Police recover Ferrari stolen from F1 driver at race 28 years ago

Police have recovered a Ferrari that was stolen from ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago.

The Testarossa F512M, worth an estimated £350,000, was taken in April 1995 when Berger was preparing to compete at the San Marino Grand Prix held at Imola.

Berger witnessed the theft as it unfolded at the time and reportedly made a valiant effort to stop the crime, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

It was one of two Ferraris stolen from drivers during the weekend. The other, a silver grey Ferrari 355, belonged to Jean Alesi.

But while Alesi’s car has never been found, the Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that Berger’s Ferrari has been recovered.

The successful operation came after officers received a report from Ferrari about checks on a car being bought by a US buyer through a UK broker last year.

The Organised Vehicle Crime Unit discovered the car had been shipped to Japan shortly after it was stolen. It was brought to the UK in late 2023 and the police managed to take possession of it before it was exported.

Pc Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, said: "The stolen Ferrari - close to the value of £350,000 - was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to track it down in just four days.

"Our inquiries 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.”

The Met says enquiries remain ongoing and no arrests have been made.