more.
While this car might have a modest win record of four, it is the only Ferrari F1 car to run at least three races, and claim victory in every single race it entered. F1 collectors, the Tifosi, and the Ferrari Corsa Cliente will surely be interested in this car for its provenance and desirability.
The inaugural win of the car was on June 7, 1998 at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Quebec, where Schumacher started in P3 but carved his way to victory. Later that month, this F300 chassis claimed another win at the French Grand Prix with Schumacher at the wheel. On the 12th of July, Schumacher again bested all competition at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. By September, the F1 show arrived on home turf at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, where Schumacher started on pole in #187 and did not look back.
Powered by a 3.0-liter V10 Tipo 047 engine, the car generates an impressive 800 horsepower at 17,500 rpm. Back then, Schumacher had recently signed on from the Benetton F1 team, but the F300 unveiled in 1998 still had development to do. Schumacher proved #187 could compete when at Monza where he closed the points gap for driver and constructor with these four straight wins. A never-surrender trait his son Mick Schumacher lives by in his own F1 career.
Scuderia Ferrari held on to the car until the following year when it sold in the fall of 1999. A recluse, private collector bought the car and it has been in their stewardship for the past 23 years. Now, the most successful Ferrari F1 car driven by the most successful F1 driver up until two years ago, can now be yours. However, the projected valuation is between $6 million to $8 million (plus 12% buyer's premium), meaning the market for the #187 F300 just got that much more exclusive.