When we started planning the WEC weekend in Imola, we decided right from the start to include a stop in Maranello, because we wanted to get a glimpse of Ferrari’s history. To kick off the race weekend, we visited the Ferrari Museum and also walked over to the entrances of Scuderia Ferrari and the Ferrari factory.
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The museum in Maranello brings to life both the world of street sports cars and the world of motorsports. The first exhibit we saw during our visit was the Ferrari 12Cilindri, which evokes the Italian manufacturer’s era of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars from the 1950s and 1960s. The Rosso Corsa color scheme stunningly highlights the modern, sporty lines of this car.
As we continued walking among the cars on display, we also admired the legendary Ferrari F40, as well as several cars that had competed at Le Mans. The exhibition also features Enzo Ferrari’s former office—furnished with the original furniture and wall art. During our walk, we were able to view numerous scale models of production and race cars in several areas.
The F1 hall provided the most thrilling experience and the most spine-tingling moments: eight life-size race cars greeted us, bathed in magnificent, mystical lighting. From Gilles Villeneuve’s 1985 Ferrari, through Michael Schumacher’s F2004 and Kimi Raikkönen’s F2007, all the way to the 2020 Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel, which marked the 1,000th F1 race. It was as if history itself had come to life.
In this room, as if all that weren’t enough, we were greeted by a display case crammed with F1 championship trophies and racing helmets worn in actual races. Next, we got a close-up look at the 2021 Ferrari 499P (a former Le Mans winner)—though unfortunately we couldn’t touch it—as we prepared for the three-day race at Imola. We wrapped up our one-hour tour at the Ferrari Store with a few souvenir purchases.
After visiting the museum, we didn’t leave Maranello just yet; strolling through the streets, we admired the Ferraris on display—which were available for test drives—in the spirit of the Cavallino Rampante, until we arrived in front of the Scuderia’s headquarters. As fans, we simply had to take photos there and in front of the nearby entrance to the Ferrari factory.
These are the moments you can talk about, show in pictures, but you have to experience them firsthand. Does that Ferrari cap or F1 model car you buy right there and then—where this creed originates—have any greater sentimental value?
One thing is certain: We have to go back to Maranello again!
