The Jordan F1 car that Michael Schumacher made his Formula 1 debut in is expected to go for big money in an upcoming auction.
Schumacher made his F1 bow in the iconic Jordan 191 at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, and the car has become a cult classic among F1 fans for its iconic green and blue livery.
The car has been listed between €1.4m and €2.0m by Bonhams, and will go under the hammer in Paris on February 2nd.
Jordan F1: Debut Michael Schumacher car to go for big bucks
Formula 1 fandom exploded in Ireland with the success of the Jordan F1 team in the 1990s and 2000s. Under the stewardship of Irishman Eddie Jordan, the team finished third in the 1999 Constructors' Championship, and won four races during their 15 years in the sport.
In their first year of competing in the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport, Jordan were left high and dry after driver Bertrand Gachot was arrested in London ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. After much wrangling over who could fill Gachot's place for the race at Spa, 22-year-old Michael Schumacher was eventually snapped up to race for the team in his Formula 1 debut.
Schumacher confounded expectations, outpacing vastly experienced teammate Andrea de Cesaris. The young German qualified a scarcely believable P7 - equalling the best qualifying performance of the year for the team, on a famously challenging track with which he was unfamiliar.
Schumacher's car would fail on lap one of the race, and he was quickly signed up by Benetton for the remainder of the 1991 season, making the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix the only F1 GP he raced with Jordan.
30 years ago today, the great Michael Schumacher made his F1 debut for Jordan ☘️
Will there ever be a better sponsor than the Jordan - 7Up linkup?pic.twitter.com/P4Qf2ixif0— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) August 25, 2021
The Benetton partnership would ultimately bring two world championships for Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and he went on to win another five for Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. He retired as the most successful driver in Formula 1 history, with 91 race wins and seven world championships - though many of his records have since been matched or surpassed by Lewis Hamilton.
READ HERE: Will We Ever See Another Irish Formula 1 Team?
The Jordan car in which Schumacher made his F1 debut has become a classic of the sport, not only for its association with the German legend, but for its iconic green and blue 7Up branded paint job. Having been sold at auction only 18 months ago, the car is set to go under the hammer once more next week, with Bonhams expecting over €1.4million for the Jordan car.
A piece of history! Being sold by @bonhams1793 in a couple of weeks is Michael Schumacher‘s Jordan 191!
Also has been driven by @SchumacherMick and @karunchandhok @wearetherace - this will be of interest…#F1 #Formula1 #KeepFightingMichael #Auctions https://t.co/gsZgjb14Ev pic.twitter.com/UrPJR18fek— FormulaNerds 🤓🏁 (@Formula_Nerds) January 20, 2023
The car being put up for auction is chassis no. 6 - the car used by Schumacher in his first ever F1 session in FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, before de Cesaris used the car for qualifying and the race.
The Jordan 191 has regularly featured in listicles of F1's best looking cars, and preceded another famous paint job for the team, when they transitioned to a striking yellow and black livery in the late 1990s.
The 191 was brought out of hibernation ahead of the 30th anniversary of Schumacher's debut in 2021, with his son and then-Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher bringing the car on track at Silverstone.
Time to start saving up, if you want to snap up the Jordan 191 - one of the most famous F1 cars of all time.
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