Michael Schumacher's first race-winning Formula 1 car, his Benetton B192, has sold for millions at auction.
Schumacher secured his first F1 victory at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, a year on from making his debut in the pinnacle of motorsport with Jordan.
The specific car sold at the Broad Arrow auction was driven by the seven-time world champion in five grands prix and was designed by Rory Byrne.
Initially, the car was listed at €8.5 million but sold for €5,082,000.
"The essential spark that begins a legend," stated a video by the auction house. "A single step on the road that would lead Michael Schumacher to seven world drivers' championships.
"Here stands the Benetton B192. The modest outsider, the underdog, a car built to challenge the giants of Williams and McLaren, by names now as legendary as Schumacher's own - Flavio Briatore, Rory Byrne, and Ross Brawn.
"Into a world ruled by Senna, Mansell, and Prost came a Teutonic upstart defined by precision, discipline, and an unwavering sense of direction. At a typically weather-challenged Spa-Francorchamps in 1992, this car carried him to that first defining triumph.
"Within its carbon fibre form, the 3.5-litre V8 rose in rampant crescendos for 44 laps and 300 km, expertly conducted by Michael through a manual transmission.
"The B192 is the final manual Formula 1 car produced by Benetton. This driver and this car arrived that day, not to end, but to start a legendary journey, a prelude to the dominance that would follow. Time moves, champions rise, but the first step on the road to seven remains. Legends remain."
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