Description
To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Paris event, 28 January 2026. €5, 500, 000 - €7, 500, 000 EUR Driven by seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher during the 1997 Belgian Grand Prix weekend Raced by Eddie Irvine in the 1997 Italian and Austrian Grands Prix Awarded Ferrari Classiche “Red Book” certification in 2007; matching-numbers example that retains its original engine, gearbox, chassis, and bodywork Among a very limited pool of sought-after F1 cars from the Schumacher-Ferrari golden era An incredible opportunity to gain access to the most exclusive events and experiences via Ferrari’s F1 Clienti programme Come the end of 1997, a who’s who of all-time great Formula 1 engineers had had a hand in the design of the Ferrari F310 B. An evolution of the F310, albeit much easier on the eye courtesy of a lowered cockpit surround, the B was the final Ferrari F1 car penned by John Barnard from his offices in the United Kingdom prior to his pre-season departure. As the team then consolidated back in Maranello, Ross Brawn was signed as the replacement Technical Director. Joining from Benetton, Brawn brought with him Chief Designer Rory Byrne. Under the leadership of Jean Todt and Stefano Domenicali, and with Michael Schumacher at the wheel, one of the most potent ‘superteams’ in F1 history was taking shape. Originally housing a 75-degree V-10 engine displacing 3. 0 litres and producing around 730 horsepower, nine F310 B chassis were reportedly built. However, two of these were of a later, lighter, and more agile specification. This development of Barnard’s original design by Brawn and Byrne allowed the car to accommodate a larger fuel tank to provide greater flexibility when it came to in-race strategy. Of the two, offered here is chassis number 179. The car first appeared at the 1997 Belgian Grand Prix, where Schumacher ventured out in qualifying but subsequently switched to his other chassis to set the 3rd fastest time. A Sunday downpour, which paved the way for the first-ever F1 race to start behind the safety car, prompted the German to again revert to the older chassis that was better-suited to the low-grip conditions rather than 179, which was optimised for the dry. For the next round in Italy, this car was assigned to Eddie Irvine. As part of a quiet weekend, he qualified 10th and profited from a puncture for McLaren racer Mika Häkkinen to classify 8th. A final front-line outing for chassis 179 arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix. Again, this F310 B was entrusted to Irvine, who lined up 8th on the grid. On lap 38 of 71, Jean Alesi rejoined from a pitstop ahead of Irvine. As they squabbled for position, the pair collided to send Alesi’s Benetton B197 careering over the Ferrari’s front-right wheel. That left Irvine to crawl back to the garage to retire. Predictably, each driver pointed the finger at the another. Chassis 179 was further taken as a spare car to the Luxembourg, Japanese, and European Grands Prix before being retired from Works duties. It was sold by Ferrari in 1999 and moved into the ownership of a small group of collectors. First in Germany and subsequently in the United States, the car was driven on a number of occasions in Ferrari F1 Clienti events before being acquired by the Audrian Auto Museum in Newport, Rhode Island in 2014. More recently, the Ferrari was piloted by British Formula 3 champion Robbie Kerr at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in celebration of Schumacher’s 50th birthday. Should the next owner wish to continue to use this example on track, RM Sotheby’s recommends consulting with Ferrari F1 Clienti to undertake a mechanical recommissioning at the factory. Significantly, chassis 179 has also been certified by Ferrari Classiche in January 2007 and is offered with its “Red Book” along with a number of spare parts and items. These include a spare set of BBS wheels, race harness, a set of handheld blowers, jacks, and more, which are available to ship separately at the buyer’s expense from the US. With typically less than 10 chassis built per season during this era, and only about half of those receiving Michael Schumacher seat time, Scuderia F1 cars of this ilk have formed the most exclusive group of collectible modern Ferrari competition cars in the world. Chassis 179 proudly stands among the other incredible machines to be driven by one of the greatest champions in motorsport history. For any Ferrari racing enthusiast, the ultimate car to drive and to own is an F1 car. It will draw immediate attention in any collection and to use, it simply provides an experience that cannot be exceeded. Ferrari offers the best programme in the world via its F1 Clienti department, with the next owner able to make life-long memories at a number of the greatest racetracks should they choose to exercise chassis 179. To use an aircraft analogy, driving an F1 car versus GT machinery is the equivalent of flying a military-grade F-18 fighter jet versus a civilian aircraft; if one had...
