A Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago has been recovered by the Metropolitan Police.

The red Ferrari F512M was one of two of the Italian sports cars taken while their drivers were at the San Marino Grand Prix held at Imola in Italy in April 1995.

The Met said officers received a report from the car maker in January this year after the firm 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 until it was brought to the UK in late 2023, and they swooped to take possession and prevent it from being exported.

The second car remains missing and no arrests have yet been made, the force added.

Pc Mike Pilbeam, who led the investigation, said: “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.

“Our inquiries were painstaking and included contacting authorities from around the world.

“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.”