FERRARI CALIFORNIA T CHARITY EVENT : RAYS OF SUNSHINE AND BEN FERRARI APPRENTICES GRADUATION CEREMONY

23-24 SEPTEMBER 2016

London, 26 September 2016 – Silverstone Circuit was bathed in sunshine for the two day Passione Ferrari event at the famed F1 circuit, with VIP clients, guests and Ferrari owners taking to the track in their own cars, including a number of incredible FXX K and 599XX cars from the Corse Clienti department in Maranello. Former Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver, René Arnoux, and current Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver, Marc Gené, were on hand to coach the clients around the 5.6km F1 circuit in their XX cars.

Ferrari also displayed a number of fantastic historic Ferrari F1 cars, with two of the cars kindly on loan from the Donington Collection: a 312T and a 312 T5. The 312 T was the final 312T to be built and is the car in which Clay Regazzoni won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1975 and the USA Grand Prix at Long Beach in 1976. The 312 T5 was the last of Ferrari's F1 T cars and was driven by both Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve in the 1980 season.

Also on display was the 1990 Ferrari 641/2 which Nigel Mansell campaigned during the season to help Ferrari win the World Championship, with a Pole Position and a 1st place at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, and an incredibly beautiful F2 single-seater from the 1960s: a Dino 166 F2 which was launched in 1967 but which also raced in the Tasman Cup series from 1968.

Ferrari California T Charity Event

Ferrari North Europe also hosted the company's annual Ferrari California T charity event with Rays of Sunshine, a charity which grants wishes to terminally-ill children, and BEN, the automotive industry's own benevolent fund that helps families in the automotive industry in times of need. The two charities brought 50 children to Silverstone for the Passione Ferrari event, with each child having a passenger ride in a Ferrari California T around the Silverstone Stowe Circuit.

They were also joined by Mollie King, singer-songwriter, best known as one-fifth of the UK's leading girl group, The Saturdays, and an ambassador for Rays of Sunshine. With a folding hard-top and a twin-turbocharged 570hp V8 engine, the California T was the perfect car to provide a thrill for the children as they whizzed around the Stowe circuit with the roof down and the wind in their hair. For all these children, it was a dream come true just to be able to sit in a Ferrari, so being driven at speed around a racing circuit was a memory they will treasure forever.

Ferrari North Europe Apprentice Graduation Ceremony

On Saturday, Ferrari North Europe was also proud to welcome five new Service Technicians to the dealer network, with a graduation ceremony for the Apprentices who have completed 3 years of technical training both in the dedicated Apprentice workshop at Ferrari North Europe's head office, and with their Official Dealer. Tom Clarkson, BBC's F1 Correspondent was on-hand to present the Apprentices with their graduation certifications, with assistance from René Arnoux and Marc Gené.

Francesco Balli, Regional Manager for Ferrari North Europe commented: 'We are delighted to congratulate the five graduating Apprentices as they begin their career as fully-qualified Ferrari technicians. This project is part of the Ferrari philosophy of investing in young talent and we are proud to continue this philosophy through the Ferrari North Europe Apprentice Programme and to ensure that the Ferrari dealer network has a continual supply of high quality, knowledgeable and expertly trained apprentices who will hopefully become the Ferrari technicians of the future.'

The Ferrari North Europe Apprentice Programme is open to all school leavers aged 16 or over, and includes in-house and in-dealer training for three years, with 24 weeks of specific training at Ferrari North Europe's head office during the three-year programme. Those interested in applying for the September 2017 intake should register their interest at www.ferrari-apprenticetraining.co.uk

The graduating apprentices are:

Matthew Hazelden from Dick Lovett Swindon.

Charlie Holliman from HR Owen London.

Emilio Lombardi from Maranello Service Centre Egham.

Jonathan Morley from Stratstone Manchester.

Harrison Servidio-Hill from Graypaul Nottingham.