Michael Schumacher's Historic F1 Debut Car Sells Under the Hammer

Michael Schumacher's Jordan 191 has sold at auction.

The car that marked the beginning of Michael Schumacher's storied F1 career has been sold at an auction in Paris for an impressive €1.3 million (approximately £1.15 million). The 1991 Jordan 191 played a pivotal role in launching the German driver's journey to become one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.

Schumacher made his F1 debut in the Jordan 191 stepping in for Bertrand Gachot. At the time, Schumacher was a sports car driver for Mercedes and had never competed in an F1 race. However, he quickly made an impact by outpacing his teammate Andrea de Cesaris in qualifying and securing a remarkable seventh place on the starting grid.

The race, however, was less successful for the German driver, who retired on the first lap due to a clutch failure. Despite the early exit, his performance in the Jordan 191 had caught the attention of the F1 community, and he went on to hold the record number of championship wins with seven, alongside Lewis Hamilton. 

The Jordan 191 was sold by Bonhams at the auction in Paris, and although the sale price was lower than the pre-auction estimate of £1.2 million to £1.75 million, it still commanded a significant sum. The car was only sold 18 months ago but was revealed to be going back up for auction at the beginning of the year.

The Jordan 191 holds a special place in F1 history as the car that marked the start of Michael Schumacher's illustrious career. The vehicle is a testament to the German driver's talent and drive, and its sale at auction is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest drivers to have ever competed in Formula 1.