STORY OF THE DAY: Ferrari’s V12 era ends on the streets of Adelaide

The 1995 Australian Grand Prix, the final round of the Formula One World Championship, was also Adelaide’s farewell before the race moved to Melbourne. Gerhard Berger ran strongly in Ferrari number 28 and rose to second after Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi collided, but an engine problem ended his race. His retirement closed both Ferrari’s season and the history of V12 engines in Formula One.

Berger had started well, advancing to third before Schumacher recovered the position. The race developed into an unusually attritional contest, and the Ferrari again moved forward as rivals disappeared. Victory was beyond reach once Damon Hill established control, but second place appeared possible until the 412 T2’s engine failed. Berger nevertheless became the only driver to have contested all eleven Formula One Grands Prix held in Adelaide.

The 412 T2 was Ferrari’s final V12 Formula One car, powered by a naturally aspirated three-litre engine under the regulations introduced for 1995. Its name referred to the twelve-cylinder engine and transverse gearbox arrangement. Ferrari adopted a V10 for 1996, ending a celebrated but increasingly impractical engine tradition.

Gerhard Berger was an Austrian driver whose long Formula One career included two periods with Ferrari, from 1987 to 1989 and from 1993 to 1995. He had won at Adelaide for Ferrari in 1987 and for McLaren in 1992. His experience, speed and direct manner made him a central figure in Ferrari’s transitional years, and this retirement was his final start for the team.