A Ferrari 550 GT1 that has driven in the FIA GT Championship will be auctioned next week and is expected to sell for between 1.8 million and 2.2 million euros ($ 2.19 million to $ 2.67 million).
This 550 has the 115811 chassis and was bought by the Italian Andrew Garbagnati before it made its racing debut at the first round of the FIA GT Championship in Monza in 2001. It was driven by former Formula 1 drivers Emanuele Naspetti and Mimmo Schittarella, but had to give up due to a steering error.
Also see: Richard Hammond is reunited with his old Ferrari 550 Maranello
In the following races in Brno and Magny-Cours he finished fifth and fourth. He secured another fifth place at Silverstone and secured pole position during a race weekend in Zolder, Belgium. The car later entered the Spa 24 Hours, where it qualified second and briefly led the race. Unfortunately it was ruled out after just six hours with a broken crankshaft, the listing by RM Sotheby’s reveals.
The 550 GT1 missed most of the 2002 season but competed on each of the final three laps (despite stepping down). It drove through the whole of 2003 and clinched two victories in Italian GT races on the A1-Ring. In the Italian GT Championship, the car took three overall victories and came third in the overall standings. During this time it was occasionally driven by Toto Wolff, the current boss of the Mercedes F1 team.
Since its retirement, the car has been extensively restored and has the same Red Bull paintwork as in 2002.
The most expensive Ferrari 550 GT1 auctioned fetched $ 4.29 million last year. Its value was increased by winning the Spa 24 Hours in 2004 and securing the FIA GT Championship title that same year.
PHOTO GALLERY
more pictures…
