British police have discovered a Ferrari stolen from Formula 1 legend Gerhard Berger just thirty years ago.
Berger was taking part in the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, in April 1995, when his red Ferrari F512M, valued at about $443,500, went missing.
The ten-time Grand Prix winner saw the car drive away and tried to chase the thief but was unable to catch him, the London Evening Standard reported.
The car was reported missing, but there were no leads until January this year, when it was discovered in the United Kingdom, according to a press release issued Monday by Britain’s Metropolitan Police.
Ferrari contacted police in January after checks on the car, bought through an American customer and a British racer, showed it had been stolen.
It took the Vehicle Organized Crime Unit 4 days to investigate the car’s history, which dates back 28 years, to the time it was stolen from Berger.
“Our investigations have been thorough and included contacting governments around the world,” said PC Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation.
“We worked temporarily with partners, including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and foreign car dealers, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s background and preventing it from leaving the country. “
The investigation showed that the car was shipped to Japan shortly after it was stolen, before being brought to the UK in 2023. No arrests have been made in connection with the robbery and the investigation is still ongoing.
The car was initially picked up on the same weekend as another F1 driver’s. This car has not yet been recovered.
According to The Standard, the second stolen vehicle was a silver-gray Ferrari 355 owned by Jean Alesi, the French driver who competed in F1 between 1989 and 2001.
The recovery of Berger’s car comes at a time when criminals are finding technologically complex new strategies to steal luxury vehicles.
In 2021, there were reports of thieves using Apple AirTags to track luxury cars from public places to their owners’ homes. Thieves have also tried to borrow cars from driveways through electronic devices to detect key signals inside homes.
Ferrari did not respond to a request for comment. Berger representatives may not be contacted.
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