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The pace at which justice unfolds might pale in comparison to the speed of Formula One, yet Scotland Yard has finally recovered a unique Ferrari once owned by racing icon Gerhard Berger, 28 years after its disappearance.
The red Ferrari F512M Testarossa worth £350,000 was stolen from the Austrian 10-times Grand Prix winner while he was competing at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in April 1995.
Also stolen was another Ferrari, a silver-grey F355, belonging to fellow Formula One driver Jean Alessi, which remains missing. Both drivers were competing for the Ferrari Formula One team at the time.
Berger, who is now 64, reportedly came across the thief as they were making off with the car and unsuccessfully tried to chase them in a friend’s Volkswagen Golf.
At the time, Italian police said they believed the cars were likely to have been stolen to order.
London's Met Police said officers received a report from the legendary Italian car maker in January this year after it had carried out 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 being stolen, before it was brought to the UK in late 2023.
Officers then swooped to take possession and prevent it from being exported.
Met Police said the team’s inquiries “were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world”, but resulted in the car being quickly recovered.
"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,” police said.
Berger, known for his illustrious Formula One career, finished third overall in the 1988 and 1994 championships, driving for Ferrari. Since retiring, he has transitioned into a respected pundit within the sport.
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