Ferrari stolen from F1 driver Gerhard Berger is recovered after nearly 30 years

LONDON — A very fast car has made a very slow return.

British police said Monday that they have recovered a Ferrari stolen from Austrian Formula One driver Gerhard Berger in Italy almost three decades ago.

The red Ferrari F512M was one of two sports cars taken from the paddock while their drivers were in Imola for the San Marino Grand Prix in April 1995. Berger’s teammate Jean Alesi lost a silver F355. Berger saw the theft in progress and gave chase, but was unable to catch the thief.

Neither was ever found — until London’s Metropolitan Police were tipped off by the manufacturer in January that a Ferrari in the process of being sold to a U.S. buyer by a U.K. broker had been flagged as a stolen vehicle.

The force’s Organized Vehicle Crime Unit investigated and found the car had gone to Japan after the theft, where it has been ever since. Then late last year, it was brought to Britain from Japan for the sale. Officers seized the car, which the force said is valued at close to 350,000 pounds ($444,000).

“Our inquiries were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world,” said Constable Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation. “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.”

No one has been arrested, and the second stolen Ferrari remains missing.

Ferrari manufactured 501 of the F512M model between 1994 and 1996. The car has a top speed of 315 kilometers an hour (196 miles per hour).

No word on whether Berger will get the car back, but it appears to be well-kept after all these years.