Over 50,000 people packed into the Mugello circuit for the last day of the Ferrari Maserati World Finals. Star attraction was the arrival of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro F1 team and its drivers, who staged an on track display with the F2003-GA cars, celebrating with its fans the recent conquest of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships.

Six times world champion Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Luca Badoer and Felipe Massa also brought their skills into play in a special race alongside several drivers in the Trofeo Vodafone Maserati. The race, which got underway with a traditional Le Mans-style start was symbolically won by Luca Badoer and Alberto Cerrai, while actual victory in the final round of the Trident marque’s one-make series went to Emanuele Smurra.

The two Ferrari Challenge World Champion title were decided after two very closely contested races. In the Pirelli Trophy, victory went to Italy’s Thomas Kemenater, ahead of Andrea Belluzzi and Fabio Santaniello. In the Shell Cup for gentlemen drivers, Klaus Engelhorn was first past the chequered flag.

It was also the last meeting of the season in the Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati Challenge, with victory in Grid A going to Thomas Bscher (Maserati 250F,) while Group B was won by Irvine Laidlaw (Maserati 300S) with Patrick Stieger (Ferrari 512 M) taking the top spot in Grid C. The cars from this series then returned to the track for a spectacular parade with all the cars going round together, much to the delight of the crowd of historic car enthusiasts.

Also proving a big hit with spectators were the laps completed by the historic Formula 1 cars, coordinated by the Prancing Horse’s F1 Clienti department.

The Ferrari Maserati World Finals came to an end with the titles being assigned in the various Group championships. The Italian Ferrari Challenge 360 ended in success for Nicolas Cadei (Rossocorsa) in the Pirelli Trophy, while Andrea Lepore (Ineco/RAM) won the Shell Cup. In the USA series, the winner was Jim Kenton (Ferrari of Washington.) In the European series, Class A went to France’s Ange Barde (Italia Motors/Ferrari France) and Class B to Monaco’s Markus Lehner (Loris Kessel Racing.) Overall honours in the Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati Challenge went to Belgium’s Vincent Gaye, driving a short wheelbase Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta. Young Emanuele Smurra is the first champion ever in the inaugural year of the Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa, the series which signals the Trident marque’s return to racing.