F1 star Gerhard Berger’s £350,000 Ferrari that was stolen at the San Marino Grand Prix 28 years ago is FOUND after police investigation

The Metropolitan Police have recovered a Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago.

The red Ferrari F512M, valued at £350,000, was one of two Italian sports cars hijacked while their drivers were at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, in April 1995.

The Met said officials received a report from the car maker in January this year after the company had carried out checks on a car bought by a US buyer through a UK broker last year.

The Vehicle Organized Crime Unit discovered the car had been sent to Japan shortly after being stolen until it was brought to the UK in late 2023, and they swooped in to take possession and prevent it from being exported.

The second vehicle remains missing and no arrests have yet been made, the force added.

Officers, working alongside the National Crime Agency and the car manufacturer, discovered the vehicle’s history within four days before quickly tracing it.

PC Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, said: “The stolen Ferrari, worth nearly £350,000, was missing for more than 28 years before we managed to locate it in just four days.

‘Our investigations were thorough and included contacting authorities around the world.

“We worked quickly with partners such as the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealers, and this collaboration was essential to understanding the background of the vehicle and preventing it from leaving the country.”

In 2023, the Met’s Organized Vehicle Crime Unit recovered 418 vehicles with a combined value of £31 million.

Of these, 326 have been linked to organized criminal gangs, representing £21m of the total value of vehicles seized.