At the Chinese Grand Prix
a group of Ferrari owners in China teamed up for a grand
charity parade at the Shanghai International Circuit.
This is claimed to be the first-ever circuit parade by a
single brand right before the final race since the
inception of the Formula 1 in 1950.
Jointly arranged by
Ferrari China, the Ferrari Owners Club in Shanghai, and
thanks to the F1 Management Committee led by Bernie
Ecclestone and the Chinese Grand Prix organizers, this
parade aimed to celebrate the racing culture and raise
funds to the Shanghai Charity Fund for children who need
medical help. A total of RMB 3.5 millions (about USD
540,000) was raised through this initiative. Earlier
this week, Ferrari held the annual F1 gala dinner to
celebrate the race season, and a cheque donation
ceremony, where Mr. Edwin Fenech, Ferrari Greater China
President and CEO; Mr. Rick Yan, Ferrari Owners’ Club of
China President; and Mr. Giuseppe Zhu, Scuderia Ferrari
Club Shanghai President, jointly presented the donations
to the Shanghai Charity Fund.
The parade was greeted by Scuderia Ferrari driver Marc
Gené in the pole position in a stunning Ferrari
California. Right behind it were 22 Ferrari models
including the unique 599 China Limited Edition, the
Scuderia Spider 16M Limited Edition, and the most
innovative 8-cylinder sports car, the 458 Italia. The
parade ran several laps on the circuit as hundreds and
thousands of enthusiastic spectators’ cheer the team on.
"Racing is the soul of Ferrari, and the track is our
battlefield’, said Mr. Edwin Fenech. “For this parade,
Ferrari has brought together a stunning line-up to share
Ferrari’s glorious racing heritage and culture. At the
same time, we hope to help contribute to the society who
graciously supported Ferrari’s growth since 2004.”
Ferrari and the F1
Ferrari is the only constructor to have competed in
every single edition of the World Drivers’ Championship
since its creation in 1950. For many years now, it has
also been the only team to build every part of its
single-seaters in-house: chassis, engine, gearbox,
suspension. By the end of 2010, Ferrari had won a total
of 15 Drivers’ and 16 Constructors’ titles. It also
holds the record for the greatest number of wins (215),
pole positions (205) and fastest laps (225). A total of
70 drivers have driven officially for Ferrari in
Formula1, 36 of whom have won at least one Grand Prix.
It should be pointed out that the World Constructors’
title was only established in 1958. Had it been created
in the same year as the Drivers’ title, Ferrari would
have won it in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1956 too.
