This exceptionally rare 1995 Ferrari 412T steering wheel was used by Michael Schumacher during his debut with Scuderia Ferrari. It remains fully intact with all original, functional switches, and features the expected rear markings.
Schumacher has personally hand-signed the piece in white marker.
A highly valuable collector’s item.
History of the Ferrari 412 T2 used for testing by Michael Schumacher:
The first Scuderia Ferrari F1 driven by Michael Schumacher
The Ferrari 412 T2, chassis 157 is the first Scuderia Ferrari Formula One car driven by the most successful Formula One driver, Michael Schumacher.
Before Schumacher slid behind the wheel of 157, the car was used by Scuderia Ferrari in the 1995 Formula 1 World Championship. Chassis 157 is the second 412 T2 built by the Maranello team and was used at the season-opening Brazilian Grand Prix, held at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos.
At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Jean Alesi was assigned chassis 157, wearing the famed number 27 for Scuderia Ferrari. In practise, Alesi qualified sixth. Having worked his way up to fourth overall in the race, Alesi and 157 crossed the line in Sao Paolo to finish fifth overall after seventy laps. After round one, Ferrari led the Constructors Championship ahead of the McLaren Mercedes team.
The second round of the 1995 Formula One World Championship was the Gran Premio de Argentina, held over seventy-two laps of the Buenos Aires circuit. Alesi was assigned chassis 157 as his spare ‘T’ car. After qualifying sixth on the grid again, Alesi entered the first corner on the inside of the sister Ferrari, braked late and ended up spinning the car with several other cars spinning and crashing to avoid contact with the stricken Ferrari. This incident caused a red flag and a restart, with Jean Alesi running back to the pits to take the restart in his T-car, this car, chassis 157.
For the restart of the 1995 Argentinian Grand Prix, Jean Alesi took the start in chassis 157. On lap 18, Alesi led the race with chassis 157 before pitting, and spent the final forty-five laps chasing down the Williams FW17 of Damon Hill, to finish second, but perhaps more impressively, nearly thirty seconds ahead of the Benetton of Michael Schumacher!
In 1995, Italy hosted two Grand Prix, one at Imola in April, and one at Monza in September. Chassis 157 was again driven by Alesi at the 1995 Gran Premio di San Marino, held at the famed Imola circuit. Ferraris home race is always special, and this was no exception. Alesi and Berger proved the car to suit the Imola circuit, qualifying fifth and second. Race day saw Alesi drive one of the best races of his life. Thanks to a three-stop strategy and steadily climbing the order. Alesi passed Gerhard Berger and David Coulthard to finish second at the most important Grand Prix for Ferrari, who importantly retained the lead of the Constructors Championship.
Michael Schumacher’s Scuderia Ferrari debut
As the season passed, Schumacher asserted his authority in the Benetton, and claimed a back-to-back second Wold Championship, as well as signing for Scuderia Ferrari for the 1996 and 1997 season. In November, Schumacher was released from his Benetton obligations and quickly arrived at Ferrari’s home in Maranello for a test in the 1995 Ferrari 412 T2 at the team’s private test track, Fiorano.
The very first Scuderia Ferrari F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher was this, chassis 157, at the private Ferrari test track, Fiorano, on November 16th 1995.
Wearing a white race suit and his iconic helmet, Schumacher had his first taste of the 412 T2 at a damp and cold Fiorano. Ferrari testing sheets, which accompany this Ferrari Classiche Certified 412 T2, confirm that chassis 157 was driven by Michael Schumacher over seventeen laps at Fiorano. This test was huge news for both Italy, and Formula One, with more than 2,000 people cramming up against the fences to watch the 26-year-old German drive a Ferrari Formula One car for the first time. Magazines including Autosprint in Italy, and Autosport in England covered the days testing activities.
Michael Schumacher and this Ferrari 412 T2 test at Estoril
Five days later, Scuderia Ferrari and Michael Schumacher travelled to Estoril in Portugal to test chassis 157 once again. On the 21st November, Schumacher covered twenty-eight laps of the Portuguese circuit, and set a best lap time of 1m 21.20, an impressive 0.7s faster than the best Ferrari (Gerhard Berger) had managed in qualifying for Septembers Portuguese Grand Prix! As with the test at Fiorano, these laps are documented with copies of the original Ferrari test sheets accompanying chassis 157.
Michael Schumacher and Ferrari testing was a high-profile event with many of the world’s leading motorsport magazines featuring Schumacher testing chassis 157 under the Portuguese sun.
