The legendary Mario Andretti is set to be reunited with two Ferrari cars which shaped his career when he visits the GPlive event at Donington Park in May. In addition to getting behind the wheel of the Ferrari 312B, a car which gave him his first Grand Prix victory in 1971, he’ll also meet up with the car which started his passion for Grand Prix racing over fifty years ago.

The 1971 Ferrari 312B and the 1953, ex-Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 racers are part of a stunning display of cars from the Donington Grand Prix Collection which will be demonstrated on the track during the weekend-long celebration of Grand Prix racing. No less then seven of the rarest cars from the Museum will be in action, with a further six on display in the GPlive Paddock, which will allow a special close-up view.

Regarded by many as one of the most beautiful Grand Prix cars of all time, the 3-litre flat 12 Ferrari 312B was developed by Mauro Forghieri to return Ferrari to the winners circle after one of their cyclical lulls in form. The car began its winning streak in 1970 with Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni at the wheel, then Mario Andretti took his dream win on his debut with the team in 1971. This car was driven by his team-mate Jacky Ickx. Later in the season however a “wrong turn” in suspension design would mean that it was set to be Andretti’s only win for the Scuderia.

The Donington Grand Prix Collection's Ferrari 500 is, quite simply, the most successful Grand Prix racing car of all time. Driven by the burly Italian, Alberto Ascari, the car won every race in which it started during its first season, and won five from eight starts in its second season, giving Ascari the World Championship in 1952 and 1953. This car was also driven in 1953 by Mike Hawthorn, who went on to be World Champion in 1958.

The two Ferraris both mark important milestones in an Andretti life story which reads like one of the best Sylvester Stallone scripts. Born in Montona, on the Italian-Yugoslav border in 1940, Mario and his twin brother Aldo were penniless refugees when they climbed the fence at Monza in 1953 to watch their hero Alberto Ascari win the Italian Grand Prix. Andretti will see the actual car once again at Donington, for the first time in 54 years. After his family emigrated to America in 1955, both Mario’s pride in his Italian heritage and passion for motor racing were set to be fulfilled. Mario made his name, first in oval racing then in Formula One.
 

Initially he raced for the Lotus and STP March teams, before being invited by “Il Commendatore” Enzo Ferrari to drive for the Scuderia in the 1971. Andretti won the first Grand Prix of the season at Kyalami in South Africa, in a 3-litre flat-12 Ferrari 312B identical to the car he will demonstrate at GPlive. It was the first of twelve Grand Prix victories Andretti scored in the course of his career, in addition to winning the 1978 Formula One World Championship for Lotus, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 NASCAR event. His winning total stands at 111 race victories.

The two Ferraris however are just a taste of the mouthwatering selection of cars from the Donington Collection which will take to the track. The line up will include three further famous Italian racing cars from the collection, a 1934 Maserati 8CM, a 1936 Alfa Romeo Bimotore and the Lancia D50. The Maserati was the personal car of Italian ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. Having scored victories in Belgium, Montenegro and Nice, and second in Spain, it is one of the best preserved and most original of all the great racing cars of the 1930s.

One of only two produced, the Alfa Romeo Bimotore was built by the Scuderia Ferrari in an attempt to defeat the German "Silver Arrow" Grand Prix cars. This twin engined car, with one engine in the front and another in the tail, driving the rear wheels, has an incredible power output of 500 bhp and could achieve over 200 mph. Although driven by Nuvolari, the car's performance was compromised due to its amazing appetite for tyres.

A magnificent re-creation of one of the most innovative and distinctive front-engined Grand Prix cars of the 1950s, the Lancia D50, designed by Vittorio Jano, incorporated striking pontoons, fuel tanks mounted in the centre of the car to improve handling. All the original team cars were broken up, but Donington Collection founder Tom Wheatcroft discovered an original D50 engine and transaxle. From them and the original Lancia drawings and specifications, the car was re-created by Guido Rosani and Anthony Maclean with help from museums in Italy and retired Lancia staff.