Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari finale for World Finals
The 2006 Ferrari World Finals were brought to a close today
at the Monza circuit with the traditional demonstration from
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The key moment of the event that
rounds off the Prancing Horse’s racing season was a
tribute to the Formula 1 career of Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo, Vice-president Piero
Ferrari, Chief Executive Officer Jean Todt, Managing Director
Amedeo Felisa and the entire team then acknowledged and thanked
the crowd of over 45,000 spectators. Particularly heartfelt
was the acknowledgement of the German driver, whose racing
career has ended, although he will continue to have a role
with Ferrari.
Completing the busy programme were the display of single-seaters
prepared by the Maranello F1 Clienti department and runs for
the laboratory car from the exclusive FXX Programme. A special
initiative from the Scuderia Ferrari Club then saw some members
taking part in the final round of the 2006 Soap Box race,
for four wheeled vehicles without engines, based on the imaginative
designs of these enthusiasts.
The day’s race card saw the final races of the season
in various Ferrari championships. Of particular note, the
world final of the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy race,
using the F430 Challenge, which was won by Andrea Belluzzi
(Motor,) who crossed the line ahead of Vito Postiglione (Stile
F) and Max Blancardi (Auto Palace/Star Rent Competition.)
Giorgio Sernagiotto (Motor) took first place in the “mondialino”
for gentlemen drivers in the Shell Cup, with Lorenzo Bontempelli
(Rossocorsa) first among the 360 Challenge runners in this
the last year of eligibility for the Prancing Horse one-make
series.
Also taking to the track today for the second series of races
of the weekend were the competitors in the Shell Ferrari Historic
Challenge, also open to historic Maseratis. Wins at the end
of these races went to Thomas Bscher in his 1955 Maserati
250 F in category “A” for single-seaters, to Bscher
again, this time in a 1958 Maserati 450 S in the “B”
group (sports and GT cars fitted with drum brakes) and the
1970 Ferrari 512 M of Patrick Stieger in the “C”
class (cars with disc brakes.)
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