For nearly three decades from the fifties to the mid-seventies, Scuderia Ferrari ran in both endurance and Formula 1. The Italian manufacturer has yet to win in F1 this year, has something to celebrate with the 1-2 finish the 458 Italia in LM GTE Pro, and what is more, on the circuit named after the founder of the house of Maranello.

At the finish of this fourth round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011, Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander led their teammates Gimmi Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella: “We definitely could have won, but an electrical problem affected our car during the final laps. But I am nevertheless very happy with this result for me and for the whole team.”

For Amato Ferrari (who, remember, has no family relationship with Enzo and Dino), this superb performance will certainly occupy a special place in the history of his team AF Corse, adding an entry to the record books at Imola circuit following those of Ferrari in Formula 1 at the Grand Prix of San Marino. Created exactly thirty years ago, this race has seen the Prancing Horse win in eight of the twenty-six races up to 2006.

Photo : CIRCUIT ENZO E DINO FERRARI (IMOLA, ITALY), SIX HOURS OF IMOLA, 3 JULY 2011. Pit stop for Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander who went on to win the LM GTE Pro category.