Oliver White
Ferrari have demonstrated their 2006 car, the 248, to a captive audience in Melbourne over the weekend. As part of the build up to the 2007 season which is due to kick off in the city in less than two weeks, test driver Marc Gene drove the Ferrari through the streets much to the applaude of the 10,000+ fans who had ring-side seats.
The event took place in Melbourne’s Little Italy district, and the Ferrari 248 was joined with some classic models that made runs down Lygon Street at reduced speeds.
It was brilliant to see so many families enjoying an entire day of free entertainment with the main attraction of course being the low-speed demonstration drive of the very same car driven by the sport’s most prolific driver, Michael Schumacher, in last year’s Formula 1 world championship season. Tim Bamford, CEO Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
This event marks one celebration of many of Formula One, following the extravaganza in Abu Dhabi last month. Formula One, it seems, is starting to come around to the idea of fans being the most important element in the sport, and shows like this will only help to bring spectators closer to their idols – both drivers and cars. It would be great to see more events like this, and while London has been ruled out as a possible venue for a Grand Prix, I don’t see why the teams could not stop the city for a short while to repeat the successful show they put on in 2004.
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