SUMMARY
- Gerhard Berger lost his Ferrari Testarossa 512M to thieves in 1995 in Imola.
- The car was recovered by the UK Police after it returned to the country in late 2023.
Ferrari cars are considered one of the most exotic pieces of machinery a person can own. The cars are focused on luxury, and comfort while also being tuned for high speeds. Ferrari is also one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, with their signature Prancing Horse logo and the piercing red color that has become the brand identity.
Ferrari’s Formula 1 drivers are some of the richest athletes and each of them owns or has owned one Ferrari car at least, with some drivers even having multiple pieces of the exotic machinery. One such driver is Gerhard Berger, who was with Ferrari for six years, from 1987 to 1989, and 1993 to 1995.
Having won 24 podiums with the Red Team, Berger had quite the collection of cars including multiple Ferraris. His Ferrari Testarossa 512M, worth $443,000, was one of his prized possessions which was stolen in front of his eyes. After 28 years, the police have finally recovered the prized vehicle.
Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari Testarossa 512M recovered after 28 years
Gerhard Berger’s car collection had quite a many Ferraris but his Testarossa 512M suffered the unfortunate fate of being stolen. There were only 501 of the cars ever made, so it was a collector’s piece. The car was stolen in 1995 when the driver was preparing to race at the San Marino GP at Imola. Berger himself witnessed the crime and attempted to stop it in vain.
RECUPERADA!
Uma Ferrari que pertenceu a Gerhard Berger foi finalmente localizado pela polícia – 28 anos depois de ter sido furtada.
No Grande Prêmio de San Marino de 1995, em Ímola, dois pilotos tiveram seus veículos roubados e a F512M de Berger foi uma das que desapareceram. A… pic.twitter.com/hivsulQoj4
— Splash and Go – F1 🏁 🏎 (@splash_go_f1) March 4, 2024
The Testarossa was stolen from his luxury hotel near the track by thieves who were working near the track too. Berger noticed his car leaving the parking area and stood in its path but had to jump away to save his life. He reportedly gave the car a chase in a friend’s Volkswagen Golf but the streets of Imola did not let him catch up to the thief.
The Ferrari Driver wasn’t the only victim of this crime as a silver Ferrari 355 belonging to Jean Alesi was also stolen at the same time. The Metropolitan Police announced that they recovered Berger’s Ferrari, however, Alesi’s Ferrari remains missing.
The police managed to find out details about the car including that it was shipped to Japan after the theft and came back to the UK in late 2023. Mike Pilbeam, the leader of the investigation stated, “The stolen Ferrari – close to the value of £350,000 ($443,000) – was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to track it down in just four days. Our inquiries were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world.”
#F1 #historicf1 #Formula1 #retrogp @autodromoimola 1995 San Marino Grand Prix, Imola, Gerhard Berger (Ferrari 412T2) qualified in 2nd and was leading at one stage until he stalled during the pit stop losing time he crossed the line to finish the race on the podium in 3rd position pic.twitter.com/o7013oHDjx
— Retro Grand Prix Pics (@PrixRetro) October 3, 2021
“We worked quickly with partners including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealerships, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s background and stopping it from leaving the country.”
The investigation is still ongoing and no arrests have been made thus far. However, Gerhard Berger will be very happy to reunite with his old flame after 28 long years.
Gerhard Berger’s Formula 1 career
Gerhard Berger is an Austrian former Formula 1 driver who drove for teams like Ferrari, Benetton, ATS, Arrows, and McLaren. Berger is considered one of the most experienced F1 drivers with 210 starts to his name.
Among those 210 starts, he has 10 wins and 48 podiums. Berger made his F1 debut in the 1984 F1 season with ATS but did not manage any points. He drove for BMW in 1985 but only finished with 3 points, managing a 20th position.
Berger’s first win came in 1986 with Benetton at the Mexican Grand Prix. His best results were with Ferrari, when he finished 3rd in the WDC, once in 1988, and once more in 1994. He ended his career with Benetton Renault after driving for them in 1997 and 1997.
Gerhard Berger drove with some of the most prolific drivers of his time including the legendary Ayrton Senna, contributing to McLaren’s wins in 1990 and 1991.