F1 News: Ferrari stolen from Gerhard Berger driver FOUND after 28 years

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Ferrari stolen from ex-F1 driver FOUND after 28 years

It has been found by police

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 4 March 2024 22:57

A Ferrari worth £350,000 that was stolen from an F1 race winner has been recovered by police in London, 28 years after it was stolen.

The Ferrari F512M was taken from the possession of former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger back in April 1995, while the Austrian was taking part in the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

It was shipped to Japan, according to the Met Police, and driven around for 28 years, before being returned to the UK at the end of 2023.

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While the police confirmed that no arrests have been made surrounding the historic crime, the car was recovered after Ferrari themselves alerted police having carried out checks on the model.

Gerhard Berger drove with McLaren and Ferrari during his career

Ferrari are the most successful team in F1 history

Berger's expensive taste

Berger claimed five of his 10 career race victories with Ferrari, across six seasons with the Maranello-based team, and is one of the most experienced drivers in F1 history.

While his luxury sports car was likely a gift at the time due to his contract with Ferrari, the car would now be worth a whopping £350,000.

The theft of Berger's Ferrari while racing in the 1995 San Marino GP - a race in which he narrowly missed out on victory due to an error during his pit stop - became big news at the time, but had largely been forgotten.

PC Mike Pilbeam of the Metropolitan Police told BBC News: "The stolen Ferrari - close to the value of £350,000 - was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to track it down in just four days."

Ferrari Gerhard Berger UK San Marino Grand Prix