the events
200510 Mugello Enzo rally
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Maranello-Mugello – the first Enzo Ferrari rally 10/21/2005 - 10/23/2005 Maranello-Mugello The world’s largest ever gathering of Ferrari’s most recent supercar, the Enzo, took place over the weekend of the Ferrari World Finals from the 21st to the 23rd of October. No fewer than 51 cars were involved in the rally that saw the participants gather on Friday at the New Logistics building at Fiorano prior to the official start from the track on Saturday. The Logistics building, normally dedicated to F1 activities, was emptied for the occasion and the sight of all the Enzos parked ready for the event was stunning. European entries made up almost the entire grid of cars - with a sole owner taking part from the USA – with a particularly strong turn out from Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. After a number of free laps in the late afternoon, a special briefing for all the drivers and co-drivers was held at the track in the presence of Jean Todt, while Amadeo Felisa was special guest at dinner in the Cavallino, along with the Enzo’s project leader, Giuseppe Petrotta, and head of the special projects production team, Maurizio Macalesi. The rally proper got underway bright and early on Saturday morning, with wisps of autumn fog mixing with the exhaust fumes lingering in the cold air over the cars as they manoeuvred into position along the main straight, ready for the first of the day’s four special timed regularity trials that would take them towards Florence. Soon the Fiorano track was resounding to the manic scream of the Enzos’ 660 CV 5,998 cc V12, as each car lapped the circuit before heading off for the remaining special stages along the 170 km route. The first part of the road book took in a novel diversion, under the timeless entrance archway and right through the heart of the Ferrari factory where workers on the Saturday shift lined the Viale Enzo Ferrari to watch the company’s pride and joy return to the fold. It was a moving moment for all, for while staff and production line workers alike were used to seeing the Enzos on a daily basis up until the last car left the line in 2004, seeing such a number return on such a special occasion was unprecedented. Once out past the F1 wind tunnel, the cars rejoined the open road and, with local traffic wardens and marshals ensuring no-one could get lost before the autostrada section and Police motorbike escorts magically clearing the traffic before them, the Enzos headed for the Apennine hills south of Bologna. From here they joined the classic Mille Miglia route, albeit it heading south, rather than north as is the norm in the classic Italian road race. From the cloudy surroundings of the Po’ valley, the cars climbed into the clouds, through them and - miraculously - into bright sunshine 8 km before reaching the Raticosa Pass (868 m above sea level). From there until the Futa Pass the cars basked in the warm rays of the sun, after which the clouds closed in again, making the twisty descent slippery in places, and several of the drivers revelled in the chance to switch off the traction control and get the cars seriously sideways. The last stage of the transfer to Florence came in the early afternoon with the cars collecting in a square near the outskirts to be accompanied in an unforgettable convoy by the Police escort to the highly suggestive Piazza Ognissanti square alongside the Arno river. This was one of the highpoints of the rally, with at least one Enzo hitting no less than 200 kph along the wide Viali where the traffic had been handily blocked by the Police. Once gathered in Piazza Ognissanti, it was time for the owners to freshen up prior to transferring – again under Police escort – to the Mugello track north of Florence. Here the cars lined up in the pits before setting off, engines howling, for an evening free lap session. Sunday was spent at Mugello, watching the many races in the packed Finals programme before the highlight of the whole weekend; an amazing line up of two F2005 cars, driven respectively by Schumacher and Barrichello in his last official outing for the Scuderia, followed by the new F430 Challenge driven by Rory Byrne, four FXXs, driven by Piero Ferrari, Mr Felisa, Luca Badoer and Marc Gene, and last – but no means least – all 51 Enzos involved in this unforgettable event. Within a lap, the F2005s were already snapping at the heels of the Enzos at the back of the pack, and screamed past them in a unique spectacle of F1s tangling with road cars. The laps came to a close far too soon for most of the participants, but the memory certainly lingered on. As it did for all the thousands of other Ferrari owners and fans alike who were lucky enough to witness one of the most memorable Ferrari events of recent years.