16 November, New York
In a landmark moment for the partnership, Sotheby's has announced the addition of a 2001 Ferrari F2001 curated by RM Sotheby's in the Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 16 November in New York.
Unveiled during Sotheby's Hong Kong Autumn Sales week at the HKCEC, the Ferrari F2001, chassis no. 211, is the most important modern Formula 1 race car and is amongst the most significant and valuable competition cars in any collection worldwide.
Formula 1 stands at the pinnacle of motorsport, combining the fastest, most technically advanced, and most valuable cars with top racing drivers—who famously combine talent and athleticism—all in front of the largest global audience of any of its contemporaries.
The 2001 Ferrari F2001, chassis no. 211, is the definitive representation of the sport; the car that secured the 2001 Constructors' and Drivers' Championships for the oldest and most dominant team in the category—Scuderia Ferrari, piloted to victory by the greatest-of-all-time driver, Michael Schumacher—at the most important and prestigious automobile race in the world, the Grand Prix de Monaco.
The ultimate culmination of the Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's partnership, the presentation of the F2001 represents the first time a collector car will be offered at a Sotheby’s art auction since the two companies joined forces in February 2015. Contemporary Art is a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects that challenge traditional boundaries, in much the same way as the Ferrari F2001 with its extraordinary combination of design and balance. The offering of a car of this unparalleled historical significance at one of the most important Contemporary Art sales of the year will bring together collectors of the world’s most sought-after pieces in both categories.
Grégoire Billault, Head of Sotheby's Contemporary Art, New York, commented: "We are pleased to join Ferrari’s 70th anniversary celebrations by offering Michael Schumacher's Grand Prix-winning Ferrari F2001 in November. Ferrari and Schumacher are the greatest names in motor racing, with a place in the public imagination that is synonymous with the highest achievements in the field. It is therefore entirely fitting that we offer the car that represents the pinnacle of that success alongside the great names in Contemporary Art such as Warhol, Basquiat, and Johns."
"The Ferrari F2001 we unveiled in Hong Kong is one of the most important and valuable modern Formula 1 race cars in history," says Kenneth Ahn, President, RM Sotheby's. "This very car secured Ferrari their 11th of a record 15 Formula 1 Constructors' Championships and Michael Schumacher his fourth of an unmatched seven Drivers' Championships, placing it among the best of the best in the world of motorsport. It is our great pleasure to offer this car during Ferrari's 70th anniversary year, a year in which the legendary marque also won its first Monaco Grand Prix since Schumacher secured his final Monaco victory in 2001 in chassis 211. Fresh on the heels of our highly successful sale with Ferrari at their anniversary celebrations in Maranello, the unveiling of the F2001 in Hong Kong and its presentation in New York this November not only represent the first time RM Sotheby's has displayed or offered a motor car as part of a Sotheby's art sale, but also further evidence of RM Sotheby's leadership in the market for important Ferraris at auction."
The F2001, perhaps the ultimate iteration of "useable art," can still today be piloted in historic racing and at full capability. Ferrari can house the car in Maranello and transport it worldwide for pre-arranged Corse Clienti events as well as private track days, where the next caretaker can enjoy the unique thrill of the car at speed in addition to tutelage from Ferrari's own Formula 1 technicians, mechanics, and test drivers. The opportunity to acquire a Ferrari Formula 1 car that has been driven by Michael Schumacher does not arise often. A race-winning example is truly special, but a car that won two Grand Prixes and led the greatest Formula 1 driver and the most successful Formula 1 manufacturer to two World Championship titles is nothing short of sensational.
