Schumacher’s 1992 Belgian Grand Prix-winning F1 sells for R95.9m

Michael Schumacher’s first Formula One race-winning car has been sold at auction for €5,082,000 (R95,9m), confirming its status as one of the most historically important Grand Prix machines ever offered publicly.

The car in question – a sleek Camel-liveried 1992 Benetton B192 (chassis B192-05) – carried the then 23-year-old German to victory at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in August 1992. The win was the first of the seven-time world champion’s 91 career victories and came exactly one year after his F1 debut at the same circuit.

Sold by UK-based auction house Broad Arrow as part of its “Global Icons: Europe Online” auction that concluded on January 30, the Benetton represents a key moment in Formula One’s technical and sporting history.

Designed by Rory Byrne it was the last Grand Prix-winning car fitted with a manual gearbox, with Schumacher using a six-speed H-pattern transmission to master treacherous wet conditions around the then 6.940km Spa circuit.

He beat an ultra-competitive field that included Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Mika Häkkinen in the rain-affected 44-lap race, a performance that helped launch one of the most successful careers the sport has seen.

After the 1992 season, the car remained at Benetton’s Enstone base before joining Renault’s historic collection. It was sold in 2015 to LRS Formula, owned by historic F1 specialist Laurent Redon, who oversaw a comprehensive restoration.

According to a 2024 sales attestation, chassis B192-05 received a complete chassis overhaul along with engine and gearbox rebuilds and remains in running condition.