Team Maranello Concessionaires Launch

A glittering evening at the nostalgic Tower Garage premises heralded the official launch of the joint Ferrari UK and Veloqx Motorsport team, called Team Maranello Concessionaires. They plan to run two 360 GTs in the FIA GT Championship in 2003 starting with the first round at Barcelona on 6 April.

With Steven Rider as Master of Ceremonies, an illustrious collection of cars from the history of Maranello Concessionaires together with some of their drivers gathered to watch the official presentations and the unveiling of the 360 GT in its splendid new TMC livery.

Richard Mackay, MD of Ferrari UK, welcomed the guests and expressed his appreciation for the enthusiasm and ambition of Veloqx-owner Sam Li, which would see the return of the Cambridge Blue colours to the race tracks. Stephane Ratel, boss of the FIA GT series, then made the surprise announcement that there were more Ferraris entered in the 2003 Championship than Porsches. Six 550 Maranellos and eight 360 GTs had thus far been registered. Tony Gilhome from Dunlop Tyres announced their support for the new team and Michele Rayneri from Ferrari's Corsa Clienti department emphasised the Factory's support for the venture.

The team's drivers, Jamie Davies, Tim Mullen, Kelvin Burt, Darren Turner and Andrew Kirkaldy were all present, complete in their new-look team overalls, but of particular interest were also the numerous ex Maranello drivers who attended. These include Michael Salmon, Jack Sears, Peter Westbury, David Piper and Richard Attwood.

On display were many tipos. Prominent was a line-up of Ferrari's modern supercars; 288 GTO, F40, F50 and a new Enzo. The historic racing cars included the Maranello Concessionaire's Daytona, a '64 GTO, a 275 GTB/C and a 330LMB.

TMC's new Commercial Director, John Newman, who had only recently moved across from Ferrari UK, highlighted the seriousness with which the team was approaching the new season. The equipment, the funding and the resources were all in place for a winning combination.

pics by Paul/Fotografia Corse & CMdigicams