(from autosport) Passengers passing through Zurich airport can add a Formula One car to their usual duty-free shopping this month. A selection of cars and memorabilia owned by Peter Sauber, whose Swiss-based team were taken over by BMW at the end of 2005, will be auctioned off at the airport over a six-week period from February 19. "This is the first time Formula One racing cars will be up for sale at Zurich Airport," said Patrick Graf, head of marketing retail for the company that holds the government concession to operate the airport, in a statement. The Sauber Formula One cars to be sold to the highest bidder include ones raced by France's Jean Alesi between 1998 and 1999 and Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn who started his Grand Prix career with Sauber in 2001.
Interesting stuff. I also wonder where the heck all of the F1 cars and parts go every year. Teams build several cars. Who gets those at the end of the season? And teams build and test a ton of parts, and also replace parts frequently on the race cars. Where do all those tidbits end up?
I know for Williams, you could buy stuff like wings, seat molds, engine cowlings, wing endplates, wheels, wheel nuts, rotors, suits, etc. Not that often would a tub come along. They would have auctions periodically. Once every few years or so.
I know there are always a few parts for sale in various places. Even Ebay always has F1 stuff. But every team goes through hundreds of parts every season! Just wondering where the bulk of it goes. For sure they aren't storing it all.