Along with the similar date in Moscow that was held in July, the Rotterdam event has now become one of the most famous of its kind thanks to the plentiful supply of exhibitions that involve a mixture of different disciplines and some of the most famous faces in the international car world.

Marc Gené, the Spanish driver who is employed by the Maranello team both for commercial activities and on the sporting side related to car development, was one of the main players at a press conference as the representative of the Scuderia. After that he took part in a traditional welcome parade at the wheel of a Ferrari California before taking to the track for a session of demonstration laps in the cockpit of an F10, the car that took part in the 2010 Formula 1 world championship.

"To take part in this event, as requested by our sponsor Santander, means that this was the first time in Rotterdam both for me and for the Ferrari Formula 1 car," the Spanish driver told the press. "Compared to my previous experiences this is the longest track that I have ever seen at a road show – and also the most twisty: usually at this kind of event you see long straights which you drive down in both directions, but here the layout of the track reminds you of a real circuit and allows you to really test out the speed and braking areas.

"So I must pass on my compliments to the city of Rotterdam and to the organisers of the event, who knew how to design such an interesting circuit on these streets that are normally reserved for city traffic, thus offering the fans the chance to see a Formula 1 car in real live action," added Gené.

Some light damage to the rear suspension sustained by the F10 during the show allowed the entrance onto the circuit of a 2009-vintage F60. The F60 went out for a second run of hot laps at the end of a memorable day for the fans who were present, of whom there were more than 500,000 in total.

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