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Minichamps delivers three matching models with special details and in a limited edition.
The mid-90s was a special time for Formula 1 in Germany. Michael Schumacher had finally reached the top of the premier class, generating excitement on the racetracks and on TV sets. The Schumi hype was to last for years. The 1995 season, in which Schumacher became world champion for the second time with Benetton, also contributed to this. The battle against Damon Hill and co. produced a number of unforgettable moments, which Minichamps has recreated with three special models of the Schumacher-Benetton from 1995. The models are not only limited, but also feature great details.
We start with the Benetton from the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Michael Schumacher dominated the race from pole position until an electrical problem forced him to make an emergency stop in the pits shortly before the end. This meant that Jean Alesi in the Ferrari celebrated the only victory of his Formula 1 career, on his 31st birthday of all days. On the final lap, when many fans had long since stormed the track on the Île Notre-Dame, Alesi's car ran out of fuel. Michael Schumacher, who had finished fifth, promptly acted as a taxi driver and took the stranded Jean Alesi back to the pits as a passenger on the sidepod of the Benetton. This scene is faithfully recreated in the Minichamps model from Canada.
Later in the year, Michael Schumacher made his fans happy at the Nürburgring. After a ten-year absence, the Eifel circuit returned to the Formula 1 calendar and saw the local hero as the winner. The vagaries of the weather made the creation of Schumacher's seventh victory of the season extremely entertaining. After a tire and strategy gamble, Jean Alesi was clearly in the lead before the final sprint, ahead of Schumacher, who, unlike the Frenchman, had made a third pit stop. But with significantly faster lap times and due to bad luck for Alesi in lapped traffic, Schumacher closed the gap and overtook him on the third-to-last lap to win.
Like the winning car from the Nürburgring, the Benetton from the following third-to-last Grand Prix of the season is also available as a model, in which Michael Schumacher secured his second world championship title with another victory. Despite this milestone, the Pacific Grand Prix at the Tanaka International Circuit has almost been forgotten. Formula 1 only visited the Japanese prefecture of Okayama in 1994 and 1995. In the 1995 World Championship decider, Michael Schumacher was only in fifth place at one point, but ultimately fought his way to his eighth victory with strong pace and a good strategy. World Championship rival Damon Hill, meanwhile, came third, which was not enough for the Briton to keep the title fight alive. With his second World Championship crown in his luggage, Michael Schumacher moved to Ferrari.
The Minichamps models are high-quality souvenirs of the Benetton era. All three cars in scale 1:18 are limited and exclusively for ck-modelcars and individually numbered. The models are delivered including decals in a high-quality collector's box. The cockpit has been faithfully reproduced, including the driver figure.
M. Schumacher Benetton B195 #1 5th Canada GP Alesi Taxi Formula 1 1995 1:18, RRP €199.95, item-no.: 513950601
M. Schumacher Benetton B195 #1 Winner European GP Formula 1 World Champion 1995, RRP €199.95, item-no.: 513953201
M. Schumacher Benetton B195 #1 Winner Pacific GP Formula 1 World Champion 1995, RRP €199.95, item-no.: 513953301
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