Alonso celebrates with Ferrari; Luca beaches it

Fernando Alonso, newly signed to the Scuderia, appeared at their celebration in Valencia. The big vent was capped off with the Luca di Montezemolo giving Alonso a warm welcome to the kitty litter. An ignoble start to a three-year contract for the Spaniard who currently holds two world titles and will prematurely replace Finish driver Kimi Raikkonen for 2010.

Alonso in Kitty Litter

Here is the official press release for all of you tifosi out there who are staying on top of Ferrari’s every move this Winter Season.

Cheste (Valencia), 15 November 2009 – Today the whole world of Ferrari went onto Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit to celebrate the end of the motorsport season together with the fans of the Prancing Horse. At its debut on the Spanish track, the 16th edition of this traditional event usually connected to the home race tracks, the F430 taking part in the Italian, European and North American series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli went onto the track to fight for the world title, while the historical cars from the Shell Historic Challenge held this season’s conclusive race. Apart from the exciting final stages of the motorsport season the spectators could follow the free practice sessions of the historical cars maintained by the F1 Clienti department in Maranello and the Ferrari FXX part of the development programme bearing the same name.

The unforeseeable race held by the Trofeo Pirelli drivers crowned champion Lorenzo Casé: behind the driver from the Motor/Piacenza team Marco Mapelli (Rossocorsa) and the Austrian Philipp Baron (Baron Service) crossed the line, while amongst the gentlemen drivers in the Coppa Shell it was Vincenzo Sauto, with Erich Prinoth and the Ferrari started by the Ineco/MP dealership, who won the title. The Italian crossed the line ahead of Gianluca Carboni (Rossocorsa/Pellin) and Massimo Mantovani (Motor/Malucelli).

In its fourth and final race even the Shell Historic Challenge found its 2009 champion: the Mexican driver Nicolas Zapata, who has been taking part in the extraordinary series dedicated to the jewels from the history of the Prancing Horse for more than ten year, won the overall classification behind the wheel of a magnificent 1956 Ferrari 625 TR. Victory in the race for grid A, for the cars with drum brakes, went to Sean Danaher with the 1938 Maserati 6CM, ahead of Gigi Baulino, behind the wheel of a 1954 Maserati 250F and the new champion Nicolas Zapata. The race for grid B, with cars with disc brakes, was won by Dieter Roschmann with the 1970 Ferrari 512 M, ahead of Darius Ahrabian, behind the wheel of a 1992 F40 LM and Mister John of B with a 1980 Ferrari 512 BB LM.

After the intense racing it was time for an extraordinary show with the protagonists from the Gran Turismo championships: in front of the more than 17,000 spectators Gimmi Bruni, Toni Vilander, Niki Cadei and Alvaro Barba Lopez took turns behind the wheels of two F430 GT2 from AF Corse, the team which won the constructors’ and teams’ titles in the FIA GT Championship, next to the Ferrari, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by the Risi Competizione team drivers Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer. The spectators gave Felipe Massa an enthusiastic welcome: the Brazilian driver, accompanied by Giancarlo Fisichella, Marc Gené and Luca Badoer, performed behind the wheel of a F60 at the traditional Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro show, while he was joined on the track by the local hero and future Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.

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