In the year 2003, Michael Schumacher was at the height of his success. He had just won two world championships with the Benetton team and won one after another with Ferrari, way to overcome the five achieved by Juan Manuel Fangio and his own seven. He had managed to put an end to Ferrari’s losing streak, which lasted 21 years in which the house had been unable to achieve a world title, despite having drivers such as Prost, Mansell, Berger, Alesi, Reutemann or Johansson.
The emblematic Ferrari of Formula 1 that accompanied the Kaiser in those legendary races, the F2003-GA Chassis 229, has just been sold in Geneva and has smashed the auction, reaching a price of 14.6 million Swiss francs, about 15 million dollars.
With that car, Schumacher won five crucial races in the masterful 2003 season, taking victory in the Spanish, Austrian, Canadian, Italian and American Grands Prix. He also allowed him to get on the podium at the Monaco and French Grands Prix.
Estimates made by the auction house Sotheby’s ranged between 7.5 and 9.5 million Swiss francs, so the price reached, which does not include taxes or the firm’s commission, has confirmed the great interest aroused among collectors. Sotheby’s indicated that this is the highest price reached by a modern F1 car, after the sale in 2017 of another also driven by Schumacher in the 2001 season. Schumacher disputed a total of nine races with this Ferrari F2003GA Chasis 229, to which Advances were incorporated that allowed it to improve its aerodynamics and that made it one of the historic cars from the golden age of the Ferrari team.
The auction has coincided with the release of a new documentary exploring Schumacher’s personality and history. The audiovisual was released in theaters at the end of 2021 and is now broadcast free on the RTL television network.
Only his closest family and friends really know his health status, since the accident who suffered skiing in 2013. Considered by many to be the greatest runner of all time, the world was in shock when he was bedridden by a traumatic brain injury. Former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt recently told Sport BILD that Michael was doing well, given the circumstances. “He is as good as he can be,” he said, and was moved by the great interest he continues to arouse among Formula 1 fans.
“Not only in Germany, around the world they continue to think a lot about him and his followers should know that he is in good hands,” said the family friend. That continues to keep strict secrecyDiscuss his status and prefer that he be remembered as he was in the best moments of his career, behind the wheel of the F2003-GA Chassis 229.