A British driver completely destroyed his £200,000 Ferrari just an hour after picking up the supercar.

He lost control of his black Ferrari 430 Scuderia while driving on the M1 motorway, which connects Leeds to London, on Thursday afternoon. Miraculously, he emerged largely unscathed.

How much the driver paid for the car is unclear, but American motoring magazine Road & Track listed the price to be about $262,000 (£200,000) in 2008.

The luxury car went flying through the air, burst into flames, and skidded 50 metres down an embankment before coming to rest near Barnsley, South Yorkshire Police said on Facebook.

Road conditions were wet at the time, the police added. After arriving at the scene, officers said they saw firemen "squirting water all over some kind of sporty motor" that was "well alight."

The driver, whose identity remains unknown, walked away with minor cuts and bruises. Police called it a "miracle escape" in a Twitter post.

The luxury car went flying through the air and burst into flames. South Yorkshire Police

"It was a Ferrari," the driver had said when police asked him about the car. Officers said they noticed "a sense of damaged pride" in the driver.

The police do not believe the crash happened because of speeding, they confirmed after having spoken to witnesses.

"Over the past couple of weeks there has been a number of collisions where driving styles have not reflected the road and weather conditions," police warned. "Please take more care."

Here is the South Yorkshire Police statement in full: