Formula One driver’s stolen Ferrari found in London after 28 years

THE last time former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger saw his Ferrari F512M Testarossa was in 1995 as he chased it down in a Volkswagen Golf in the hope of catching its thief.

Now it has re-emerged, with polished alloys and perfect red body work, in the same prime condition it was when it was stolen almost 29 years ago.

The luxury car was stolen in an audacious theft at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, in April 1995, alongside a silver-grey Ferrari F355 belonging to fellow F1 driver Jean Alesi. While Alesi did not witness anyone making off with his car when it was parked at their luxury hotel, Berger, a 10-time Grand Prix winner, did spot his Ferrari being stolen and attempted to stop the theft.

Seeing his car leaving its parking space, the Austrian ran into its path, but after realising the thief had no intention of stopping, had to jump out of the way. It was driven off at high speed down a narrow road before Berger got behind the wheel of a friend’s Volkswagen Golf in pursuit.

Despite being in good form that weekend, finishing third on the podium, he was unable to catch up with the thief on the cobbled streets of Imola.

Only 501 of the Ferrari models were made and the supercar was believed to have been stolen to order, with Italian police originally thinking it was destined for the Middle East. It was not seen again until January this year, when the Metropolitan Police received a report from Ferrari after the manufacturer had carried out checks on a car being sold to an American buyer through a British broker last year.

Officers from the Organised Vehicle Crime Unit found it had been shipped to Japan shortly after being stolen and was then brought to the UK in late 2023.

The car was tracked down and seized by the Met to prevent it from being exported from the UK. However, Alesi’s stolen Ferrari remains missing and no arrests have been made.

Pc Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, said: “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.

“This collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s background and stopping it from leaving the country.”

Last year, the Met’s Organised Vehicle Crime Unit recovered 418 vehicles with a combined value of £31 million.