Schumacher's winning Ferrari F2001b up for auction at Monterey

©Sotheby's

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Well-heeled Michael Schumacher and Ferrari fans are offered an opportunity this month by Sotheby's to acquire a race-winning machine steered by the F1 legend.

The Scuderia's F2001b – chassis 215 – was raced to victory by Schumacher in the opening race of the 2002 F1 season, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

It was the German driver's initial victory in a banner year that would see Schumacher conquer a historic fifth world title in Formula 1, which drew him level with the record achieved by the great Juan Manuel Fangio.

Two weeks after the Australian Grand Prix, Schumacher and chassis 215 captured in Malaysia Ferrari's 150th pole position in F1, prior to a thrilling performance on race day that saw the Scuderia charger battle from 21st position to a spectacular 3rd-place podium position.

Read also: Schumacher's 2003 Ferrari smashes auction record

Chassis 215 – powered by a glorious-sounding 3.0-litre V10 engine – was then retired from active duty as Ferrari rolled out its new F2002 contender at the following race at Imola.

The Italian outfit's new car had been delayed by gearbox reliability issues which justified the team's decision to press on at the start of 2002 with a 'b-spec' version of its trusty F2001 with which Schumacher had won nine out of 17 races on his way to his fourth world crown.

"Its public offering presents a vanishingly rare opportunity to acquire a racing car of true historic significance: one that not only carried Schumacher to a famous victory but which played a pivotal role in securing his historic fifth Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship," commented Sotheby's ahead of the car's auction at Monterey on 16-19 August.

The car's sale by Sotheby's will follow the process of a 'sealed' auction, meaning that all bidders simultaneously submit sealed offers so that no bidder knows the bid of any other participant. The highest bidder then pays the price that was submitted.

It's anybody's guess how much the consigning owner of chassis 215 will pocket. But last year in Monterey, an ex-Schumacher race-winning Ferrari F2003 went under the hammer for a cool $13.2 million, an absolute record for a modern F1 car.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.