How is the Powerball lottery going this week? Is there a significant number, like $100 million, that stands out? So, we want to buy something that won’t be cheap. It will be worth it, though. If we win, we’ll invite everyone over to see the prize, a Formula One car Michael Schumacher drove. Namely, the Ferrari F1-2000 Chassis 198, which he used to win the 2000 F1 Driver’s Championship, two pole positions, and one win. Sotheby’s in Hong Kong will submit it for sealed bids next month. When the bidding ends on April 12, someone (maybe us!) will have the best car ever in a garage. Not the most excellent Ferrari or car, but the most remarkable thing people have ever made. We won’t let people have different ideas about this. In 2000, or “the year 2000,” as we called it at the time, Formula 1 cars didn’t have V-6 engines, forced induction, or energy recovery systems. They were powered by 3.0-liter, 90-degree, naturally aspirated V-10 engines that made around 800 horsepower and over 17,000 rpm of torque. As the engine sped toward the next gear, it sounded like an alien power drill digging into the earth’s center. As the ship slowed, the sound of nearby lightning striking the sky was jarring. You couldn’t figure out how it all stayed together since it kept falling apart. Yet, after being called up from the back of the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix to replace the leading car, which had been damaged when Schumacher went wide during qualifying, this car did it repeatedly. Chassis 198 was, in fact, a spare. One of them, Tom Brady, who won the race, may have been inspired to use the play in football the following year. On the other hand, F1-2000 198 was the first. At the Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco later in the season, Schumacher won the pole position in car number 198. In a video of Monaco qualifying, the tachometer on the screen shows upshifts at 18,000 rpm all the time. Think about it: if you bid more than us, you could drive the same car on your favorite track. This is due to the fact that the vehicle has undergone maintenance and is a participant in Ferrari’s F1 Clienti program. This program enables retired race cars to continue competing with the full support of the manufacturer. Because of this, you won’t have to crawl under Chassis 198 to tighten bolts or do other work, not just because it’s too low to the ground. You have staff for that! These things are part of a regular F1 Clienti track day, so get a massage or talk to some local F1 drivers about how to drive better. Racing is hard work! If you want this car, you should set aside at least $8,000. Or “a pittance,” as we like to say. Can you imagine a more excellent vehicle than this one? There’s none.
