This year’s Monaco Grand Prix weekend will see the return of one of the principality’s most significant winning machines—Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2001—where it will go under the hammer courtesy of RM Sotheby’s. Monaco has been described as the jewel in Formula One’s crown, and this Ferrari F2001 is undoubtedly one of Maranello’s crown jewels. Together, they represent grand prix racing at its most illustrious. 

The 2001 season was vintage Schumacher. Having claimed his first drivers’ title for Ferrari the previous season, the then-32-year-old dominated 2001 by achieving nine wins, 11 pole positions, and 14 podium finishes from 17 rounds, scoring almost twice as many points as his nearest rival, McLaren’s David Coulthard. It was Michael’s most impressive season yet, his total of 123 points a record at the time and comfortably overshadowing his own points tallies in 1994, 1995, and 2000, the three championship-winning seasons that were in his rear-view mirrors. 

Possessing immense speed, power, and striking beauty, the vivaciously Rosso Marlboro F2001 was the most technically advanced Ferrari F1 car yet. Aerodynamic efficiency and tyre wear were an improvement on its predecessors, while traction control, launch control, and fully-automatic transmissions were reintroduced to the sport from the Spanish GP onwards, having been banned since 1994. The chassis was designed primarily by Rory Byrne and Aldo Costa, with Nikolas Tombazis and James Allison overseeing aerodynamics, Paolo Martinelli and Gilles Simon responsible for the screaming 900 brake-horsepower 3.0 V-10 Tipo 050 engine, and Ross Brawn conducting the orchestra in the role of technical director. These gentlemen, along with Schumacher and team principal Jean Todt, constituted the beating heart of Ferrari’s dream team.  

The car that will be going on sale in Monaco on Saturday, 24 May is the most significant chassis from that record-setting 2001 season: chassis 211. It was in this very car that Michael won the Monaco Grand Prix and then clinched the world title three months later with victory in Hungary. This was the last Ferrari to win Formula 1’s blue ribband race en route to the title, and the only car in which Michael took both victory in Monaco and the World Championship.  

To win in Monaco is extra special, not least because it’s the oldest grand prix on the calendar and irrefutably the most glamorous. It is the ultimate test of driver precision, a place where the tiniest mistake is punished with a carbon-splintered DNF. Schumacher had a habit of excelling in its narrow confines and 2001 marked his fifth and final career victory on the twisting streets of Monte Carlo. He did so having inherited pole position from Coulthard, who stalled on the grid. The other McLaren of Mika Häkkinen gave chase but retired on lap 15, leaving Schumacher to lead a Ferrari one-two across the line, with Rubens Barrichello and former teammate Eddie Irvine in his wake. It was the German’s fourth victory of the year.  

Chassis 211 was also called for at Schumacher’s home race, the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, in front of 100,000 of Michael’s countrymen. This was the final year in which the ultra-fast 4.24-mile long ‘ring layout was used, denoting the end of a spectacular era. Michael had qualified a different chassis 4th, and disaster struck before the first turn. Stuck in first gear, he fell backwards through the pack as the field of 22 cars surged away from the lights. Schumacher was struck by Luciano Burti, and the blue Prost-Acer launched into the air having destroyed the stricken Ferrari. The race was red flagged, which was lucky for Michael. He was allowed to swap to the spare car, which was chassis 211, and take the re-start, and he promptly fought his way up to 3rd behind the Williams duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. On lap 23 he was forced to retire the car due to a fuel pump pressure problem—one of only two failures to finish for Michael in 2001. His younger brother, Ralf, went on to win his third race of the year.  

Chassis 211’s third and final outing of the year was in Budapest. Schumacher won the Hungarian Grand Prix unthreatened from pole position to clinch his fourth world drivers’ title with four rounds still to run. Ferrari also sealed the constructors’ title, with Barrichello and Coulthard joining Michael on the podium. It was the perfect day for the Scuderia. This was the first time in its history that Ferrari had won both titles on the bounce. The 51st victory of his F1 career, the day also saw Michael equal the record held by Alain Prost. On the podium, Schumacher was seen to shed a tear, while he paid tribute to the men and women of his beloved team in the post-race press conference. “You can’t believe how wonderful the guys are. How much we stick together, in good times and bad times. We have such a great crew. I’m really in love with all of them. It’s so much fun to work with them. It’s their achievement. I’m more than thankful to all of them.” For Schumacher, Ferrari had become so much more than a generous employer and a vessel for his own ambitions. They had become family, and as tightly-knit as any driver-team partnership before or since.   

Following the result at the Hungaroring, Schumacher received an official congratulation from Germany’s chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. Gianni Agnelli, the legendary head of the Fiat Group, expressed that he was overjoyed.  

Without question, F2001 chassis number 211 is among the German’s most historic, dominant, and defining F1 cars, and as such is one of the most important single-seaters of the past half-century. It is presented today in original as-raced condition with patina from the track.