Bosnian Formula 1 superfan builds replica 'Schumacher' racer

Far from the glitzy Formula 1 racetracks, Himzo Beganovic has turned his dreams of speed into reality along the dirt roads of northwestern Bosnia.

"I always wanted to own a Formula 1 car, to have it in front of the house, to be able to go for a spin," Beganovic said as he tuned up a replica 'Ferrari red' race car outside his home near the Bosnian town of Kljuc.

The 36-year-old mechanic bought the car from another racing superfan in the capital Sarajevo last year.

The replica, which took two years to build, remains a ramshackle mock-up, crafted with sheet metal - a far cry from the advanced carbon fibre used in the multimillion-dollar cars of Formula 1 teams.

Despite Beganovic's limited means, he still hopes to make his car more efficient, bit by bit. Since purchasing the vehicle, he has been methodically making tweaks to its exterior, while nursing hopes of one day replacing its engine.

Along with a more powerful motor, Beganovic hopes to install an automatic gearbox and better tires.

"When you drive Formula 1, you feel like you are flying. It is not like a car," he said.

"It is the only one in Bosnia-Herzegovina. There are no others."

A self-professed lover of "fast driving" and taking "dangerous turns", Beganovic has been turning heads along Bosnia's mountain roads where he reaches speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.

At other times he simply parks the car in a popular area and lets people check it out.

"I sometimes put it on a trailer to take it to other places in the country. People come, photograph it, and ask questions," he said. "The feeling is indescribable."

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For Beganovic, there was no question of what colour the car would be. As a longtime fan of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, the Ferrari-red paint pays tribute to the driver who won five titles with the famous Italian team.

Since the legendary German champion's skiing accident in 2013 in the French Alps, Beganovic said he has yet to find another driver that interests him as much.

With Schumacher in mind, he hopes to put an Audi V-8 engine into his car soon. "When a German engine and Bosnian ingenuity combine, you get an Italian car," laughed one of Beganovic's neighbors.

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