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Formula One driver Gerhard Berger’s stolen Ferrari found in London after 28 years

Red Testarossa stolen from the Austrian driver while he was competing at Imola in 1995

Tariq Tahir
Tariq Tahir

March 04, 2024

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A Ferrari stolen from Gerhard Berger 28 years ago when he was a Formula One driver has been recovered by police in the UK.

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.

Gerhard Berger's Ferrari was missing for 28 years before police in the UK recovered it. Photo: PA
Gerhard Berger's Ferrari was missing for 28 years before police in the UK recovered it. Photo: PA

Met Police officer Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, 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,” he said.

"We worked quickly with partners including the National Crime Agency, as well as Ferrari and international car dealerships, and this collaboration was instrumental in understanding the vehicle's background and stopping it from leaving the country."

Gerhard Berger, right, with fellow Formula One driver Jean Alessi in 1995. Getty Images
Gerhard Berger, right, with fellow Formula One driver Jean Alessi in 1995. Getty Images

The Met’s Organised Vehicle Crime Unit is a small team of experienced vehicle examiners, police officers and staff with a wealth of knowledge.

In 2023, the unit recovered 418 vehicles with a combined value of £31 million. Of these, 326 have been linked to organised criminal gangs, making up £21 million of the total value of vehicles seized.

Berger competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, finishing third overall in the 1988 and 1994 championships, both times driving for Ferrari.

He finished his career at the Benetton team and since retiring has become a respected pundit on the sport.

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• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

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Updated: March 04, 2024, 2:50 PM
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