Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2001 returns to Monaco for auction

Michael Schumacher's championship-winning F2001, chassis 211, will make a return to Monaco where it hits the RM Sotheby's auction on May 24, 2025. With the legendary driver behind the wheel, this car took victory on the streets of the Municipality in 2001. But this year, it goes under the hammer at the paddock club ahead of qualifying for the famous Grand Prix. 

The car was previously sold in 2017 for $7.5 million, and while an estimate hasn't been released by the auction house, it's set to go for a lot more than that. 

The importance of this car cannot be overstated. It was the vessel for Schumacher's final win at the iconic street circuit, and the same chassis also won him the Hungarian Grand Prix and, therefore, the championship in 2001. This would be Schumacher's second championship with Ferrari and the Italian team's 11th championship as a constructor, and they did it with extreme dominance: 58 points ahead of McLaren's David Coulthard, who came second. 

The season began with strong wins at Australia and Malaysia, and would become one of the German's most dominant seasons despite a solid challenge from Coulthard and even his brother, Ralf Schumacher. While the driver's performance was unquestionable, the car was also potent. Powered by an optimised 900 bhp 3.0-litre V10 Tipo 050 engine and strong aerodynamics, it was also incredibly reliable, and by the end of the season, the car solidified its place in the Scuderia's golden era. 

When the F2001, chassis number 211, was auctioned in 2017, it was sold for an astonishing $7,504,000. It became the first car F1 car to exceed $5 million at auction, and will command an even higher value in 2025. 

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2001

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

While the car returns to the spotlight, Schumacher has remained outside of the public eye since he sustained a brain injury in December 2013. Updates on his condition have come few and far between, with his family maintaining strict privacy around his condition. 

“Victory on the streets of Monte-Carlo alone would make this a hugely significant Ferrari," Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Director of Sales at RM Sotheby’s, said on the auction via F1.com. "But to do so in the same season that it crossed the line to capture both the Drivers’ and [Teams]’ World Championships – the first back-to-back championship double in Ferrari history – takes it to a completely different level.

“We are very excited to take chassis 211 back to the site of its historic win, and to be able to auction it during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend is an immense privilege."

A percentage of the profits will be donated to the Keep Fighting Foundation.