F1 driver Gerhard Berger’s stolen Ferrari recovered after 28 years

London Metropolitan Police have solved a cold case in the automotive sector. The Organized Vehicle Crime Unit recently recovered a Ferrari 512M that thieves stole from Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago during the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

Crooks stole Berger’s 512M and teammate Jean Alesi’s 355 from a hotel parking lot during the race in 1995. Berger allegedly arrived as the thief drove away in his Ferrari, according to a contemporary report from GrandPrix.com.

The Metropolitan Police recovered Berger’s 512M with the help of Ferrari. In January, the automaker told investigators it had inspected the vehicle on behalf of a U.S. customer buying it from a broker in the United Kingdom.

Police discovered the car had gone to Japan after being stolen. It arrived in the UK in late 2023, where the Metropolitan Police seized the Ferrari to prevent the vehicle from leaving the country.

“We worked quickly with partners including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealers, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s history and preventing it from leaving the country,” said lead investigator Mike Pilbeam in the Metropolitan Police statement. to recover the car.

Police continue their investigation; No arrests have been made. And unfortunately, Alesi’s F355 is still missing.

Despite having their cars stolen, Berger and Alesi were successful in the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix, with Alesi finishing second and Berger third.

The Ferrari 512M was the latest evolution of the famous Testarossa of the 1980s. Compared to previous iterations, it featured fixed headlights rather than pop-up lamps. The upgraded 4.9-liter flat-12 engine produced 434 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The company only made 501 examples.