The visit to the Vatican this morning by a delegation from Ferrari, which included star drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, for an audience with Pope John Paul II, was not in fact the first time the current serving Pontiff and the Maranello based sportscar maker had actually crossed paths.

Back in 1988, John Paul II visited the Maranello factory as well as Enzo Ferrari's former home, where he inspected an array of cars including the Scuderia's then current Formula 1 car, the F1/88, and several historic racers, before making a short tour waving to the guests from a convertible Ferrari sportscar, which can be classed as a highly unusual 'Popemobile'.