A Ferrari that belongs to Gerhard Berger was found in London 28 years after it was stolen while he was racing.
The red Ferrari F512M was stolen outside of Imola while Berger was competing in the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix along with team-mate Jean Alesi’s F355 but now, almost three decades later, it has turned up in London.
British police confirmed they had recovered the car which was due to be sold to a buyer in the US when Ferrari alerted the Metropolitan police.
The police believe it was originally taken to Japan after it was stolen before arriving in the UK late last year. They have now recovered the vehicle but it remains to be seen if it will be returned to Berger.
“The stolen Ferrari was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to track it down in just four days,” the police said.
“Our enquiries were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world.
“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.”
No arrests have yet been made, but enquiries are ongoing, the force added.
It is less good news for Alesi though with his grey F355 still missing.
The car, originally made between 1994 and 1996, was just one of 501 constructed by Ferrari and is said to be worth around £350,000.
Berger witnessed the theft at the time, having come third in the San Marino race, but was unable to stop it.
Having retired from driving in F1 in 1997, Berger held a number of roles in the paddock and was most recently the president of the FIA Single Seat Commission, a job he held until 2014.
But, at the age of 64-years-old, the Austrian revealed last year he has ignored pleas to return.
“There were considerations, then I would have had to arrange my life differently again,” he told Speedweek.com. “The young children play an important role.
“I want to take my six-year-old son to his first kart races and my nine-year-old daughter to go horse riding. I want to have more time for them.”
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